Posted on 04/06/2006 10:34:20 AM PDT by areafiftyone
B>Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani has described seeing the horror of the 9/11 attacks on the city's twin towers.
He told the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui that he was unwilling to believe people were jumping from the buildings until he saw it with his own eyes.
The jury has to decide whether the self-confessed al-Qaeda member should be executed. Mr Giuliani is testifying for the prosecution.
The court will also hear from relatives of some of those killed in the attacks.
Mr Giuliani told the jury the image of two people jumping together from the World Trade Center, holding hands, stuck with him every day, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Describing the moment he saw people falling, he said: "I froze. I realised that in a couple of seconds, it switched my thinking and emotions. I said 'We're in uncharted territory'."
The human and emotional costs of the attacks, when hijacked planes were deliberately flown into New York's twin towers and the Pentagon, are taking centre stage at the trial.
On Monday, jurors said Moussaoui could face the death penalty. He is the only man to be charged in the US in connection with the 9/11 attacks.
The 37-year-old French citizen has pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to attack the US.
During Mr Giuliani's testimony, the jury was played video clips of people jumping from the twin towers, the AFP news agency reported.
Close-up shots of the planes crashing into the buildings were also shown to the court.
Cockpit tape
Prosecutors are also said to be planning to read out the names of the 2,972 victims of the attacks, and show their pictures in court.
Before Mr Giuliani took the stand, prosecutor Robert Spencer told jurors they would hear from families of the victims.
He said that evidence "will be all you need in this case to sentence the defendant to death", AFP reported.
But defence lawyer Gerald Zerkin urged the jury to remain open to "the possibility of a sentence other than death", according to the Associated Press agency.
On Wednesday, Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that a cockpit recording from the hijacked airliner that crashed in Pennsylvania could be played in the courtroom.
It is unclear whether the tape - which has so far only been played to victims' relatives - will be publicly released.
The judge has given relatives of the Flight 93 victims until Tuesday to request the audio be kept from the general public.
But she has said that if there were no objections, the recording will be released to the public the day after it is submitted as evidence.
Prosecutors want to use the recording to show the jury how passengers were treated by 9/11 hijackers.
The defence is expected to argue that Moussaoui suffers from mental illness and had a difficult childhood.
I still weep in my heart for the innocents who died that day - and their families.
Describing the moment he saw people falling, he said: "I froze. I realised that in a couple of seconds, it switched my thinking and emotions. I said 'We're in uncharted territory'."
Just out of curiosity - what emotions does Mr. Giuliani have after watching a perfectly legal partial birth abortion (that he thinks is a Constitution right)...
No comment.
Oh, please. Give it a rest already. There are appropriate times and places for comments such as yours, but this is not one of them.
That's one of the entertaining things about FR; ANYTHING can be turned into an abortion board around here, no matter how remote the topic.
Awwwwwww... the poor little thweetie... he had a difficult childhood...give the poor bastidge a couple of porkchop sandwiches and a belly tickle and tell him we're square for 9/11...
I remember taking pictures of the scene later that day. It is still painful.
or the import of the original thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1607733/posts
I have posted this before, but I just keep hoping that someone who hasn't seen it before can help me. I'm not morbid or anything, I just feel like that day deeply affected me.
I had forgotten about ZacMo being a Frenchie. Boil him in lard.
apples and oranges
I remember watching footage of the chaos at the towers, and hearing the sound that the bodies made when hitting the ground. It was a thunderous crack. I hope that type of footage is shown to the jury. They deserve all the evidence, no matter how unsettling it is. The truth needs to be put in the public record. Much of our media refuses to remember the carnage of September 11th.
You're a lunatic.
These terrible tragic memories must never be forgotten.
They burn in our hearts forever and our hearts long to comfort the many loved ones who carry those losses forever.
But come on!
Giuliani is guilty of cheap theatrics... of "playing on everyones emotions" as he runs for office of President.
His blatant political "grandstanding" in this case is unforgivable.
Can you imagine what he would foist on the public if he actually was elected?
Saints Preserve Us!
Yea the truth would kill most of the Democrats!
It's kind of odd to see Giuliani testifying this way at the Federal trial of a guy who Giuliani himself would not have permitted his own city's police officers to apprehend. How bizarre is that?
He's still a wonderful ex-Mayor.
But he is definitely not a "presidential" figure.
The 'red state' American is turned off by "Soprano-like" characters who use the "F" word six times per sentence...and tho he may not talk that way, that's his persona.
He's dead in the Heartland.
I agree. To some, it is their sole issue.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.