Judge enters innocent plea on behalf of Moussaoui

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- A federal judge refused to accept a no-contest plea from Zacarias Moussaoui, accused of conspiracy in the Sept. 11 attacks, and instead entered an innocent plea on his behalf.

The judge also denied Moussaoui's request to move the trial from Alexandria in northern Virginia, near the Pentagon.

Moussaoui, accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden and others to plot the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, was arraigned again Tuesday because of a superseding indictment that makes mostly technical changes to the original indictment returned in December.

Moussaoui, acting as his own attorney, said he had no plea to the six charges levied against him, four of which are punishable by death.

When U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said she would enter a "not guilty" plea on his behalf, Moussaoui objected.

Moussaoui and Brinkema sparred throughout the hearing. At one point, Brinkema admonished Moussaoui: "You don't control the courtroom. I do."

The defendant told the judge, "Since the beginning, you are interfering with my right to represent myself."