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.

"I was putting my trust in God, so from an Islamic point of view, yes," Moussaoui responded, acknowledging that non-Muslims might view his testimony as harmful to his case. Defence lawyers have said Moussaoui is lying about his role in September 11 - the worst terrorism attack ever on US soil - in the hopes of achieving martyrdom through execution.

Moussaoui testified Thursday that "for the last four years, I have been fighting" against the death penalty. Moussaoui said he considered the consequences of his previous testimony about his role in the attacks and "decided to just put my trust in God, tell the truth and time will tell".

Assailing his court-appointed lawyers, Moussaoui said: "You have put your vested interest in keeping this case in your hands above my interest to save my life."

Moussaoui suggested they preferred the fame that comes from handling a high-profile trial rather than seeking a change of venue to move the case away from Virginia, a state with a reputation for jurors amenable to the death penalty.

Mr Zerkin had asked him if he believed that his defence team was in a conspiracy to kill him. Moussaoui responded that they have been engaged in "criminal non-assistance."