Moussaoui argues that he cannot get a fair trial

CONFESSED al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui returned to the witness stand yesterday, arguing that he could not get a fair trial so close to the Pentagon and denying he was trying to sabotage his defence by testifying earlier he was to have piloted a fifth plane during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Moussaoui also testified that he believes his court-appointed lawyers are working against him and said that, if he'd had control over his defence, he would have argued that he should escape the death penalty and be available for a prisoner swap if US troops are captured overseas. Moussaoui, as defiant on the witness stand as he has been at the defendant's table throughout the trial, testified against the advice of his court-appointed lawyers and attacked them before the jury that has to decide whether to sentence him to death or life in prison.

Defence lawyer Gerald Zerkin asked Moussaoui if he thought he was helping his case when he testified the first time that he planned to pilot a plane into the White House on September 11.