Nation briefs 3/30/06

Jury begins deliberations in Moussaoui trial

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The death-penalty case against al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui went to the jury Wednesday after the prosecution asserted his lies were responsible for deaths Sept. 11, 2001, and the defense argued he had no part in the plot. The nine men and three women on the jury will decide whether Moussaoui bears blame for at least one death that day. If so, a second phase of the trial will open that will determine whether he deserves to be executed. If not sentenced to execution, the 37-year-old Frenchman will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Algerian gets 10 years for role in Paris attacks

PARIS -- An Algerian was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for his role in a deadly series of terror attacks. A Paris criminal court convicted Rachid Ramda of acting as a banker for, and giving logistical support to, Algerian terrorists who bombed the Paris subway in 1995. Ramda, who operated from Britain, was the subject of a 10-year extradition battle with authorities in London, who finally handed him to France in December. At the start of his trial last month, Ramda proclaimed his innocence and expressed sympathy for victims of the string of attacks in the Paris Metro, which killed 10 people and injured hundreds. He refused to participate further in the trial.

American gets 30 years for joining al-Qaida

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- An American Muslim was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for joining al-Qaida and plotting to assassinate President Bush. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum -- a life sentence -- for Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen who was born to a Jordanian father and raised in Falls Church, Va. "The facts of this case are still astonishing," prosecutor David Laufman said. "Barely a year after Sept. 11 the defendant joined the organization responsible for 3,000 deaths." But U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said 30 years was sufficient punishment.

French unions, students call for more protests

PARIS -- French unions and students on Wednesday ordered a fresh round of strikes and demonstrations next week to pressure President Jacques Chirac to scrap a new youth labor law, adding momentum to their nationwide protest movement. Union and student leaders met a day after more than 1 million demonstrators took to the streets and strikes disrupted air, rail and bus travel -- even shutting down the Eiffel Tower -- in the largest nationwide protest against the law that would make it easier to fire young workers. They called for new strikes on Tuesday and appealed to Chirac to withdraw the contract, which is championed by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

House lawmakers probe IRS privacy proposal

WASHINGTON -- IRS Commissioner Mark Everson told House lawmakers Wednesday that proposed changes to privacy rules governing tax preparers who handle taxpayers' personal information simplify and tighten the standards. The proposal alarmed some consumer groups, which fear the changes could open taxpayers to more widespread disclosure or sale of personal information. The Internal Revenue Service said the recommended alterations force companies to tell consumers more about how they use information if the taxpayer consents to its disclosure.

Senate moves toward passage of ethics bill

WASHINGTON -- The Senate moved Wednesday to approve the first major change in lobbying and ethics rules in more than a decade, the latest effort by Congress to restore its plummeting reputation with voters before the fall elections. Under the bill expected to pass by a wide margin, senators would no longer be able to accept gifts or meals from lobbyists and lobbyists would be required to reveal more information about their contacts with lawmakers. But the bill, to the chagrin of many pushing for more fundamental change, does not ban privately funded travel.

-- From wire reports