Defense lawyers for Zacarias Moussaoui asked a federal appeals court yesterday to reconsider its ruling that he cannot interview key al Qaeda witnesses and that he could be put to death if convicted for his alleged role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In a petition filed in Richmond, Moussaoui’s attorneys are seeking a review by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. A three-judge panel of the appellate court cleared the way last month for the long-delayed trial to proceed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. The defense petition was filed yesterday under seal and must be reviewed by government intelligence officials before it is publicly released because the case involves classified information. Edward B. MacMahon Jr., an attorney for Moussaoui, said the restoration of the death penalty was the primary reason defense attorneys decided to appeal. A federal judge in Alexandria had struck the possibility of a death sentence for Moussaoui and any Sept. 11-related evidence as punishment for the government’s refusal to turn over the al Qaeda witnesses sought by the defense. The 4th Circuit decision reversed that ruling. Full Story