No regrets - I wish there was pain for US every day, says Moussaoui

Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in connection with September 11, has told a federal court he has no regrets for the victims, and only hoped "there would be more pain."

Testifying on his own behalf at his death penalty trial at Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday, Moussaoui, 37, expressed his disgust at the family members of victims who shared their grief in court "in order to get the death of someone else".

"We wanted you to have pain in your country," he said during two-and-a-half hours of testimony. I just wish it would have happened on September 12, September 13, September 14 ... there's no remorse for justice."

The French-Moroccan, a confessed member of al-Qa'ida, claimed to have enjoyed images shown in court this week of the Pentagon after it was attacked and said that reports of the deaths "make my day".

Moussaoui's new outburst last night prompted speculation about his wishes - and indeed his sanity. He began his appearance on the stand with a tirade against his own lawyers.

Although he pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy in connection with September 11, he seemed to pull back from statements that he would welcome a death sentence.

His lawyer Gerald Zerkin showed him a filing he previously made to the court in August 2002 in which he said that the "greatest jihad in Islam is to speak the truth in front of the tyrant and be executed for it". Moussaoui said he no longer wanted to include the phrase "and be executed".