Judge bars death sentence for September 11 accused

A judge dealt a severe setback to the only US prosecution arising from the September 11 attacks, ruling that the government cannot seek to execute Zacarias Moussaoui or introduce trial evidence linking the al-Qaida loyalist to the suicide hijackings.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema punished the government yesterday for refusing court orders to make three high-level al-Qaida prisoners available to Moussaoui.