The Justice Department was dealt a major setback yesterday in its prosecution of suspected Al Qaida member Zacarias Moussaoui. A federal judge barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in the case and barred the government from attempting to link Moussaoui to the Sept. 11 attacks. The judge, Leonie Brinkema ruled that it would be impossible for Moussaoui to get a fair trial if the Justice Department continued to refuse to allow Moussaoui to interview captured members of al-Qaida. Brinkema described Moussaoui as a “remote or minor participant” in Al Qaida’s plans against the U.S. The Justice Department may now try to drop the charges against Moussaoui and move the case to a military tribunal. But analysts warn USA Today that this will make the Justice Department “appear to be shopping for the venue most likely to permit Moussaoui to be executed.”