The Strong Horse Scores

Zacarias Moussaoui's life will be spared, and he is destined to "die on a toilet in prison", as he said. That is, if his cellmates don't rip him to shreds.

Responses to this sentence have been complex. A characteristically emotional Peggy Noonan calls for his head, while Dahlia Lithwick posts an alarmingly satisfied opinion in keeping with the deep thread of moral relativism she's displayed in all of her writing on the topic.

I would far, far prefer that terrorists -- and make no mistake, Moussaoui is one, he just failed -- be killed on a battlefield in some foreign land, by experts. Iraq is one such place, but it seems that al-Qaeda is losing interest in seeking martyrdom there. Once they make it to a U.S. Courtroom and our fucked up legal system, it's over.

On the one hand, I'm okay with the verdict because I believe Moussaoui is mentally ill. I disagree with the jury on this point, as they found him NOT mentally ill. The crap about his difficult childhood being a mitigating factor is totally irrelevant to me. I do believe, however, that the verdict will further embolden undiscovered terrorist cells already in the U.S. They will now assemble legal teams and I am confident they'll find plenty of scumbag lawyer accessories. This does appear to be a propaganda victory for jihadists because they again appear to be the stronger horse.