US court denies Moussaoui appeal

Mr Moussaoui denies involvement in the 9/11 plot

The US Supreme Court has refused to examine an appeal for access to US al-Qaeda suspects by the only man charged over the 11 September attacks.

The court would not consider Frenchman Zacarias Moussaoui's constitutional challenge to an earlier federal ruling.

Last year, federal judges barred Mr Moussaoui from calling people held at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as witnesses.

The case against Mr Moussaoui will now resume before a Virginia court.

No date has yet been set for the trial.

Favourable testimony

Last year's federal ruling from the Court of Appeal in Virginia said the accused could only use government-prepared summaries of the interrogation statements from al-Qaeda suspects in Guantanamo.

The three judges also overruled a lower court decision by deciding that the death penalty could be used if there was a guilty verdict.

In preparing his case, Mr Moussaoui has been seeking to interview three major al-Qaeda suspects being held by the US - but prosecutors had objected, citing security concerns.

His lawyers say testimony from al-Qaeda detainees at Guantanamo will show Mr Moussaoui's only role was in a planned follow-up operation.

Mr Moussaoui - who is of Moroccan origin - admits being a member of al-Qaeda, but denies being involved in the plot to hijack planes and crash them.

He was indicted two years ago on four counts of conspiracy to commit terrorism.

The 35-year-old defendant had been under arrest on immigration charges when hijackers crashed civilian airliners into the World Trade Center and other targets, killing more than 2,800 people.

The US government says he was a full member of the original hijack team.