'Twentieth hijacker's' trial delayed
A judge has moved the Washington trial of accused September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui - the so-called 20th hijacker - to January 6.
Jury selection had been scheduled to begin on September 30 for the only person accused of conspiring with the 19 hijackers who crashed airliners into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.
Moussaoui, who is representing himself, had asked Judge Leonie Brinkema for an indefinite postponement to give him more time to prepare his defence.
Prosecutors said in a motion this week they wanted the trial to begin as scheduled, contending the public and victims deserve a speedy resolution of the case.
Moussaoui, 34, a French citizen, has said that his strict conditions of confinement made it impossible to prepare a defence under the original schedule.
He cannot contact witnesses and has yet to receive government approval for computer access to huge numbers of documents turned over by prosecutors.
