The trial of a Nigerian man accused of an attempting to bomb a Detroit-bound flight with explosives sewn into his underwear is set to begin.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 24, originally planned to defend himself, but his court-appointed lawyer will at least make the opening statement.
Mr Abdulmutallab faces a series of charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
If convicted, he could face a lifelong prison sentence.
The US government says Mr Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate a bomb aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit as it landed on Christmas 2009.
The bomb, however, did not work and he was badly burned instead.
'Driving the bus'
During last week's jury selection, Mr Abdulmutallab alternately questioned potential jurors himself or sat silent as defence lawyer Anthony Chambers interviewed others.
The 24-year-old is officially representing himself, after firing a team of four lawyers appointed by the Detroit Federal Defender office last year.
Mr Chambers is the "standby counsel" appointed by a federal judge.
He told the Associated Press news agency he had been authorised by Mr Abdulmutallab to deliver the opening statement.
Mr Chambers said his client was "driving the bus" on the ultimate decisions made in the courtroom.
"His self-representation certainly makes it more difficult strategically. But we're doing the best we can with what we have to work with."
Lloyd Meyer, a former terrorism prosecutor at the US justice department, told AP Mr Abdulmutallab giving his own opening statement would have been disastrous for the defence.
"He would have stood up in front of a jury and said, 'I wanted to murder my fellow passengers and here's why'," Mr Meyer said.
The former student's outbursts in the courtroom have become common.
Last week, he shouted "Anwar is alive" during jury selection, an apparent reference to Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born al-Qaeda recruiter killed in a drone strike in September.
During a pre-trial hearing, Mr Abdulmutallab made similar statements about Osama Bin Laden after his publicised death.
"The goal of the court is to get the best representation so no one down the road can claim [Mr Abdulmutallab] was railroaded or forced to assume a responsibility he could not handle," said David Steingold, a Detroit defence lawyer.
Interview allowed
Mr Abdulmutallab attempted to have several pieces of information banned from appearing at trial, including statements he made while being treated for burns at a hospital.
He argued the interview should be suppressed, as he was not read his rights before being questioned by the FBI, including the right to remain silent.
US District Judge Nancy Edmunds, who is presiding over the case, denied the request, citing public safety in the immediate hours after the attempted bombing.
Judge Edmunds will also will let jurors see a martyrdom video recorded by Mr Abdulmutallab before the attack but won't let jurors see a video clip of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden hailing him as a hero.
As the juror pool was whittled down last week, Mr Chambers was ultimately unsatisfied with the makeup of the jury.
The final jury has only two African-Americans out of 12 total.
"Obviously, I'm not pleased with the pool," Mr Chambers said after jury selection last week. "By appearance, it does not represent the community."
Mr Abdulmutallab's father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, an influential banker who is well connected in Nigerian politics, said he had approached the US embassy officials and Nigerian authorities to warn them about his son in 2009.
Source:BBC
