U.S. official arrives in France to question Moussaoui's family

Monday, March 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) _ The brother of Zacarias Moussaoui, indicted in the United States in connection with the Sept. 11 terror attacks, said he refused to cooperate Monday with a U.S. official involved in Moussaoui's prosecution.

The official was identified by French judicial authorities as being from federal court in Alexandria, Va., where Moussaoui was indicted. He traveled to the southern French city of Montpellier to speak to the family.

Moussaoui, 33, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, is charged with conspiring with Osama bin Laden, the hijackers and others to commit the Sept. 11 attacks and could get the death penalty if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 30 and the Justice Department until March 29 to decided whether to seek the death penalty.

The U.S. official, whose name was not released, met with Moussaoui's brother, Abd Samad Moussaoui, a teacher at a technical high school.

The meeting took place at a local police station and afterward Moussaoui's brother told reporters that he had ``refused to cooperate'' with the U.S. official.

``I didn't answer the slightest question from the prosecutor who came from the United States, because I don't feel this affair concerns me,'' he told France-Info radio.

On Tuesday, the U.S. official was to question the suspect's mother, Aicha, who lives in nearby Narbonne.

Francois Roux, a lawyer for Moussaoui's brother, said he believed visiting U.S. officials were preparing for Moussaoui's trial. Frank R. Shults, the chief of liaison for the U.S. Attorney's office in Alexandria, declined to comment.

Speaking to French radio, Abd Samad Moussaoui said he was ``shocked'' that the U.S. official had sought to question him and other family members.

``I am viscerally shocked by the fact that I, his brother, and my mother and sister were asked to provide evidence in a proceeding that is aimed at requesting the death penalty for my brother,'' he told the radio station.

The Paris bar association on Monday called on French and international authorities to reiterate France's opposition to the death penalty and seek a commitment that it won't be used against Moussaoui.