'Not guilty' plea for Moussaoui

About 3,000 people were killed in the attacks

A US judge in Virginia has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Zacarias Moussaoui at his arraignment on charges of conspiracy relating to the 11 September attacks.

You don't control the courtroom

Judge Leonie Brinkema

Mr Moussaoui, a French citizen who has chosen to defend himself at his upcoming trial, initially refused to enter a plea, saying he wished instead to plead no contest.

"I do not accept this plea of not guilty... I have nothing to say to the United States," he said, accusing the court of attempting to interfere with his defence.

However the judge, Leonie Brinkema, said that a no contest plea would result in an almost certain result of a guilty verdict, and so entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

"You don't control the courtroom," she said.

'Planning role'

Mr Moussaoui is the only person so far to have been charged in connection with the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington, which killed about 3,000 people.

Moussaoui: Faces death penalty if found guilty

The second arraignment was because of minor revisions to the original indictment against Mr Moussaoui, who faces a total of six charges, four of which carry the death penalty.

Mr Moussaoui, accused of being the "20th hijacker", was originally arraigned on 2 January this year, when he also refused to enter a plea "in the name of Allah".

Three months later he asked to be able to fire his court-appointed lawyers, claiming they were part of a conspiracy with the government and the judge to kill him.

Ms Brinkema approved the decision after state psychologists deemed him psychologically fit, although she warned that she thought it an "unwise" action for him to take.

A later request by Mr Moussaoui for a Muslim lawyer based in Texas to represent him in his upcoming trial was rejected by the judge, who said the lawyer had no jurisdiction in Virginia and had not formally agreed to take on the case.

Mr Moussaoui is accused of being involved in the planning of the 11 September attacks.

He has been indicted on six counts of conspiring with the al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, those who hijacked airliners and flew them into buildings in New York and Washington, and others.

His trial, which is being closely followed by the American public, is due to start in October.