Zacarias Moussaoui is convinced that President George W Bush will free him from prison and sometimes talks to himself in his jail cell, according to testimony at the death-penalty trial for the Sept 11 conspirator.
The battle over Moussaoui's mental health has begun in earnest.
A defence psychologist, Xavier Amador, testified on Monday that Moussaoui is a paranoid schizophrenic who suffers from delusions.
Amador's testimony continues today when the trial resumes.
Government experts have reached an opposite conclusion and are expected to testify later this week in rebuttal.
While prosecutors' experts have been able to examine Moussaoui, he refused to cooperate with Amador or any other defence expert.
Amador based his diagnosis largely on conclusions of other mental-health professionals and an analysis of Moussaoui's actions and writings, including numerous rambling, often insulting, legal motions he filed during an 18-month period in which he represented himself.
Moussaoui's defence lawyers, who are at odds with their client, say he is delusional and cite his testimony last week about a dream that Bush will free him from prison before his lifetime sentence expires.
Jurors must decide whether Moussaoui should be executed or serve life in prison without parole, their only options since Moussaoui has already pleaded guilty to conspiring with Al-Qaeda to fly planes into US buildings.
{{/usCountry}}Jurors must decide whether Moussaoui should be executed or serve life in prison without parole, their only options since Moussaoui has already pleaded guilty to conspiring with Al-Qaeda to fly planes into US buildings.
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