Zacarias Moussaoui Framed by Impersonator Who Couldn't Speak French

Eagan flight trainer wouldn't let unease about Moussaoui rest

Greg Gordon
Star Tribune (web archive)
Published Dec 21 2001

[...]

The still-unidentified flight instructor became wary of Moussaoui immediately, according to Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar and others with direct knowledge of the briefings.

Moussaoui first raised eyebrows when, during a simple introductory exchange, he said he was from France, but then didn't seem to understand when the instructor spoke French to him.

Moussaoui then became belligerent and evasive about his background, Oberstar and other sources said. In addition, he seemed inept in basic flying procedures, while seeking expensive training on an advanced commercial jet simulator.

[...]

Oberstar said the flight instructor, a retired military pilot, grew suspicious after he began speaking French to Moussaoui. Oberstar said Moussaoui seemed not to understand, said he wasn't fluent in French, didn't live in France long and added: "I'm from the Middle East."

The instructor found it odd that Moussaoui said he was from the Middle East, rather than identifying a country, Oberstar said. When the instructor inquired further, Moussaoui grew belligerent, several sources said.

It was not clear whether Moussaoui, who was born in France and attended French schools as a youth, did not understand French or merely chose not to speak it.

Over the next three days, Moussaoui seemed to his instructor to be uncoordinated and showed little ability to follow the lessons, several sources said. The instructor "tried to tell him he was wasting his money," one source said, but Moussaoui persisted.

[...]

- Greg Gordon is at ggordon@mcclatchydc.com

© Copyright 2002 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

The real Moussaoui was born in France in 1968, and speaks fluent French (being his primary language). Yet, this Moussaoui impersonator didn't' understand French, and even claimed he wasn't fluent in French. The impersonator then claimed he was "from the Middle east" and "didn't live in France long." The real Moussaoui was born in France and lived in France his entire childhood.

Also note this impersonator was "inept" at even basic flying procedures, just like the other supposed "hijacker pilots" -- eg, Hani Hanjour. Yet the impersonator was seeking expensive training on an advanced commercial jet simulator. Why? To give the pretense of ability to fly a commercial jet. If this was the real Moussaoui, and he was some actual muslim fanatic intent on hijacking a commercial airliner, don't you think he would have been serious about learning how to fly?

Background on the real Moussaoui:

Mother of terror suspect arrives in U.S.

December 27, 2001
By Cleve Mesidor
CNN

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- The mother of the only person charged so far with conspiracy in the September 11 attacks flew to the United States with an attorney Thursday night to see her son Zacarias Moussaoui and ask that he be given a fair trial and spared the death penalty.

Moussaoui is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, to commit acts of terrorism, to commit air piracy, to destroy aircraft, to destroy property and to use weapons of mass destruction.

The 33-year-old French citizen of Moroccan descent is accused of conspiring with accused terrorist Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network to "murder thousands of people" in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon -- the sites where four jets crashed after being hijacked.

Moussaoui's mother, Aicha El Wafi, flew from Paris, France, to Dulles International Airport near Washington and was staying at a hotel in the suburb of Alexandria. She and the attorney spoke to reporters at an impromptu news conference at the airport

[...]

El Wafi, who was very emotional during the news conference, said that in the letter Zacarias told her, "Mama, I did not do anything. I can prove I did nothing. They have no proof."

[...]

El Wafi, who spoke French at the news conference, said she was concerned that her son does not speak any English and cannot understand the charges against him.

She questioned whether he could get a fair trial in the United States and preferred that he be tried in France.

"I think it's better because he's French, he was born in France, he speaks in French, he was educated in France. I prefer he get his legal papers in French so he can understand why he's being accused," El Wafi said.

Roux said of the emotional, tearful El Wafi: "She's tired by a long trip and a long day."