aircraft piracy

He is serving a life sentence for aircraft piracy at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind.

Aircraft hijacking (also known as skyjacking and aircraft piracy) is the takeover of an aircraft, by a person or group, usually armed.

William J. Bennett, the national drug policy adviser, noted in a statement that Federal law already authorizes the death penalty for espionage, treason and aircraft piracy.

Mr. Yunis was sentenced to 30 years for taking hostages, 20 years for aircraft piracy and five years for conspiracy, the three charges on which he was convicted March 14 by a jury in Federal court.

While government officials held out the possibility that Mr. Moussaoui could change his mind again before Friday, they said that at this point they expected him to plead guilty to all six charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and aircraft piracy.

Mr. Moussaoui is charged in a six-count federal indictment in Virginia with conspiracies to commit acts of terrorism, aircraft piracy and destruction of aircraft, and to use weapons of mass destruction, murder United States employees and destroy property.

Mr. Moussaoui, bearded and wearing a green jumpsuit with "prisoner" on his back, said today that he was prepared to plead guilty to the four charges in his indictment that carried the death penalty: conspiracy to commit acts of terrorist, to commit aircraft piracy, to destroy aircraft and to use weapons of mass destruction.