A defiant Zacarias Moussaoui shouted "God curse America" as he was formally sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the September 11 terror attacks today.

The US District Judge Leonie Brinkema delivered the sentence at the close of a two month long trial, ruling out any chance of an early release.

In a final response to the defendant's taunts and outbursts which have punctuated the trial, the judge told Moussaoui: "You will die with a whimper."

She went on to challenge his claim that America had lost its battle against him: "Mr Moussaoui, when this proceeding is over, everyone else in this room will leave to see the sun ... hear the birds ... and they can associate with whomever they want. You will spend the rest of your life in a supermax prison. It’s absolutely clear who won."

Moussaoui showed no remorse. The French citizen of Moroccan descent who became radicalised during seven years in London used his final statement in court to proclaim: "God curse America. God save Osama bin Laden. You'll never get him."

He now faces a lifetime in a prison in Florence, Colorado, known as the "Alcatraz of the Rockies". The prison is used to hold 399 of America's most dangerous criminals including British shoe-bomber Richard Reid and Egyptian Muslim cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman.

While America welcomed the closing of ths painful chapter, Moussaoui's mother hit back at the conviction of her son, insisting he was not guilty.

Launching a media blitz to proclaim her son's innocence she told French radio earlier today she would fight to bring him back to his native France. Aicha El Wafi said the conviction was "the worst thing that could happen to a mother".

Asked how she felt after hearing of the conviction, she said: "I feel nothing. I am dead because my son was wrongly convicted."

Her lawyer welcomed the decision not to impose the death penalty, saying that would have "added barbarity upon barbarity". He said that if the trial had taken place in France, Moussaoui would not have received more than ten years in prison.

But in the US there was some disquiet that the man who wished out loud that the atrocity of September 11 was repeated every day had escaped the maximum penalty.

Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York, said he was disappointed by the sentence but accepted that it showed the nature of US justice.

"I was very disappointed when I heard the verdict. At the same time, I was in awe of our system. I think he’s going to be a symbol of American justice," he said.

Families of the victims had mixed feelings. "Personally, I’m disappointed. My son didn’t see his 33rd birthday," said David Bearner whose son Todd died on the United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

Others felt the judgment was right, offering no chance of a reprieve or early release. "He deserves to rot in jail," said Carrie Lemack whose mother Judy Larocque died on board one of the planes that crashed into the twin towers.

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