He should have been sent to the same prison as Whitey Bulger’s last stop.
Jail does that to people, more radicalized!
4
What's in a name? The old John vs Ahmed matter.
If his given name was Ahmed, and he was Pakistani American or Saudi American, or, God forbid, Iranian American, one wonders would he be cavorting in Guantanamo or set to be free?
And if prison is intended not just as punishment, but to keep us safe from crazies, why is this lunatic who is still exhorting "global jihad," being let loose on us?
2
We have far crazier folks walking and sleeping on the streets in San Francisco.
1
Hope seventy-two virgins will shepherd Mr. Lindh into paradise sooner instead of later!
1
This man is Irish as defined in the Irish constitution. As long as he is on parole, his movements can be restricted by the US government. Once parole ends, he can walk into any Irish embassy and request a passport, and then he is free to travel anywhere he desires. As someone directly descended from an Irish mother, couldn't he walk into any Irish embassy and request asylum once he is free on parole? What's preventing him from doing this? Granted, it would probably be smart for him to wait until his parole is finished before requesting Irish citizenship. In any event, why don't I believe we haven't heard the last from this guy.
4
If he actually continues to support terrorism, Ireland may not allow him to have a passport.
1
At first I though "finally, an article about the American Taliban, i.e. the religious right"... Then saw it was about one random guy.
Wasn't one of our major founding principles the separation of religion and state??? Seems to be going under.
3
George Bush 2 played a pivotal role in making sure this terrorist got a light sentence; just google his statements contemporaneous to the arrest expressing sympathy for this terrorist and not the murdered CIA agent.
3
I've always thought that this young man was a scapegoat for our nation's angry over the 9/11 attacks. As a young Army nurse in Vietnam, working 12 hour days, 6 days a week, I lost track of the days and what was going on in the world. When I heard that man had landed on the moon, my first question was "did we get there first?"..... To think that this young man would be aware of what was happening in our country, or the world, when he was off-grid and in the desert just never made sense to me. We paint the Taliban with one very large brush but it's quite possible that their group is not unlike our religious groups here - some with very sincere beliefs and some with highly radical thinking.
11
What you've said does make sense and it might possibly even be true. However, the Taliban religious sect stoned young girls to death for attending school, beheaded their enemies, murdered teachers, and destroyed priceless historical monuments because they reflected beliefs conflicting with their own. Like most extremist religious sects, the Taliban are a stain on humanity, harming anything and attempting to blot out what is decent. as far as I'm concerned, anyone offering material or even moral support for the Taliban ideology as it exists today, deserves to be tossed into an oubliette, what the French referred to as a place of forgetting. Treat him well, feed and clothe him, let him pray, but ultimately, he and his fellow extremists should simply be ignored and denied human contact for as long as they live. For entertainment, on an endless loop, offer them replays of brutal murders carried out by extremists. This man merits no sympathy. While hardly merciful, such treatments are less brutal than the typical Taliban punishment.
4
"Other probation provisions require mental health counseling and prohibit Mr. Lindh from communicating “with any known extremist” or owning, watching or reading “material that reflects extremist or terroristic views.”
Does this mean the American Declaration of Independence is off the approved reading list?
3
From what I read, this young man he was treated horribly. It was never considered that he might have made a mistake. If he is radicalized, it happened in custody
5
Commenter John C makes a point that shouldn't be controversial, but it's become that:
"You know what? Americans are allowed to believe whatever they want to believe, even if it's anti-American."
Remember the good old days -- when you could believe whatever you wanted, without fear of punishment? Those days appear to be over.
It doesn't matter how Lindh ended up in Afghanistan. We went there after 9/11, but he'd been there long before.
Our government seems to feel that once it declares some group to be an enemy, no matter where they are, it's free to declare any adherent to that group to be an enemy too. That's what our government did with the Taliban and Lindh. The Taliban had recently been our buddies -- we sent them $30 million just months before 9/11, and there's never been even a hint that the Taliban were involved in 9/11 (al Qaeda did it -- remember?). Lindh was not accused of killing or harming Mike Spann or any other American. He was "guilty" only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's paid for that, many times over. He should never have been charged, and he should be let out now and allowed to leave the US if he wants to.
8
I'm shocked by what this commenter says:
"He had a trial ... "
No he didn't. He plea-bargained, which means "no trial." I have almost no doubt that going to trial would have been a huge mistake for him, but in any case let's not forget that he didn't. That's kind of the point of a plea bargain: no trial.
7
Is this the father defending a son he failed to parent? Who lets a 16 year old go to Yemen?
3
"Marc Rich certainly didn't deserve a pardon but Clinton knew he still had money to donate to his foundation..."
Frankly, I thought Bill Clinton was right to pardon Marc Rich. Second, did Rich ever donate to Clinton's foundation? I doubt it.
1
I guess he will be pardoned by Trump soon!
1
So why weren't the traitors that supported the Communists during the Vietnam War put away? Equal justice under the LAW? Jane Fonda should be living in Florence, CO.
John Walker Lindh is a victim of American totalitarian terror. He should never have been convicted for the crimes he has suffered for. The real American terrorists are people like C.I.A. officer Johnny Micheal Spann, who have killed tens of thousands of peasants the past 18 years to expand American imperial power. They are the ones who should have been tried for war crimes and sent to lengthly prison terms. Even when the evidence of war crimes is well documented, e.g. the helicopter gun ship firing down on an Iraq marketplace killing civilians and journalists, no trials followed.
John Walker Lindh was an impressionable young person caught up in geopolitical circumstances he did not understand. He has been subjected to the institutional misery hundreds of thousands of other Americans suffer, too; many for other political crimes. As America prepares for more war against other Islamic nations that pose no national security threat to the US, Lindh will be under constant surveillance to ensure his opinions about these immoral and unlawful wars are not made available to the citizenry ultimately responsible for their perpetration.
7
Yet another buggaboo word, jihad that most Americans seem to think means nothing less than terrorism.
It has no such meaning except in American nonsensical speak.
Carry on ye faithful followers of misinterpreted words..
4
And this is why the American people did not let Obama close Guantanamo and bring those terrorist into our correctional facilities.
6
This case showed exactly why those terrorists and sympathizers should stay locked up at Gitmo permanently.
5
Frankly, I do not think this article has much to do with John Walker Lindh.
The truth is, we have a legal system where, at least in theory, punishment is proportional to crime. But we have a cultural hunger for revenge and an intense desire to simply delete people from existence.
17 years is a long time, until its over. And then what we learn about ourselves is that we hoped he would die in prison.
4
Let's get one thing straight: We are a Republic and we do have laws. If the government has some charges against him, file them and send him to prison. If not, then he should be set free. Sorry but the law is the law and we should not make exceptions just because they "appear" right. Lindh is a despicable person for what he stands for. But if being despicable is a criteria for sending someone to prison, then we might as well lock up the 60 million who voted for one, who now leads our nation. So let's all take a chill pill and zip it up.
5
Sorry--but I can't help but believe that his sentence was lighter than it would have been had he been black or brown.
5
@Justin
Also my thoughts exactly -- and I'm sorry I'm forced to concur.
2
Mike Spann believed in the rule of law. The law sentenced Mr. Walker to 20 years. He has now served his sentence. I see no dichotomy between those two events.
3
If there was never any evidence that Lindh participated in the killing of Spann, including the remarks of Spann's father is irrelevant and inflammatory.
6
Our country is self destructive. This is like releasing a tiger from the zoo to roam Central Park.
4
The irony here, if you can call it that, is that "American Taliban" is the term used by Afghans for American special forces.
It doesn't require much research to figure out why.
5
I'm sure Ireland doesn't want him.
If he didn't learn a thing while he was incarcerated, and continues to be a violent radical, the conditions of his parole will hinder him, and catch him if he tries something stupid.
When people who committed heinous crimes finish their sentences and are released, I often see people saying: he should have been sentenced to life; or he shouldn't ever be allowed to walk free. But the law was applied, and changing it at the end of a sentence is exactly what the Constitution is for.
Cop-killers who served their terms are released; an American jihadi served his term and is released.
Change the law, or obey it.
2
Free at last!
2
Why are so many people defending this guy? A lot of people sure hate America.
6
There's a little known hip-hop track about John Walker Lindh on DJ Krush's album, The Message At The Depth. "He wanted Hammer pants, he joined the Taliban..." "Woe is the billionaire." There's a little John Walker Lindh in all of us.
Why is he being let out? I thought in order to get parole you had to show remorse?
3
@Justice Holmes
He didn't get parole, because there is no parole in federal prison. He's being released because he served the sentence he was given when he made a guilty plea. A lot of people are under the impression that the prison is choosing to release him. They aren't, they don't have a choice. Nobody needs to be happy he's reentering society but we should be grateful that the rule of law actually matters in this country. Otherwise anyone could be detained indefinitely even if they didn't commit a crime. It's just too bad the prison didn't bother to rehabilitate him.
5
You know what? Americans are allowed to believe whatever they want to believe, even if it's anti-American. The invasive monitoring he'll be subject to will be more than sufficient to keep him out of trouble. Let him go. He's suffered enough for his teenage mistakes.
24
The invasive monitoring, unfortunately, isn't always effective. I wish we could be certain that it was.
3
@John C
NIMBY.
You?
2
The article never says how long the probation period will last. I assume, once it's over, he can have access to the internet, books, teachings, etc. without monitoring.
9
Why not release him in Afghanistan, if it will take him. He took up arms against the country where he was born and a citizen. He made his decision and must live with it.
18
His parole makes no sense. There are 1,000s of prisoners being held in the US justice system who hope to be paroled, who are denied every day and they are in for far less egregious crimes than basically what amounts to treason. He obviously isn't depending upon a public defender!
19
@Marian - he's not getting parole.
2
@Marian
That's because he wasn't paroled, he simply served his sentence. There is no parole in federal prison and prisoners are required to serve at least 85% of their sentence before any time served for good behavior can be factored in. Releasing him is their only option, since holding him longer than his sentence would be unconstitutional and completely illegal.
2
@Kyle and @Kathy,
Thank you.
1
Seems rather shocking no one bothered to actually rehabilitate him while he was in custody the point of which is to rehabilitate the prisoner.
8
He will be on parol. One would think and let's hope, that the terms of it preclude his having any connections with known Jihadist criminals or espousing violent rhetoric. Obviously not the smartest tack, good chance he will violate those terms and he will be returned to prison to serve an appropriate life sentence.
4
If Lindh merely says he supports Trump. he'll get a full pardon. Not to worry.
4
This idiot spent 17 years in a prison. Why should I care whether he's in or out?
2
@Gateman
You should care. The article states he spent 17 years studying Islamic texts. Guess what that did to his mind?
1
There seems to be a great misunderstanding of John Walker Lindh's situation; conclusions/opinions seem to be formed without a complete understanding of the story. Mr. Lindh left the US to study Islam, not to fight for a foreign country; how he ended up with the Taliban is unknown, but when he joined them they weren't a US enemy (as some have noted). He didn't kill Mr. Spann, which is why he wasn't convicted of his death. Read Frank Lindh's appeal for his son, which was previously published by the NY Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/opinion/22lindh.html
11
maybe he could have stayed home and done something more destructive to our way of like, such ask becoming an opioides addict
1
I hate it when western sources use the term "jihad" .. when it directly implies "terrorist" .. this is not the intended meaning .. ignorance ..
3
Maybe a few jihadists don’t intend to be terrorists, but terror is absolutely the result. This is why jihad and terror are interchangeable.
2
He's a US Citizen, that was the sentence he was given. We can't abrogate our constitutional rights just because it feels like the guy got a light sentence. Once we do that, we are all just subjects at the mercy of the government, not citizens who control the government.
8
@Ken
The constitution applies to all people in our custody not just US citizens.
Those ideas are just more republican treason. They hate the USA with every fiber of their beings. They want an exclusive country like their exclusive clubs so they pretend we are one and act as if it were so to try to make the lies they live seem real.
1
He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years he has served 17 years. Well that is our sysytem. He should be closley monitered. Hopefully 17 years in prison gave him time to think and reasses his life. Some her are saying he should be serving a life sentence maybe so. but that ship has sailed. we don't get to re do his crime.
2
We are better off for his probation. Not much would change with another three years in prison. He would be released with no supervision at all. This way his activities are monitored for his first three years in society. The quality of supervision will determine how much of a threat he continues to pose.
Having said that, this guy is a walking time bomb. How is he even going to support himself?
1
With all those very confining, very "conditional" conditions for parole, why not just deny his parole?
2
So how is he going to support himself? Parents or money from well wishers. Can't see many employers hiring him but a book deal could be in the works.
1
Sen. Shelby should know that the ‘victim’ in a case tried as US v Jones is, technically, and to avoid feudal involvement the US - not the family of, in this case,the deceased.
This was done to make it clear that the person tried is tried for violating US law and NOT the power of another individual.
We are not supposed to, at least, ever be seeking revenge, or, for that matter, “punishment” of a person found guilty, but to protect the people at large - the only legitimate purpose for imprisonment.
Stop seeking revenge. Stop seeking to punish.
The world will be a better place when we do.
3
Clearly big differences of opinion on Lindh. There were at the time. The facts though, are that he had many opportunities to kill or injure his US jailers, but never did, that he'd left the US voluntarily years before he was arrested, and that he was fighting at the time for one Islamic faction against another.
If Lindh HADN'T plea-bargained, almost certainly he'd have been convicted at trial and his sentence would have been worse. In that "tactical" sense, plea-bargaining made great sense at the time (and probably would now, for that matter). But Lindh should never have been charged in the first place. And now, he should be allowed to leave the US if that's what he wants to do.
4
If Lindh is still radicalized after all those years in federal prison, that is proof of the abject failure of our prison system to provide basic rehabilitation and counseling services to inmates. This is part of our national security and we completely failed.
6
First of all, JWL did not "take up arms against the USA" as many have suggested. He converted to Islam and joined the Taliban before 9/11, at least that is what this article suggests.
So it was that after the Saudi's attacked the World Trade Center and after the US declared war on the Taliban for harboring Osama bin Laden that the US took up arms against John Walker Lindh. He was not an "enemy combatant" until then.
Why not just let him go back to Afghanistan and resume his life there? Perhaps his return could be part of a prisoner swap with the Taliban. He certainly doesn't seem like an especially important captured soldier except for the fact that he once was an American.
7
@Carl Hultberg
Total agreement here---great first read for this shameful betrayal of John Walker Lindh, a truly humane (if confused) young man...https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/03/10/lost-in-the-jihad
@Carl Hultberg Yes, if that's what he wants to do, but he may rather stay here with his family
We need a public debate about the purpose of incarceration. I suppose it can serve 3 goals: punish the offender, protect the public, and rehab the offender.
I don't care much about punishment. I don't think the prospect of punishment deters crime. The kinds of people inclined to commit crime don't seem like the planning type to me.
Protecting the public is the big one. I don't need protection from drug abusers or even street dealers. I don't need protection from tax cheats and security frauds, altho I would like a robust regulatory/civil justice system that stripped them of their ill-gotten profits. I need protection from guys like Lindh, to whom god is entrusting messages intended only for him. Good grief.
Rehab plugs into protecting the public. I suppose murderers, rapists, and kidnappers can be rehabbed. Maybe even terrorists. If so, their sentences should terminate at the point of rehab. But why on earth did the system shorten Lindh's sentence when it sounds like he is still getting those messages?
The answer is that, because we've not had this conversation, the criminal justice system is an admixture of all of these principles, so everyone is punished and, short of a new crime while incarcerated, everyone gets time off for good (?) behavior. And, if any rehab occurs, it is entirely by chance.
How does he get “violent and extremist” texts to translate while in prison? Can that statement be true?
5
@Zamboanga
There is no corroboration---just gossip...follow the link and there is absolutely nothing substantial about these allegations
1
@Zamboanga I doubt it's true - for one thing, he was in a Communications Management where they never would have allowed him access to such material. And if he was guilty of serious prison misconduct, he would have lost his good time and wouldn't be getting out yet.
Memories are short!
"He and cohorts(the Taliban) are incorrigible."
Remember when the US government gave $30 million to the Taliban? We were good buddies back then -- Al Qaeda was the enemy. But when we rooted out Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, we needed to come up with a new enemy, and so we picked the Taliban. After all, they were right there, and all of those brown people look alike anyway, especially if they're Muslims.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan for just one year -- 2001. They cut heroin production dramatically, which the US said it wanted to do too. Check the statistics for yourself.
1
Maybe trump will pardon him? An American, just being a big old killing machine on the battlefield? Civilians murdered? Unrepentant heart? Yep, it checks all the boxes.
If John Walker Lind took an oath of fealty to trump, promising to build an impervious, strongman army for trump alone, he'd get that pardon.
@deb Marc Rich certainly didn't deserve a pardon but Clinton knew he still had money to donate to his foundation so he put right up front on list pardon list during his last days in office.
If you want to lock him up forever, or kill him, then try him for a crime that has such a punishment. If not, thank yourself you live in a country where you shouldn't be killed without a trial.
93
Treason? Murder?
1
Why are we releasing terrorists? I've been hearing about our great justice system. How's this justice? Maybe we need a Quantanamo Bay? Treason should be a death penalty.
3
@Pedro
He's been misrepresented---a good young man turned bad young--start with this read--one of the best---https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/03/10/lost-in-the-jihad
This guy is perfect to pardon, Mr. President.
8
@Peter Z. Why should you pardon a traitor?
7
@Peter Z
Not good enough really. He didn't kill anyone who was unarmed.
2
I’m trying to find just what sentence Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney got just for comparison. But I’m not coming up with anything. Anybody know?
437
@David
Yes I believe they were condemned to a life of luxury and Fox News commentary. George was forced to take up painting.
139
@David
AND Henry Kissinger, lest we forget.
72
@David "Anybody know?" Yes, Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney all received parsed sentences, but that didn't make what each of them ever said any clearer.
31
Big mistake to release him. He and cohorts(the Taliban) are incorrigible.
66
There was certainly an alternative between how Walker Lindh was treated, and what might have been an enlightened way of dealing with the problem. He didn't need to be under the kleigh lights on a Hannibal Lector conveyance, to join the array of yellow cakes, Dixie Chicks and aluminum tubes which fed W's war slather.
Walker's almost 20 years is yet another example of how American justice never seeks to make sense. To figure things out. We don't try to make an example of our reason.
Americans want their justice to be propaganda. To stand for something bigger than a mistake, bigger than a crime, or a twisted individual in a twisted up mess of a moment.
Sadly, the ultimate American justice, our greatest propaganda, are our wars. They seem to have our greatest meaning.
Lindh got smack dab in the middle of that.
50
If he was tried by military court and executed, and yes we executed captured out of uniform combatants for less during past wars, we would not be having this absurd conversations.
7
I disagree, though I highly respect Dan Stackhouse's views:
"It's a mistake to release him. If he believes in the principles of jihad, which he seems to, then he will kill innocent people."
Whatever one's views on Lindh may be, it's unclear to me why we'd prevent him from leaving the US. He left the US voluntarily several years before he was arrested, and I have a strong hunch he'd like to leave again. Why prevent that?
5
Thanks, Commenter, but as he's being let out on parole, he wouldn't be allowed to leave the U.S.. And, if we did let him go back to Afghanistan or someplace, then he would still have the potential to kill innocent people. They probably wouldn't be Americans, but it's still something we should prevent if we can.
2
"Mr. Lindh, who left California for Yemen in July 1998, two months before Google was founded, will be barred from going online or owning a web-capable device without prior permission of his probation officer. If he is eventually granted permission to own one, it would be on the condition of continuous monitoring of his online activities as well as using only English in his communications.
Mr. Lindh will also be barred from traveling internationally and getting a passport or any other kind of travel document. The travel ban thwarts any immediate possibility of his moving to Ireland, whose citizenship he acquired while in prison through his father’s mother, who was born in Donegal.
Other probation provisions require mental health counseling and prohibit Mr. Lindh from communicating “with any known extremist” or owning, watching or reading “material that reflects extremist or terroristic views.”"
Is he allowed to vote? Michael Spann can't.
2
@Joe Borini
I strongly doubt all those restrictions will be active. He will probably easily get around them.
Violent felons are released everyday from prisons in the US with no effort/plan to rehabilitate them. Many go on to commit additional crimes and circle through the system regularly.
So why is there so much worry over one guy who has served his sentence and is getting released?
Perhaps the message here is that more effort should be made to rehabilitate criminals and ease them back into society instead of just throwing them into violent prisons before releasing them back into the wild.
8
He served his time and it's right that he should be released. So many comments here where you'd assume the people writing them personally knew J. W. Lindh. We know little about him.
3
At the risk of sounding trite, John Walker Lindh was a freaky little weirdo way back when, his parents were delusional liars (his father called him "a patriot"), and it is highly likely that he has changed much, just older. i don't really care what he does for the rest of his life, as long as the government keeps a serious eye on him; same as they do with John Hinckley, who should never, ever, have been released from custody.
7
Why does Sanders want these two to be able to vote is beyond my comprehension.
4
@Charlie Probably because Sanders knows most felons would vote for him.
America's longest war seemingly has achieved very little, wouldn't you say?
5
1. Guy’s a convicted criminal. Was not tried and convicted for killing anybody, but still.
2. The guy did his time, and did it peacefully. Seventeen years of it. How much did Rusty Calley do? Ollie North?
3. His parole board was more than well aware of his record.
4. The people screaming about how “he should rot in Guantanamo,” or, “his fellow inmates let us down, they shoulda killed him,” are, for their ignorance and their hatred, every bit as much betrayers or this country as he was. We have laws, and a Constitution, to keep such uglinesses in check.
By the way, kids, there’s no way a prison allows, “a violent jihadist,” religion to be practiced. And no, you don’t have anything close to a right to profess violence in jail. Oh, and Steve Earle didn’t write a song cheering for the guy. He wrote a song explaining.
98
@Robert
He's been misrepresented---a good young man turned bad young--start with this read--one of the best---https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/03/10/lost-in-the-jihad
1
I thought his sentence far too lenient when it was issued but that was years ago and the man did his time. If he meets the parameters for parole then he must be treated fairly and released according to law. That said, if he was in anyway responsible for the death of anyone close to me I know what I'd do. Once he's released, I'd find him and politely advise that he is being carefully observed. If he returns to religious extremism or behaves in a way suggesting this, he won't be given the opportunity of returning to prison. Release him if we must but if he crosses the line.... Well, use your imagination for what comes next. I'm not usually vindictive and I don't especially like violence but I'd make an exception for religious extremists.
John Walker Lindh will be barred from getting a passport and travelling overseas, in case he could abscond from his probation. He became an Irish citizen while in prison, thanks to his paternal grandmother, who was born in Ireland.
As authorities – FBI, Justice Department etc – are wondering what to do with John after his release, they should contact his father, Frank, and urge him to keep his son out of trouble.
In an op-ed in The Guardian on July 10, 2011, Lindh Sr showed himself as a devoted father, encouraging his son to convert to Islam, after he saw “Malcolm X”. The then 12-year old was moved by the film’s depiction of pilgrims and Mecca and began to explore Islam.
The religion “appealed to his intellect as well as his heart. To me and to John's mother, his conversion was a positive development and certainly not a source of worry. I once told him I felt he had always been a Muslim, and only needed to find Islam in order to discover this in himself. He remained the loving son and brother he had always been.”
How Lindh will cope with life after 20 years in prison could be both a negative and positive experience for the authorities. It's up to those close to him to take on the task.
America's 'detainee 001' – the persecution of John Walker Lindh https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/10/john-walker-lindh-american-taliban-father?CMP=share_btn_tw
3
Am I the only commenter who thinks that the guy is mentally ill just like any other religious zealot, and that he belongs to a psychiatric hospital (together with all the other Talibans, ISIS fighters, etc.)?
7
Great picture of John Walker Lindh, which makes him look only slightly less scary than Mephistopheles. Some important facts: 1. He never lifted a finger against the U.S. 2. He went to Afghanistan to fight for one Islamic faction there against another. 3. He was tortured by the U.S. government, including not removing a painful bullet from his body "to preserve the evidence." 4. When Jessalyn Radack, a Department of Justice official, courageously pointed out that he had been tortured and could not get a fair trial, she was hounded out of government.
I will add as a fifth point (my opinion) that our government conjures up boogie men like John Walker Lindh to justify our bloated military and espionage budgets, our 18-years-and-counting war against the goatherds of Afghanistan (six times longer than we spent in Europe in World War II) and our post-9/11Forever Wars. Let the poor guy go already.
46
@bluewombat Well said. Let this man be free. And with the human bloodshed, famines, and environmental destruction the US military has caused all over the world and now at home, I'd say the world is not in love with this war loving nation that never stood for freedom or liberty.
3
@bluewombat "Let the poor guy go already." Would you vouch for him and be there to comfort his victims and families if his acts on his extremist views? I didn't think so.
5
@Rachel What victims might you be referring to? If you read my post (you did read it, didn't you?), you know that he never lifted a finger against a single American.
He's not really being released EARLY - he is just getting the good time that BOP can't legally take away unless someone is guilty of serious misconduct in prison. Well, it turns out he has a good prison record, so there's no reason whatsoever to deny him the good time he's legally entitled to. And he will be supervised when he gets out, though I don't think he poses any threat anyway.
11
He should never be released. Treason of this sort deserves Life without Parole.
6
@Philip W but that isn't the sentence he was given (not defending him in ANY way, just sayin')
If the treasonous Mr. Lindh is a true follower of the antiquated Sariah law and the bronze-aged Taliban radicals then he will not successfully be able to integrate into a free modern American society. Perhaps he should join his hateful anti-Semitic comrades abroad without the benefit of a US government annuity?
5
He should have been (and still be) rotting in Guantanamo.
1
@Pono So we should give up our Constitutional rights as US citizens and just trust the government to toss us into a black hole without due process? Because that is what doing that would entail. Anyone, at anytime, could be detained indefinitely without trial on the whim of the government. We fought a war with the British to escape from that nonsense.
1
What so you bet the head of the GOP floats the ideas of a pardon...or a murder? Simultaneously!
2
Sounds to me like he'd be better off leaving the US than being bannd from travel.
4
On the other hand, why should he be able to freely travel and share his special point of view around the world?
3
The United States supports Saudi Arabia to the tune of billions of our tax dollars, and they are the source of the most virulent jihadists known. Worse, the US government sent tens of millions to al-Qaeda affiliates in an effort to oust Assad in Syria. Yet, Lindh is a threat? Please. Get a grip.
28
Editor's dilemma, "Should we go with the photo of Lindh naked, blindfolded and bound to a stretcher or, the one where he's long haired, filthy and staring into the camera, looking like everybody's worst nightmare of a home grown US terrorist? That's a no brainer.
14
Ireland granted him citizenship?!!! Lindh hates our country, fought against it, is believed to be a threat to our country...oh, Ireland, please come get him!
8
@Patricia
I am not a supporter of Lindh's but let's keep our facts straight: he did not fight against the US.
4
So the government had 17 years to re-educate and change this guy’s mind while he was in prison. Now that he is about to be released, they realize that they need to change his mind in one week. Pathetic.
7
You all think we will honor any agreement that we make upon his release I got a bridge for you
2
Am I living in some alternative universe? We’re worried about one American Taliban, while we sit at a peace conference with..the Taliban? Who are, even now, killing Afghans, American advisors, in an attempt to strengthen their negotiating position?? Give him a passport, escort him to the conference- let him pick a side. Sheeeshh. Hypocrisy unleashed.
5
You're suggesting he should get some special status upon release that he should be be admitted to high level meetings and negotiations? Nope. He deserves no elevated status, he is no one and should be kept in the country.
Look at the probation restrictions. Concern he might hold, spread, act on extreme beliefs. While we talk with the Taliban. Why waste time, tax dollars on his probation. Take him to the peace talks- he can choose. Something all the victims of the Taliban don’t have anymore.
This commenter wonders the same thing I wondered:
"Here is a sincere, if naive, question: why wouldn’t the government want him to leave, as in, 'leave and never come back?'”
Lindh HAD left the US several years before he was arrested in Afghanistan. Maybe he would like to leave the US again now. If so, why in the world would we prevent that?
4
@Commenter
If the government really wants to help him live the remainder of his life in a peaceful, productive manner, he may require mentoring and monitoring.
For that to occur, you need to keep him in the USA to provide that help and monitoring.
If you don't, there is a greater risk he may become a threat to society in the future.
2
This should not be overlooked:
"In 2012, he joined an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that won the right for Muslim prisoners at Terre Haute’s high-security Communications Management Unit to pray in groups."
This guy is an ex-Catholic who converted to Islam; but not just any sect of Islam -- a radical jihadist sect intent on murdering Americans.
Clearly he still identifies with his "brother" jihadis. Moreover, it needs to be recognized that his radicalization was of a different magnitude from that of a moderate Muslim moving toward a more radical stance. This is a guy who completely upended his life, going from a life as a Roman Catholic American to a jihadi. This screams mental instability.
An American is dead because of this man. How about this? Let this creep out of jail when he can raise his victim from the dead. He's lucky he wasn't executed for treason, and in times past it's likely he would have been.
This guy not only is a threat to harm his neighbors; he's a threat to the three million decent law-abiding Muslims in this country whose peace and security is endangered by the anti-Muslim sentiment creeps like him stir up in this country, much to the use of demagogues like Trump. They'll suffer if he attacks again.
Parole boards seem to be staffed by some of the stupidest people in America. The fools releasing this man are imperiling innocent people. This is an outrage.
10
@MisterE. Except for the fact that he had nothing to do with Spann s death and there has never been any evidence linking them. Plenty of people kill Americans and never see a day in prison (see, cops) but we throw 20 years at someone who happened to be in the same building?
Also, most Muslims are not terrorists or jihadis any more than all Christians are white supremacist terrorists (though undoubtedly huge numbers of the latter are) they still should have a right to pray
8
@Doug K
"Also, most Muslims are not terrorists or jihadis any more than all Christians are white supremacist terrorists (though undoubtedly huge numbers of the latter are) they still should have a right to pray."
Yeah, Doug -- maybe that's why I said:
" ... he's a threat to the three million decent law-abiding Muslims in this country whose peace and security is endangered by the anti-Muslim sentiment creeps like him stir up in this country, much to the use of demagogues like Trump."
As for his linkage to Spann's death, he was in the military prison as a member of the jihadi group that killed Spann. Whether he raised a hand against Spann himself is irrelevant. He was there as a combatant fighting US soldiers.
If he were in the getaway car during a bank robbery that issued in the death of a bank guard, he'd be charged with murder. Last August, Kenneth Williams was convicted of first-degree murder for driving the getaway car for a fellow gang member who shot and killed honor student Hadiya Pendleton in a park in Chicago. Hadiya wasn't even a target; she was killed accidentally in a botched attempt at gang retaliation.
During WWII, American foreign correspondent Robert Henry Best went over to the Axis side and broadcast propaganda for the Nazis. He never shot at anybody. He was convicted of treason and was sentenced to life in prison, where he died.
He took up a microphone against US soldiers. Lindh took up arms. What's more, he's still a threat. He should stay in jail.
The FBI will need to keep a close eye on him.
3
Meh. This was a kid who had strongly held beliefs and values and actually did something his teenage brain thought made sense to act on those beliefs and values. in addition, there's no evidence he harmed anyone in doing it.
Can we say as much about the legions of entitled, lazy, spoiled, drug addled, drunk, or just plain boring kids this country keeps pumping out?
12
He was captured with a grenade and rifle. Sure, totally harmless...
2
@red
Here's the difference. The "entitled, lazy, spoiled, drug addled, drunk or just plain boring kids this country keeps pumping out" you describe are not the same as those who subscribe to a political ideology that will essentially turn them into terrorists who disrespect human life to the point of decapitating others, or blowing themselves up.
And you are seriously misinformed if you think they're all the same.
2
He WASNT living in the US:
"Lindh ... can NEVER be ‘rehabilitated’ to live among Americans/ Westerners ..."
He'd left the US long before he was convicted, and he had nothing to do with any killing. He was wrongly convicted, period. Given the national mood at the time, plea-bargaining was probably the wise thing to do. But the national mood at the time was wrong.
5
Anybody who might be radicalized by Lindh after seeing all he's been through probably is already.
3
Can you imagine the screams of Congressional Republicans if this release were happening under the Obama administration? Or a Hillary Clinton administration? Articles of impeachment would have already been drafted.
10
So here is a guy who became a terrorist and remains a terrorist soon to be set free. And all the pie in the sky hopefuls want him to enjoy the freedom he would so quickly take from his future victims?
If he's let out he has to be closely survived. We may have to set him free, we must not allow him the ability to run amuck.
3
346 convicted of terrorist related crimes, essentially treason, yet none have been executed as in the case of traitors like Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
Until that threat of swift capital punishment for treason is reinstated as United States policy, WE are condemned to bear the punishment of housing these unrepentant criminals and thereby reinforcing their hate-filled beliefs.
@CM. As oppose to American hate-filled beliefs?
3
The Rosenbergs were convicted of espionage, not treason. Treason is collaboration with an enemy state with whom the United States has declared war. That hasn’t happened since WWII.
3
He should have served every day of the 20 years. Frankly, he should have been executed as a traitor and murderer.
As previously stated in the comments, upon release he needs to be treated like a sex offender, registered and monitored for the rest of his life.
3
The war on Terror is the greatest threat America has ever faced to its system of rule of law. The threat does not come from Al Qaeda, Taliban or ISIS. The threat comes from patriotic Americans who feel justified in subverting their own constitution and rule of law in order to combat an enemy which, truth be told, is hardly a threat at all.
How many Americans have died from terror attacks in the last 50 years? How many Americans have died in the last 50 years from drowning in their own bathtubs? Where is the great American war on bathtubs, which requires the suspension of all your constitutional liberties?
4
@A Cynic. The biggest terror threat is Christian white supremacy terrorism. Somehow no one goes after those guys.
@A CynicThe War on Terror was the result of post 9/11 hysteria combined with opportunists who used it to get the US policies changed to favor them. Look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia v Iran and why it makes no sense at all.
I'm more than surprised to learn this radical Jihadi simply applied for and gained an Irish passport based solely on his grandmother being Irish.
In fact, I'm angry to learn of this!
2
@Lorcán
A lot of people have duel citizenship with other countries...even some of our presidential candidates and high-ranking officials. Why would this bother anyone? An Irish passport would make travel easier to other countries.
Once he has served out his sentence, he cannot be restricted or denied basic right to travel.
His only 'crime' was converting to Islam and being caught up in a battle that could not have been anticipated. He was a victim of post 9/11 hysteria.
1
@BJW
He’s not Irish and according to the article is an unreformed radical Jihadist who’s beliefs and opinion are utterly counter to Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution Of Ireland. His allegiance will not be to Ireland.
Taking all the above, especially his potentially dangerous allegiances into account, I’m angry that he was granted an Irish passport.
Captured with a rifle and a grenade.....Probably just walking to a store.
Continued to advocate for global jihad and write and translate violent and extremist texts.....
Here's a thought: If the situation were reversed what would the taliban have done with him when captured?
3
@Roman
American soldiers were captured by the Taliban as were many other foreigners including aid workers. There is a record. Some were treated better than others.
It's a mistake to release him. If he believes in the principles of jihad, which he seems to, then he will kill innocent people. That's what jihad is all about, killing the infidels. As long as he believes in that stuff, he should never be released. He's a traitor to humanity, and there's no reason to be nice to him.
3
@Dan Stackhouse
What does the word 'jihad' mean to a Muslim? It is the common everyday word for a person who struggles to do the righteous thing everyday. Anti-Muslim propaganda has created a meaning for those who have little real knowledge of Islam or the Arabic language.
"Jihad" does not necessarily mean violence or even at all concerned with what other people do. It is an internal struggle to do God's will in the same way every religious person sturggles with wordly tempations.
Dear BJW,
That's interesting, thanks. Still, in America, 'jihadist' is shorthand for the extremist, violent terrorists that definitely do exist. They are people who are determined to kill infidels. Lindh seems to still believe in that cause. So, semantically, when I say jihad to Americans, they generally know that type of violent extremism that I'm talking about.
@Dan Stackhouse
if he believes in the principles of jihad and, more important, if he believes in his right to bear arms and easily obtain them, then maybe we should worry.
He should be allowed to move to Ireland, if they will have him. That place is tolerant and peaceable and won't hold his past against him.
5
I recommend listening to Steve Earle’s song “John Walker’s Blues” which was inspired by this story
We're a nation of laws, he's served his sentence and based on that sentence, it appears his crimes were primarily being supportive of the Taliban efforts in their land? is this guy dangerous? that's what his probation officer will have to monitor and an unfortunate risk of living in a free society. let's hope he's just a garden variety zealot and not a maniacal one
2
For starting a war on false pretenses and killing many thousands G.W. Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rumsfled served how many years?
19
This seems a little light. Seventeen years? Even before 9-11, this guy took up with the Taliban. They were not good guys even before we were at war with them. This guy deserves greater punishment.
2
@Dan B-They weren’t good guys before 9/11, I completely agree. Yet, the United States was paying the Taliban government $10,000,000 a year to fight the war on drugs. So along with John Walker Lindh, the United States government was definitively supporting that despicable regime.
2
@Dan B
And since the U.S. "took up with the Taliban" even before Walker did, how much punishment do we deserve?
3
@Dan B. No, but then “not nice guys” applies to something like 40% of Americans
1
The absolutely only way this man should be released is if he is deported out of this country immediately. He is a definite Danger to every single American. It would only be a matter of time until he kills massively again. Make sure he is out of this country before he does that
3
@Never Ever Again
He no more of a danger than most of the extremist views of many of the radicals commenting here who would ignore the Constitution and it protections.
in a country that pardons its own war criminals, this guy deserves to be a free person. The biggest threat to our democracy is actually sitting in the oval office
9
@Francois Beaubien
I seriously suggest that you read more about the indoctrination process of extremist groups, like the Taliban before thinking "this guy deserves to be a free person" -- because the fact is, he's NOT free.
1
He was a traitor then and he is a traitor now. He is an enemy of all that sane people hold dear. The death penalty should have been the sentence. In lieu of that, life imprisonment with no parole would have been appropriate. However, justice has failed again. He is a terrorist who hasn't changed his world vision; he is a constant threat to all. Ergo, permanent incarceration is required.
5
@Karen
He did not go to Afghanistan to fight against the US. He was caught up in conditions that he had no part in. He was a victim of post-9/11 hysteria.
Converting to Islam does not make him a traitor anymore than any other kink of religious convert automatically becomes a radical.
It's not clear at all whether he knew what he was getting into when he 'joined the Taliban.' I do not think we have been told the whole story by any stretch.
1
I can't wait till Elliott Abrams is jailed for providing material support for nun-slaughtering death squads in Central America.
Oh, right.
Meanwhile, no, I'm not even a little concerned that Lindh will be released. He's not a threat.
Here's a threat: all the carbon that will pour into the air as people continue to comment on this article that Lindh's release is Utterly Horrifying.
4
I understand the father’s anger at Lindh’s release, but twenty years is enough for someone who got caught up in a fanatical movement and wasn’t involved in Spann’s killing. There are Americans now, mostly male, who are members of right-wing hate groups and who are marching in your neighborhood denouncing Jews and immigrants, bombing or setting aflame churches and mosques, threatening members of Congress, and shooting up schools and synagogues. And it’s all being egged on by our president. Don’t tell me Lindh is a threat for having radical views. It’s the radicalization of the American people over a generation that threatens to destroy this country from within.
8
Any form of radicalization is problematic. You can’t condemn one form and excuse another.
1
@AlNewman
John Lindh was not responsible for Spann's getting killed. Spann went there to kill in a military action. It is not at all clear that Lindh knew what was going on outside the limits of the isolated group he ended up with....a group once supported by the US against the Russians and certain warlords.
TALBAN and IS misusing of word jihad to justify various forms of violence this is misuse of jihad contradicts Islam.
What Is Jihad In Islam
The Arabic word "jihad" is often translated as "holy war," but in a purely linguistic sense, the word " jihad" means struggling or striving.
The arabic word for war is: "al-harb".
In a religious sense, as described by the Quran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (s), "jihad" has many meanings. It can refer to internal as well as external efforts to be a good Muslims or believer, as well as working to inform people about the faith of Islam.
If military jihad is required to protect the faith against others, it can be performed using anything from legal, diplomatic and economic to political means. If there is no peaceful alternative, Islam also allows the use of force, but there are strict rules of engagement. Innocents - such as women, children, or invalids - must never be harmed, and any peaceful overtures from the enemy must be accepted.
Military action is therefore only one means of jihad, and is very rare. To highlight this point, the Prophet Mohammed told his followers returning from a military campaign: "This day we have returned from the minor jihad to the major jihad," which he said meant returning from armed battle to the peaceful battle for self-control and betterment.
https://www.asan.com.pk
2
@Sundas Arif
You cannot say this enough. It is very difficult to counter all the anti-Islamic propaganda that has been flooded into our media. Propaganda is powerful and its works and it works best when people are ignorant, fearful and unwilling to look for the truth.
1
We agonize over the finer points of how a follower of radical jihad is reintegrated into our society, which he wishes didn't exist?
4
Precisely. This isn’t about his religious affiliation, it’s about whether or not he represents a threat to members of our society, which all evidence appears to suggest so.
1
Mr. Lindh summed it up, both of their sons were the victim of circumstances. The younger Spann sacrificed his life for this country, whether or not you support the governmental policies that put him in that prison. He was the best of the best and should be honored. The younger Lindh was the victim of an awful choice he made and should suffer the consequences, but like everything in life, it’s not simple and requires nuance to process. Mr Spann would have been killed whether or not Lindh was in that prison and there is no evidence that Lindh participated in any way in the violent uprising. Does he get life for that? Traitors, and he should fit into that category, don’t get life. Heck, we have politicians lobbying to get traitors out of jail - Jon Pollard. We have people murdering and raping in our prisons doing a lot less time. Keeping Lindh in jail does not honor Mr. Spann and releasing Lindh does not disrespect Mr Spann. I would argue, treating Mr Lindh fairly, in accordance with the rule of law, is exactly what Mr. Spann was fighting for.
4
I’m no fan of Bush/Cheney or much of America’s role in the Middle East. I don’t know that Lindh was “naive” as many have said. He put himself in a position to kill American GI’s. And now he is the beneficiary of American juris prudence. He had a trial, survived incarceration and now is preparing to breathe freely once again. Had he been an American soldier captured by the Taliban his fate would have been quite different. I am disturbed and confused by my fellow countrymen who conflate his actions with American policies, oil politics, free speech or the Israeli government. He made a decision to go to Afghanistan and he knew what that would entail: shooting live bullets at American GI’s. Had HE and HIS compatriots prevailed where would we and our American institutions be? At best he should be serving a life sentence.
38
@Peter-Actually he didn’t know that his time in Afghanistan “would entail shooting live bullets at American GI’s”. Not to forgive his time spent with the murderous Taliban, but he entered Afghanistan in May 2001. At the time, the United States government was providing the Taliban $10 million a year to fight the War on Drugs. As sad as it is to say, the United States were de facto allies of the Taliban in that period (who were hosting Al Qaeda).
26
@Alex If what u say is true I stand corrected. But he was captured with enemy combatants and has never, to my knowledge, expressed remorse, admitted he made a huge mistake or expressed a desire to re-integrate back into American society. Where’s the mea culpa and the conversion? Has he ever said he feels tremendous guilt for having been in the position to kill Americans? Does this keep him up at night?
4
@Peter There's a few things you leave out. At that time, the US had not invaded Afghanistan. Additionally, the Taliban was formerly supported by the US.
The only captured US fighter by the Taliban (Bo Berghdal) was released and not subjected to the torture of Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib.
15
So Mr Lindh and others convicted of terrorism crimes have been in prison since 2001, yet no one has set up any sort of 'system in place to address these individuals'. Well, reap what you (we) sow or get busy and start a program/services. If he and others are eligible for probation, let them out.
3
I think convicted terrorists should be treated the same way as convicted sex offenders. They should be registered, their neighbors should be notified and they should have to have special permission to use public facilities and transportation. The public has a right to know where they live and what they are up to, if they are released from prison.
13
I can't believe the "he was only a kid" baloney that I'm reading in some of these comments.
When my father was 18 years old, he was wounded on Normandy Beach on D-Day, fighting the Nazis. He was old enough to know what he was doing when he enlisted and old enough to serve his country willingly.
This creep was old enough to know what he was doing when he betrayed his country. His actions were the very definition of treason:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." Article 3 Section, the US Constitution.
In times past, treason was a capital offense. I don't believe in capital punishment, but not because of the likes of this guy. Too many innocent people have been mistakenly executed in this country. But there's no mistake about this man's guilt. He willingly contributed to the death of at least one American in a war zone. He should spend the rest of his life in prison.
18
If this young American zealot had joined the Mujahideen 40 years ago to wage jihad against the Soviet infidel invaders, the consensus view in the US, especially among conservatives, would have been that he was a hero.
It's too bad he wasn't born in 1961 instead of 1981.
3
17 years in prison for 'providing support to the Taliban'
Exactly zero years in prison for the criminal bankers who were responsible for the Financial Crisis of 2008.
15
Baffling. His crime was not death-worthy under our laws and we are a land of justice and law, not passion. Yet, can we truly feel safe with him in our society any less than the usual band of murderers who circulate routinely in our midst? After pimping his righteous self-justifying book of pity on the assured media tour he will sink into oblivion always knowing some whacko is lurking in the shadows looking for fame. He will never escape that mental prison in his head and maybe that is all the justice we need.
2
Perhaps we could introduce Mr. Lindh to Mr. Bergdahl, they seem to have a lot in common.
When Lindh went overseas his actions were not illegal. Whatever chances we had to deal with a person who was a young zealot, have been squandered by how we handled this case.
But Lindh is hardly the only young zealot out there. Think of all the right wing folks who have access to guns. I suspect we can survive this risk.
15
Both forms of zealotry are problematic.
1
Like ALL inmates, John Walker Lindh has served his time and deserves to resume his life. If he still reads the Qur’ran, so what?
If Mr. Lindh is planning any nefarious activities, isn’t the government planning to watch him? I’m sure they are. If he does, it’s more of an indictment on ineffective law enforcement than him.
The Qur’an states that Gabriel spoke to Mohammed. If this is true then Mohammed is indeed the last Prophet.
America, you cannot fight religion. No amount of money or arms can kill a belief. Learn to make peace with your enemies or go broke fighting them.
9
@PC
If Gabriel spoke to Mohammed, how does it follow that "Mohammed is indeed the last prophet"?
The logic escapes me without some breathtaking assumptions.
1
@Barney, because Gabriel sits at the right hand of God, who is Jesus of Nazareth, otherwise known as Michael of Nebadon. (The Urantia Book)
1
On a related matter, have we yet convicted or even completed the trial of any of our prisoners at Guantanamo? Are any trials still in progress there?
14
Sounds like he worked with a foreign group to undermine the U.S.
Surely anyone who does this gets a long prison sentence like his, right?
26
He's still radical? I would have thought Obama and Trump's continued drone strikes and special ops would have mellowed him out a little...
7
The eyes in that photograph reminded me of a performance at the old Globe Theatre in San Diego some years ago—
Iago, in soliloquy, stood on the stage in low light with those same eyes, and then tilted his head slightly down until the eye sockets went black.
5
I still fail to see why a man was imprisoned for having different beliefs; it appears that he did not attack or injure anyone, despite his beliefs in a jihad and infidels.
This is definitely not a man I would like living next door to me, and I am holding my nose while typing this, but if we are going to pat ourselves on the back for being a country of free speech, we should also practice it. Twenty years to an American for believing in radical Islam?
15
You forgot Lindh deserted his station while serving in the US Army in a dangerous war zone in Afghanistan that also resulted in the deaths of several US soldiers.
This was the major reason he was sent to a military prison.
@Billy from Brooklyn He didn't just believe in jihad he took up arms and joined the enemy.
1
@Richard P M
You're confusing Lindh with Bergdahl
Mr Lindh, you blew 17years of your young life and caused so much sorrow for a family. I got to ask , for what?
6
@scott t
So George Bush and John Ashcroft could justify their war for oil in Iraq.
1
Aside for the desire of some for revenge for Mike Spann's death in that prison uprising, the main objection to Lindh's impending release in the article and many of these comments is that he still supports "jihad." The problem is that jihad is not defined in the article and neither is Lindh's take on that term. Jihad is a rallying cry of terrorists for violence, but it is also more generally means "struggle," i.e., an effort of believers to persuade others to accept their religion. Presumably, the US prison authorities would not have decide to release Lindh is he intended to advocate violence or perpetrate violence.
11
“Mr. Lindh will also be barred from traveling internationally and getting a passport or any other kind of travel document”
Here is a sincere, if naive, question: why wouldn’t the government want him to leave, as in, “leave and never come back?” If still radicalized, wouldn’t he theoretically be more potentially dangerous here?
4
This 20-year-old was in Afghanistan BEFORE the Americans entered the country, occupied portions, and jailed countless. This guy happened to be in a jail that had a riot that killed one of the American jailers.
He may not be likable, but there's nothing here that suggests that he deserved to spend 17 years--or even one day--in an American prison.
Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bolton. Those are the criminals that should not be running free.
42
17 years!
I can't 'afford' to have the next 17 go so fast. I'm 70YO.
Let's Do The Time Warp … 1-to-10 warp ratio, if you will, Dr. -N-Furter.
(Here's hoping those 17 years seemed an eternity to John Walker Lindh. P.S. Worried about his release? Put him in 'gen pop' today/See his tomorrows disappear before that expected release tomorrow.)
5
@Thomas Murray
Love the RHPS ref!
I still can't figure out why we kept him in the first place. He should have been discarded in 2001.
4
If he thinks he going to go home and hypernate in Marin County, he is wrong. I've seen at least five local stories on him in addition local papers.
People are so to forgive him around here. He shd tread lightly.
4
This article deals with more than the issue of what to do with one or more people who, because of their beliefs
a range of other known, unknown, measurable and unmeasurable parameters, have in a range of ways violated people -bodies, limbs, psyches and spirits- values, norms and ethics underpinning menschlichkeit and the equitable wellbeing of individuals and systems. This article is also about “risking;” inherent in flawed individual humans, and the ranges of systems created, enabled and sustained by a diverse US, in an ongoing, violating, WE-THEY global-culture to assess, and judge “another” in a personally accountable manner. To learn from what each of US chooses to do, or not do. To be personally accountable for implications and outcomes. Temporary as well as more permanent ones. Planned as well as unexpected ones. This one man, an American by Identity, a Muslim by choice, incarcerated for 17 years raises “risky choices” for officials. For family members. For future neighbors. Etc. Etc. What
“risk’s” do/did the people who judged and enabled joining the Saudi crimes against humanity in starving children to death in Yemin? What “risks” do personally unaccountable policymakers in the US confront as they choose to harm by words and deeds? How many have been incarcerated for the implications and consequences of their implemented dangerous behaviors, and the absence of wellbeing-promoting words and actions?
How much harm have “THEY” carried out in the last 17 years?
2
I wish there was some way to exchange John Walker Lindh and his family for an impoverished Central or South American family that just wants a better life.
.
We would come out ahead.
7
The man has done his time so let him live his life now.
10
Lindh was just a naive, some say ‘dumb’, 20 year old who made a big mistake but there is no evidence he had anything to do with the soldier’s death during the prison break. Lindh has served his time. Let him go.
20
Trump is a far worse threat to this country than the Taliban has ever been. He actively supports, and overs for, Putin's goal of global domination.
Don't get me wrong - ISIS, the Taliban and other violent, oppressive groups are a real threat, but Trump has been working from within our own government, with the support of his Republican sycophants, to undermine our Judicial system and rule of law for they own self-serving interests.
History will undoubtedly show their role in the attempted destruction of the world's once-greatest Democracy.
18
And that is why these people should never have been allowed to make it off the battlefield.
3
Taliban supporter is released to continue supporting terrorism, because of human rights. What about other humans, families who are going to suffer?
1
Truthfully, I’ve never understood why he got so much prison time or even if he should have gotten any. I thought we were supposed to have freedom of religion and it seems like he’s just following his religious beliefs. It hasn’t been proven that he killed anyone or intends to. I don’t see how he’s any different than a nazi or klansman, other than he’s not a bigot. We have many antigovernment Christian religious extremist groups and individuals and that doesn’t seem to matter, so what really makes him so different? We tolerate mass shootings in order to protect our second amendment rights, it seems hypocritical to pick on him because he’s using his first amendment rights.
14
"raised questions about how he can be safely reintegrated into society without some kind of formal government program for rehabilitating former jihadists."
Otherwise known as "re-education camps"; I'm sure the Chinese would gladly lend their playbook.
7
Terrible article full of speculation, conjecture, and at best third party allegations.
“From all I’m hearing inside of government, he is still as radical as he went in,” said Seamus Hughes, who is the deputy director of George Washington University’s program on extremism.”
A professor in DC “hearing” the goings on in a Terra Haut Indiana prison via the US Government? Come on...
7
John W Lindh remains supporting the creation of a global Islamic state.
Excepting the violence accepted by Lindh to achieve his goal, there is no difference between that and the progress made by America's fundamentalist Christian nationalists to make the USA a Christian nation following their own irrational beliefs.
Either our nation is secular and accepting the basic principle that there is to be absolutely no influence by any religious group on government (currently ALL do so) OR we accept autocratic theocracy by whomever wields the biggest stick.
26
@Jim
"Excepting the violence" is a hole big enough to drive the proverbial Mack truck through. I won't even dwell on your underlying analogy.
1
Put him on a work farm, where he performs hard labor 12 ours a day, 6 days a week. Until he grows old and infirm.
9
Lindh was a naive, idealistic adolescent who had the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when post 9-11 hysteria, fanned by the corrupt/inept Bush/Cheney regime, raged out of control. Mind you, the US in 2002 did have a very solid case for confiscating his passport. The twenty-year sentence was as unjustifiable as the restrictions now imposed are. Might his continuing radicalization have stemmed from this manifest injustice?
20
Government officials will almost always exaggerate the risk of freeing anyone convicted of a crime (unless they were a cooperator and therefore "switched sides" in the view of the government, in which case they should receive a huge sentencing benefit). For the government or a terrorism commentator, there's never a downside to saying a guilty party should have done more time.
10
@SR You are clearly ignoring the fact that a significant number of Guantanamo Bay prisoners were released only to be killed or recaptured in subsequent fights. There is no evidence that the experience of prison changes these radicals into non-combatants safe for release into civilized society.
1
The US, as with many countries, does not have a prison system that focuses on rehabilitation but rather seeing that a prisoner serves simple incarceration.
Thus, what happened with John Lindh is in keeping with the country's practice.
The concern that he is being released while still having radical opinions is a direct result of no attempt to use the incarceration period as an opportunity for education of the prisoner. When out again in society we cannot find him guilty of what ideas he may have. He can only be prosecuted for his actions.
So we are apparently hoping a mentor can be found for Lindh to help moderate his thinking. After 17 years in prison, good luck!
What a waste that incarceration does not include help and directed education.
25
Those who think that people with strong political ideologies change after an extended prison sentence are usually fooling themselves, because it's just as likely that those radicalized before being incarcerated are just as extreme upon being released -- if not more so.
In the case of John Walker Lindh, we all know that it takes a lot for an American to travel thousands of miles to an active war zone to join a known terrorist organization.
Changing that kind of mindset is going to take longer than a significant amount of time behind bars -- because that's the way organizations like the Taliban work.
And to think otherwise, or like Donald Trump who wrongly thinks "ISIS has been defeated" is only inviting problems down the road.
This fight is not over.
12
I don't expect he lasts long, he walks into the wrong city, the wrong side of the street or the wrong bar and someone recognizes him there's a good chance that guy will be taken apart, he better watch his every step.
6
@There
Dear There from Here:
Not "everywhere" (even if the "wrong bar" you have in mind is a 'Juice Bar').
1
I rank Americans, as individuals and collectively, dead last in terms of our efforts at self-examination. If we were, for instance, to truly reflect on the effects our various sorties in the Middle East have had over the years-upon a largely innocent and undeserving populace of Arabs and Persians ( including also various Christian populations), we might not be so indignantly incredulous about the growth of global radical Islamism.
Given our role in fanning these radical fires, we shouldn't be the least surprised that this radicalism would also touch closer to home, as in the case of Mr. Lindh. Perhaps people have forgotten but there had been a very large segment of the American population opposed to both the Gulf Wars; it would be thus reasonable to suppose that this anti-war movement would have birthed behavior more radical than that of sign-waving at the anti-war marches.
If we were to avail ourselves of some lamp genie's wish and erase from history our invasions of Iraq, our blanket support of Saudi extremism and of course, the carte blanche we give to the Israelis vis-a-vis their treatment of the Palestinian population (Israeli citizens among them)-to name but a few of our colossal (and ongoing) misdeeds-we might find that Islamic radicalism, instead of metastasizing all the way to American shores, had never grown beyond the local level.
When the US acknowledges its role in all this, then that, I say, is the time to demand that Mr. Lindh renounce his radicalism.
21
Lindh is still a ‘real’ believer in Islam and in the concept of ‘Jihad for the sake of Allah’ ... he can NEVER be ‘rehabilitated’ to live among Americans/ Westerners, that is infidels, to his way of thinking! His goal is a global Jihad to make humanity submit to Islam! His ‘danger’ is to anyone who comes into contact with him ... His ‘danger’ is that he is a believer in Jihad ... His ‘danger’ will not diminish ...
Americans must wake up and realize ... it’s Jihad that must be eliminated from the corpus of Islam ... only a Reformation of Islam can accomplish that ... until then the ‘enemy’ will remain in the hearts and minds of ALL true believers of Islam of which Lindh is but one example ...
16
He served his time, he should get out. But he will not be free.
Perpetual monitoring, surveillance and on every watch-list know to man, John Walker Lindh will be on a very short leash. Every contact in the real or cyber world will be scrutinized. One misstep, and he will end up back in prison.
14
Lindh is actually a relatively easy case. He's obviously being watched. We wouldn't know he was dishonest about reform if the National Counterterrorism Center hadn't already told us. I wouldn't be too alarmed unless he actually bolts. The non-US jihadists present a much more clear threat. We have to trust a global intelligence network to track their movements.
5
The sentence Lindh received was much harsher than previous sentences handed down for similar cases, and yet no evidence was presented that tied Mr. Lindh to fights against US combatants or interests. The idea that Mr. Lindh has become a greater threat to society because he became devout while locked up in prison seems unsubstantiated--most 'good' Muslims still believe in some type of Jihad. And it parallels the original mockery of justice that forced Lindh to plead guilty to such a severe sentence--while still a teenager-- because of the fascistic tendencies of Dick Cheney's war-time US government and their decision to demonize Lindh with the moniker "American Talliban" and portray him as an Islamic terrorist-- when he was really more akin to the Mujahideen that the US had been supporting during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
21
He is going to be the most closely watched parolee in the history of imprisonment.
He dare not j walk lest he be shot. There are people who will stalk him, some with evil intent.
He has to resist any temptation to do evil. It could be from extremists, or it could be from government operatives wishing to make a political statement by setting him up.
I do believe he would have been better off refusing parole till the election theatrics are over. He has to avoid being someone's sacrificial lamb.
Why no prohibition against driving a vehicle? They have been weaponized.
4
Lindh is a political prisoner of the US. It is not illegal under US law to serve militarily for foreign governments. When he joined the Taliban, it was not illegal to do so. In fact, before 9/11, the Bush administration was working to normalize relations with the Taliban. Lindh couldn’t just leave the Taliban after 9/11 and never fired a shot at US troops. After capture, he provided valuable intelligence to the US. He never should have been jailed in the first place but was thrown under the bus by the unjust US Justice Department.
11
After Mike Spann was killed and the rioters were re-captured, Lindh was interviewed by the Islamabad FBI/LEGAT on the prison site.
A monument to Mike was built at the prison site in early 2002. It is well-deserved. Surely Mike is rolling over in his grave with the knowledge that Lindh is being released. Lindh truly deserved a life sentence, if not the death penalty.
10
For what, exactly?
1
Hopefully he has mentally matured and wants to contribute in a meaningful way to society. He came from a privileged family so he chose hate over love. He picked up the weapons of war and was on the murdeous path.
My heart goes out to all the other parents whose fallen children in this war will never come home to loving families. They will never have their child sitting at the dinner table, it’s nothing but memories for them to hold onto.
If John is still a child and joins a white supremacy group he has just wasted taxpayers money for all these years and once again brings heartbreak to his own family .
Only time will tell what type of an adult he is.
2
The problem is, if you keep people in jail for holding extremist views and sympathizing with terrorists, you'd have millions (more) in jail, and where does it stop? One could rightly argue that we now have white supremacist terrorists, armed with semi-automatic assault rifles who have killed even more Americans than the Sept. 11, 2001 attackers did -- do we put all of their sympathizers in jail, too? We'd have "re-education" camps the size of China's, run by the Government. No, as much as I abhor these radical extremist views of any ilk, I don't think we want that. A society that has 20 to 30 million people who can't discern that their President is lying to them many times a day, can't tell propagandistic hit jobs from real news, and that thinks doctors who help rape victims have an abortion should get 99 years in prison, has a systemic primary education problem that needs to be addressed, not to mention having a major prison reform problem to boot.
19
@One could rightly argue that we now have white supremacist terrorists, armed with semi-automatic assault rifles who have killed even more Americans than the Sept. 11, 2001 attackers
Um, you have any numbers of facts to back this statement?
Mr. Lindh may currently hold radical Islamic views but one cannot seriously arrive at such a conclusion from the few "facts" cited to support this contention in this piece and the linked Foreign Policy article.
1
If John Walker Lindh is just as radical today as when he was sentenced, why is he being paroled three years earlier than his sentence mandated?
19
I hope Senators Shelby and Hassan aren't suggesting that the government should be able to indefinitely detain people after they've completed their sentences, simply because they *might* re-offend. There are countries that do that...but I don't think many Americans would enjoy life in those countries very much. That principle is far more important than the pathetic individual that is John Walker Lindh.
6
Based on reading this article it sure sounds like this man is a high risk for engaging in domestic terrorism if he really was promoting global jihad in 2917. Depending on who he was associating with while in prison he may be even more radicalized and extremist in his views and have developed contacts sharing extremist beliefs. This man was willing to use a gun and a hand grenade against other Americans and fight on behalf of a group of men that kills girls simply for getting an education. I am surprised he didn't get a life sentence for treason. There are persons trained in working for cult survivors and surely one of these trained persons would be able to work with this man's thought process.
In my mind it is not sufficient to merely put a bunch of limits on what this man can't do. That is all very well and good and sensible but restrictions are not sufficient.
I think that he needs to meet with the father of Micheal Spann who was killed right after interviewing Lindh and listen to what Micheal's father has to say 100%.
He needs to make the rounds of the VA Hosptials and listen to the men and women who have lost arms, legs, who are permanently disabled as a result of the war in Afghanistan, to listen to family members who have experienced their loved ones returning in coffins.
I think someone such as this man should be while closely supervised literally helping tend the wounds and empty the bed pans for soldiers who were disabled while in Afghanistan.
3
The "mental health counseling" provision in his release speaks volumes to me. Millions of people suffering from mental health problems are attracted to extremist groups. They are attracted by the simplicity of the extremists' message which allows them to channel all their anguish and frustration.
Parents are not allowed to intervene when their child reaches legal age. Unlike in other medical cases, psychiatric medical staff refuse to even interview parents, much less disclose to them their diagnosis of the adult child.
How many parents watch helplessly as their adult child watches online videos of extremist outfits, be they white nationalists in America or Islamic extremists? No one there to help, but there plenty of people ready to judge once someone's obsession channels to violence. I wonder, what is the worst: evolving mental illness or the cherished hypocrisy of millions of 'normal' people?
3
I hope they have him under the tightest surveillance (what Trump calls "spying") and will re-arrest him soon.
4
I hope they have him under the tightest surveillance (what Trump calls "spying") and will re-arrest him soon.
2
Lindh was tried, convicted, and sentenced for his words and actions. The parole board said he has paid enough and he can come back to society. "Mike" was a CIA operative thus a potential combatant, was likely influencing the outcome of elections, and likely pressuring elected officials in foreign lands to behave a certain way. "Mike" also knew the risks associated with his job and accepted them.
The real criminals in all of this resided in the White House and those are the people Mr. Spann should be demanding be tried for their crimes and their contributions to his son's death.
6
If there was ever a candidate for a person on the "No Fly List", this is the man.
5
John Walker Blues by Steve Earle:
"I'm just an American boy
raised on MTV
and I've seen all the kids in the soda pop ads
and none of them look like me."
It's a great song about a great injustice. And he wrote it right then, when the newspapers and TVs were screaming TRAITOR.
If you haven't heard it, you should.
6
Anyone, yes ANYONE, who opposes this man's release is definitely not a human being, especially not deserving of living among civilized humans.
After serving a long prison sentence, this man has paid what the society asked of him. PERIOD.
Now, he must walk out of that prison, free and clear. Not sure, if he has what is called "supervised release." If he does, then I suggest him to not make any errors or he will most likely end up in prison to the max allowed without receiving any mercy from the judge.
In any case, he is finished with the prison and he must be released.
8
I am old enough (just turned 70) to remember capture of Taliban Lindh.
And I remember media coverage and comments then - including a lot of second guessing of what needs to be done with him.
Well, he was tried before a court of law and as a plea agreement was handed the sentence.
So, the system worked as we expect it to be - except this man was a declared enemy of America - having participated in an armed resistance to our military.
So, it is not hard to understand views of Mr. Spann Sr. But in all due respects, his son was defending our system of government in a foreign land - and paid the ultimate and tragic rprice.
What bothers me is how Ireland would give citizenship to an admitted enemy combatant of one of its strongest allies - USA. And especially Ireland whose citizens enjoy special immigration status thru visa lottery.
While nothing similar - it's like us granting a refuge to a known Unionist who has committed acts of terrorism againat Ireland.
Irish may want to reflect on this gross affront to America.
3
@Neil
Neil, when you invade a country, normally the people of that country defend themselves.
I'm sure you wouldn't consider those actions illegal.
That's the issue, I can't find any information that indicates that Lindh killed any American soldiers.
He has served his time, time for him to receive some mentoring and supervision to become a productive citizen.
There are several confounding issues to the Lindh case: He was young, gravitated to the Taliban before 9/11 when the Taliban and Al Qaeda were former de-facto allies of the U.S. against the Soviets. Apparently he was wounded in the same uprising that killed Agent Spann. For his crimes: Being in the wrong place, believing in impractical, non-American ideals (which were transitioning into Anti-American ideas) he spent almost two decades in prison. Perhaps he still has strange notions in his head, but in our country we were not supposed to keep people in prison for what they might do; those policies were the province of anti-Americans.
14
I'm amazed that almost 20 years after 9-11, the government still hasn't developed a process to deprogram jihadists while they sit out their sentence in prison. As a condition of probation, the inmate will need to prove he/she no long has radical ideas. The burden of proof must lie with the inmate to show he/she is no longer a threat to the greater society. To that end, the lie detector must play a critical role in fleshing out the truth.
2
1) John Walker Lindh was fighting for the Taliban before Sep 11th. The Taliban were not an enemy of the United States until after that date when they refused to hand over Bin Laden. If they had, there likely would have been no invasion. Therefore, it seems to be a little strange to call him a "traitor." He was captured while fighting Northern Alliance troops, the same troops he'd been fighting for years prior, not American troops.
2) There is no evidence that he was involved with the revolt in the prison that killed Mr. Spann. Where were the trials of the other revolt leaders in the US? Or why wasn't he tried in Afghanistan where the crime took place? Optics.
3) He's served his time like anyone else. Not sure why stricter conditions are placed upon his parole then others in prison regardless of religious beliefs who have likely stated or maintained far more violent belief systems. Again, optics and propaganda.
4) When he talks about "terrorism should be condemned in all forms" he likely means the United States as well, who have consistently operated under the "Do as I say not do as I do" theory for the last 100 years or so. The CIA was directly responsible for torture and murder in Afghanistan and its members have been immunized by the US government. Currently several members of the US military are being held for war crimes and the President has offered to pardon them. If this anger or frustration is about lack of justice then that focus should be applied equally.
20
Why can't we be as persuasive as terrorism is in recruiting advocates? What have we missed? It seems like the whole world wants to come here.
Lindh had joined the Taliban to help fight against the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, which was a murderous army that had been condemned by the US government for widespread human rights abuses. He was swept up in a mass capture and taken to a holding area in which Spann and another CIA agent were questioning prisoners. Spann was killed by other prisoners, and there is no evidence that Lindh ever took part in his killing. But after 9/11 the country was looking for revenge, hence the invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent war, which we are STILL fighting, 18 years later -- our longest war. Lindh, a misguided, ill-informed young man, was vilified by Bush, Cheney, Powell, Ashcroft, Giuliani -- all of whom pronounced him guilty before trial. He has served 17 years of his sentence. Why do revenge-seekers want more, when Lindh had no role in the killing of Spann?
16
Send him to a place like San Francisco, Chicago or NY City where he will be supported and celebrated by many as an imperialism fighting American hero - and I'm not being ironic.
8
@bronx refugee
You certainly are not being ironic. Mill Valley will dedicate a park in his name.
1
As loathsome, lawless and destructive Lindh's behavior was, our legal system does not punish people for their thoughts and opinions. (We do have other options). If we abandon our own system out of fear of him and his kind, he will have won.
268
@A Burton Not yet, but some on both the extremes of our polictial parties seem to feel that you SHOULD be punished legally "for their thoughts and opinions." Just for one: consider that the PC movement might want to make it a real crime for not conforming, verbally, socially, mentally, with their conception of "proper" speech. It is already illegal to say UN-PC things in many countries already, depending on your "wrong" leftist or rightist expression. "Some people said some thing", indeed.
9
He was punished because he fought for an enemy, not because of his beliefs. The fact that he’s been released short of his 20 year sentence is unfortunate and he should be thanking this country for allowing him to still be a citizen. We should instead trade him for a foreign born person who helped our troops like a translator who still might have miraculously survived and who is living in fear amongst the people he fought along side with.
25
@A Burton while your idealism is laudable it’s also naive. True, we don’t punish people for their thoughts, but this man did more than think. He participated in terrorism and murder. And he continues to advocate for the same. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill you or your children for a second. Still want to let him go free?
18
Another bizarre case where justice does not seem to have been served. I don’t think it’s right for Lindh to be walking free while still espousing the same ideology that calls for the killing of infidels. What’s the statute of limitation for treason?
99
@Chris McClure There is no cut-off for indictments based on treason. However, treason has a very high standard of proof, either confession (non-coerced) or the testimony of two reliable witnesses to the same overt act of treason. The prosecutors in Lindh's case did not believe that they could meet that burden of proof.
Incidentally, the minimum sentence for a treason conviction is five years imprisonment and $10,000 fine. Lindh has served considerably more time than that.
66
Are you suggesting that people should be incarcerated beyond the sentence it was applied to them just because they didn’t change their way of thinking?
18
@Chris McClure. -- What about all the white supremacists walking about saying and thinking what they do? He does have freedom of speech and thought, it is the actions that are the problem. He has served his time. He is a known entity that can be monitored.
We do nothing to reform prisoners and bring them back in society as productive members, sad.
22
It's not just former jihadists, it's nearly all former prisoners in the US who face overwhelming odds to successfully reintegrate into society. Our recidivism rates are as high as they are because we don't have a plan for ANY former prisoner, let alone one in prison for aiding terrorists.
480
I couldn't agree more. Prisons are a breading ground for more hate and disgust with our unjust and corrupt judicial system. If you want someone to successfully reintegrate then stop with all post-incarceration conditions, help with housing and encourage employers to give a second chance by providing a job. Government could do it's part by providing grants to companies that hire those with a record. This is how public saftey is achieved.
22
@MK
The purpose of prison should be deterrence, punishment, reform, rehabilitation and release back into society without any restrictions.
Anything else is cruel and unusual punishment that guarantees a return to a life of crime and recidivism.
Having bad or extremist thoughts and ideas is protected by the 1st Amendment. Bad acts are a another matter.
John Walker Lindh is entitled to have views as extreme as those of Donald Trump,Sr. and family, John Bolton, Sean Hannity. Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence and Franklin Graham.
33
@MK Maybe there is a method to their madness. Like the for profit prisons here in America like repeat business. It is very profitable. They want a continuing stream of prison beds filled.
8
Bringing Mike Spann into this discussion is unfortunate, the grief of his father and the silly comment of John Walker Lindh's father notwithstanding. For Mr Spann was operating as a combatant on the battlefield in the service of the United States, but also as a civilian not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. How he and others in similar roles conducted themselves in Afghanistan merits close examination before his case is invoked in coverage of that of Mr Lindh and whether or not our legal system has handled Mr Lindh appropriately.
36
@Wise Alphonse Does anyone recall a broadcast of the PBS News Hour that included a story implying that Johnny "Mike" Spann was no saint?
I'm very sorry the Spann family lost their son but I fail to see why their opinion is relevant at all in this matter. Lindh's crime was against the US, not a specific individual.
That being said, it sounds like he could use a few more years in prison. Maybe some deradicalization programs like other countries have?
35
@Graham Hackett
All crimes are prosecuted in the name of the governing entity, precisely because there has been an injury to the common weal. And some crimes, such as hacking a large scale computer network, have a huge swath of victims, sometimes at negligible cost to any particular one. Whether it can be proven that Lindh injured any specific individual is irrelevant.
We should resist the urge to look for simple good guy/bad guy narratives.
It's clear the dead CIA agent's father blames Lindh for the death, but there is no evidence to support this.
Nasty things happen during wars. Particularly nasty things were happening in overseas "black sites" operated by the CIA in the aftermath of 9/11. We should consider the possibility that the prisoners who lead the uprising had their own personal reasons for hating the CIA agent and wanting him dead which had nothing to do with Mr. Lindh.
Maybe the lesson to be learned is that too much zealotry in any cause leads to actions which are later found to be regrettable.
I'm seeing an excess of zealotry in the comments that are second guessing the decisions of the judge and jury in Mr. Lindh's original trial.
74
@Nobody
and I'm seeing an excess of moral relativism in your comment.
It's all gray to you. No right. No wrong.
Fortunately for society you are in the minority.
29
@Pono I don't think so - people may talk about right and wrong but in practice, there's no perfect human and many people actually walk a gray line. Each case is different and constantly in a dynamic state.
35
@Pono: au contrare. Perhaps you have succumbed to the notion of "trial by latest media coverage" as sufficient for due process
2
This man was in the wrong place at the wrong time fighting for the wrong side and was made a convenient scapegoat and focus of 9/11 aftermath. This article does nothing to show anything has changed - he has never advocated for more than praying in groups, yet he is deemed 'radical'. This is more of the slippery slope to American fascism -- liberty destroyed in the pursuit of 'security'.
97
My goodness you make me worry about the sanity of the liberal left. Wrong place wrong time? He was training with terrorists and actively taking up arms in the name of Jihad.
To parallel this case with the inequality of the American justice system is nothing but mental gymnastics, and should make all of you do a sanity check. Geesh
4
Mr. Spahn would be angry even if Lindh really renounced violence and worked to help prevent others from doing as did he. He would consider Lindh a traitor then who should have paid the price given his son was a patriot killed by those with who Lindh joined.
But It does seem that Lindh is highly likely to continue with his vicious fanaticism. He seems to be unable to change.
13
@Casual Observer: Why do you automatically believe the government sources about who and what he is? I believe not a whit they say about 'terrorism'.
Lindh has a strong family connection. Sounds like all he wants to do is study and pray, he has a lot of constraints on his life, I do not believe he is a threat to anybody.
3
@Casual Observer. Highly likely to continue vicious fanaticism. I would call that a good reason to keep this nutcase locked up. Either that or sending out of the United States of America. We do not need this in our country. We have a president that is afraid Mexican immigrants. And then we have absolute terrorists like this that are going to be released into our population. Go figure
@Never Ever Again
We have a system of laws that prevents tyranny, so we take chances in order to keep that system of laws strong. Lindh will be watched.
This guy is from the town I live in in Marin. I really hope he's not coming back here. The last thing anyone in our town wants or needs is him here followed around by packs of news reporters.
18
Well I also live in San Anselmo and he is welcome back here any time. He paid his price, he is a free man, and it would be selfish of me to deny him the right to come home because "he would be followed around by a pack of news reporters".
49
There you go, John from San Anselmo wins the prize, have fun living with this guy....
1
Didn't they find him handcuffed and wounded? He had refused to fight against Americans. Never should have went to jail in the first place. Just everyone was hysterical after 9/11, which I guess is understandable.
74
@Doctor Woo
Understandable, perhaps. But 20 years of methodical, purposeful, misunderstanding? We never fix stuff here, not our justice system, at least. Or our roads.
1
Let John Walker Lindh go.
He was a naive youth, in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got caught up in the post 9/11 fear and hype. He took a plea and has served his time with good behavior.
The hype has yet to die down. The government says Linch told a television station that he “continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts.” Yet if you follow the link to that article in Foreign Policy magazine, you find that the television news producer is not identified, no specific statements are quoted, and there is no public record that Lindh has participated in media interviews.
In fact, Lindh is not allowed to have any contact with anyone but his immediate family, and those visits are closely monitored.
As for Johnny Spann, even the government offered no evidence that he participated in the revolt that killed Mr. Spann.
Please get the story about JWL straight, America (and New York Times). This is too important.
I recommend Tom Junod's excellent 2006 article in Esquire, "Innocent- John Walker Lindh Interview: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a858/esq0706jlindh-106/
84
@Beth Cioffoletti Unless he was kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan, no way he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He chose to be there. I find this statement odd.
3
@Beth Cioffoletti A remarkable article. Thanks for posting.
2
@Beth Cioffoletti - Perhaps a medal of freedom for Lindh?
Wouldn't those conditions imposed by Judge Ellis expire in three years when his 20 year sentence ends?
8
What is this guy doing walking free when others who did far less are rotting in Gitmo?
14
@PL The question should simply be why are people rotting in Gitmo?
1
@PL
Because you understand clearly what the Gitmo prisoners did.
Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, U.S. invades Vietnam, Iraq...; a dozen ‘Muslims’ murder 3000 Americans, Iraq vs Iran, Saudi Arabia invades Yemen, Israel persecutes Palestinians etc. etc. etc.
Professed Christian, Jewish & Atheist individuals are always innocents and victims it seems under some vague banner of ‘State’ sponsored Sacredness.
This crazy world is indeed a Fool’s Paradise! More tragically the hypocrisy is so tasty for many it’s a palatable dish served over and over. Compliments to the chefs for attractive presentations also.
12
Very strange comments in this article. A high percentage of people that do time are recidivists. Does that mean that after serving their time they should remain in lockup? What does that have to do with a sane criminal justice system? Do we just start making it up based on personal whim or opinion polls? That sounds a lot like ISIS to me. There are way too many people who believe that you can fight fascism with fascism. Wrong!
113
@Robert You may notice that many people in America also believe that about someone accused and or convicted of being a sexual predator falls into that category: that they should remain locked after serving their sentence.
3
@Robert. Your major question is rhetorical. We don’t have a “sane criminal justice system.” We’ve let it become a free enterprise zone—its major purpose is to make some people in the prison industry very well off and provide jobs that politicians can take credit for. Mostly the “system” has become a warehouse, like some consider any market -based activity: amoral. It sure ain’t that.
3
It's all kind of funny when you think about it. The US basically birthed the Taliban while they were using the mujihideen to bankrupt the Russians in Afghanistan back in the '80s. Then this kid, Lindh, runs off to play soldier of fortune in Afghanistan. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that was before the US was involved there. So, this kid was basically fighting FOR the side that Uncle Sam created. Too bad about Spann, but he was playing the same game. Maybe there's a moral to this story somewhere.
180
@sheikyerbouti
A number of morals:1) don't fall into the trap you set for someone else; 2) dont spend nearly twice as long extricating yourself as they did; 3) Get to grips with the concept of "blowback" before launching military operations in a place called the "Graveyard of Empires" Like your moniker.
26
@sheikyerbouti
I think you could say he was fighting 'for' and 'against '. He joined the Taliban at a time they were fighting the Northern Alliance and both were comprised of mujahadeen fighters from the Soviet war.
11
@expat
"sheikyerbouti" is the title of a Frank Zappa album, fyi.
2
I suggest that all read the various laws of war. He falls in spot where when ones Country is invaded, the ununiformed population can and may take up arms to repel the invader. He was a citizen of Afghanistan, and a member of a political party, Taliban, and a convert to Islam. For him to take up arms against the USA was legal. However, to the victors go the spoils. This and a few other cases are troubling to me. And I am retired Army. I do not have all the answers, but I have read the Laws of Warfare.
36
Sounds like the argument you are referring to is levee en masse
2
@Stepen P.
He was not a citizen of Afghanistan. He is and always has been a U.S. citizen.
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@Stepen P.
It was my understanding he did not actually participate in fighting against coalition forces. To me that’s critical, if true. He’s obviously a weak-minded person who was looking for some purpose, like the followers of Jim Jones and other cult leaders. That’s pathetic. If he fired a weapon, knowing he was shooting at Americans or our allies, that’s when he would have become a traitor.
He has served his time, and is eligible for release, therefore he should be released. I do not believe that he will integrate into ‘normal’ society, rather he will live a solitary life— a life of isolation. He has ostracized himself from society and society will likely not accept him. It is unfortunate but the emotion will never be removed from his actions due to the attack on 9/11. Humans are emotional beings and his father is only rationalizing his own emotion (pain) and deep love for his son in his Op-Ed piece. His father makes the argument that his son was just 20, but that is no excuse for his criminal actions. John Lindh is a child of privilege and family whose indulgence of in his every whim/desire led to this tragedy. Make no mistake this is a tragedy for the family and for the son. John’s parents made a huge mistake in parenting him. He should not have been allowed to go to Yemen an extremist country where young girls are married or sold to older men and tender ages (10 years old) to study Arabic. He could have easily studied at a University in the US and become an professor of Islamic studies (a much better choice). The family’s and the son’s naivete’ and quite frankly—unbelievable stupidity caused the pain they are all suffering NOT the US gov’t. John may be a scapegoat in the eye’s of his father, but he joined a terrorist group. Ernest Hemingway he is not, but a former Taliban brother in arms he is, indeed. Still, he should be released.
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@Andrea wrote: "He could have easily studied at a University in the US and become an professor of Islamic studies (a much better choice)."
It's that easy, huh, just like that?
And the men and women who went to fight and kill in Iraq -- they could just have easily become professors of military studies, right?
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@David Appell
Well, yes, in fact. Setting out on the path that Andrea suggests is pretty straightforward.
@Andrea: Didn't the US support the Taliban? Didn't we supply them with rockets to bring down the Soviets?
It's a sad, complicated, terrible story for all involved. He's served his time. Time to leave him alone and be with his family.
I believe nothing the government has to say about who Lindh is. Propaganda is what they spew in this case.
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Lindh is 0 for 2. He was in prison in Afghanistan AND the U.S. I'd recommend a career change.
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there is no probation from federal prison - probation is an alternative to prison - when released, the person is on supervised release
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It prefers to be called “parole”.
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“Mike Spann was a person who believed in the rule of law,” the elder Mr. Spann said of his son....Mike Spann would’ve never agreed for a traitor to have got 20 years.
That’s a contradiction right there.
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“What training is provided to parole officers or supporting nongovernmental partners to recognize the signs of violent radicalization and recidivism?”
Do Senators Shelby and Hassan ask that question when white supremacists are released from prison?
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@lydgate Excellent, thought-provoking comment. Thank you.
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From Day One I always thought that our government had railroaded John Walker Lindh. Our country needed a scapegoat after the re-bombing of the World Trade Center (as well as the Pentagon) and our inability to anticipate the re-bombing and subsequent murder of more than two thousand innocent souls. Lindh never participated in the prisoner uprising where Mike Spann was killed. How could he have? He was returned to jail with his hands tied behind his back just moments before the uprising began. He was an inconsequential, non-native 20-year-old Arab speaker who spent his time as an alleged combatant cooking and doing other menial chores.
Please read Lindh's father's article in the British Guardian to understand how we as a nation wronged young Lindh: https://tinyurl.com/yyvfycb2
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@JustMe2
No. Iraq was the scapegoat.
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@JustMe2
How can this misguided traitor be considered to have been railroaded? If he didn't participate in the uprising he certainly was a part of the sick disgusting Jihadist group that was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people.
Was he in Afghanistan to attempt to mediate a peaceful solution to this interminable war? I hope that he has truly "reformed" and is no longer a threat to American lives or any other lives. He is, or was, a very troubled person. I hope
he finds peace and contentment in his life.
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@RomeoT
He was in Afghanistan well before 9/11.
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I am surprised at the vitriolic comments in the article and some of the comments. Given that he is being released early, Lindh apparently has behaved in prison and confirmed his behavior. He will be under very restrictive release conditions and is fortunate to have close family ties in the Bay Area. Judge Ellis settled the debate over his sentence17 years ago and he drew a severe sentence hopefully he will lead a quieter life of contemplative study and be lost in the dustbin off history.
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Please? Please. Please get your terms correct. He is not being released on “probation.” The correct term is “supervised release.” The two terms should not be confused. Thanks.
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Oh relax, it's basically the same thing
He looks like George Harrison on the “Let It Beard” album cover.
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"John Walker Lindh, known as the “American Taliban."
This man - and he is a man, not a boy, made an incredibly stupid decision to go to war in a foreign country. At the time he did so, there was no American presence in Afghanistan. He became the accidental enemy-combatant when U.S. Special Forces showed up. Did he think it was something romantic like Ernest Hemingway fighting in the Spanish Civil War? Sadly, when he is released, he will probably spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder with a great deal of paranoia and a bad case of PTSD. I do not envy this man.
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@Creighton Goldsmith
Well, no, US Special Forces did not show up. Para-military employees of the Central Intelligence Agency supporting a friendly Afghan militia showed up. The ramshackle elements that comprised certain percentage of US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq would, in times of greater decency, be a scandal. (Of course, in such times, Mr Lindh's parents would have been more responsible and not let their son wander off to Yemen . . .)
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@Creighton Goldsmith I hope he does look over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
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@Sasha Love
"I hope he does look over his shoulder for the rest of his life."
Ah, another Texas Christian preaches her beliefs.
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I bet the last thing even John Walker Lindh thought was that the war would still be going on when he got out and that the Taliban would be winning.
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Integrated back into society?
Not likely.
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Lindh betrayed his country during a time of war and joined the Taliban. No one contests that. I remember his father as sympathetic to his son's anti-American action, too. It would be wrong to release Lindh from prison. He made his choice. Give him twenty more years to think it over.
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At that time he joined them, the USA was supporting the Taliban . They were helpful on our war on drugs. This is very well known .
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@Daniel Friedman.. He was there before 9/11.
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@Maurie Beck
In fact, the Taliban issued a ban on opium production in 2001 and the US rewarded the Taliban. That's not as expansive as "The U.S. supported the Taliban" but we did give them $43 million. The fact that the Taliban ban was misleading (opium trafficking did continue) doesn't change the foregoing.
https://www.cato.org/commentary/how-washington-funded-taliban
It's also incorrect to state that Clinton had bin-Laden dead to rights.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/02/16/bill-clinton-and-the-missed-opportunities-to-kill-osama-bin-laden/?utm_term=.1dd936c641a8
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The 'official version of John Walker's participation in Pakistan is highly suspect, and the actual events that resulted in the horrific prison rebellion, that by all accounts was not precipitated by Walker (he miraculously survived), and the real background of events leading up to that seemingly had nothing to do with any animosity toward the US attributed to him. He was as ignorant of Bin Laden's plans or the man himself, as MOST Americans were at the time. But the drama of events overtook him and everyone else.
There needs to be an objective portrayal of what really happened. And what Walker was really doing in that far off place.
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@Mark Thank you. I always thought that his punishment was an emotional reaction by the US legal system against someone who made a poor decision but really was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He probably was kept in solitary and if you have studied this form of punishment, it does no good for the person or society. He certainly served more time than others who knew about the current events--remember he left 3 years before 9/11 and it is hard to know what info was on the ground in Afghanistan at the time of his capture.
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He was a citizen of Afghanistan protecting his adopted country against foreign invaders. The only thing he got “wrong” was picking the losing side. Every congressman who voted yes on that original AUMF should have also done jail time.
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@Dan
Lindh is a U.S. citizen; he never became a citizen of Afghanistan.
The AUMF was justified by the Taliban-Al Qaeda alliance.
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"Because of the vacuum, he said, the best hope for Mr. Lindh is that his probation officer finds a Muslim former federal prisoner — someone who has conservative beliefs but is not radical — to help him navigate society."
How is this possible without the Internet?
What society will he be navigating?
He'll be excluded from 21st century life.
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@L He excluded himself. Actions have consequences.
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@L If he can convince his probation officer that he needs internet access for quality of life, then he'll get a web capable device. One that has every keystroke sent to the FBI, but he'll have one. He'll only be slightly more monitored than we all are already ;)
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@Elle Roque
Not to mention he better change his name. People are gonna be looking for him.
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