American Taliban Receives 20-Year Sentence

[achtungbaby]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- John Walker Lindh, an American who became a Muslim holy warrior, received a 20-year sentence today after tearfully asking forgiveness for serving the Taliban rulers who sheltered Osama bin Laden and his terrorist leadership in Afghanistan.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted a plea agreement in a proceeding filled with drama, even though prosecutors and defense lawyers had agreed in advance on the sentence in return for Lindh's cooperation.

Pausing frequently to compose himself throughout a 20-minute statement, the 21-year-old Lindh renounced terrorism and bin Laden, declaring that if he had known the Taliban was harboring terrorists, he never would have joined them.

Lindh's statement, presented while standing at the podium facing U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, wasn't the only drama in a hearing that lasted nearly two and a half hours. Johnny Spann, whose CIA agent-son Mike was killed during a prison uprising while Lindh was in the vicinity, told the judge that Lindh was partly responsible for his son's death.

"The punishment doesn't fit the crime, to me," he said.

Ellis, however, said he never would have approved the plea agreement if the government had shown any evidence that Lindh was responsible for Spann's death. Lindh told the judge, "I had no role in the death of Johnny Micheal Spann."

Lindh, who came to Americans' attention in late 2001 as a long-haired, bearded battlefield captive in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty last July to supplying services to the Taliban and carrying an explosive during commission of a felony. Each count carries a 10-year sentence.

The government told Ellis last week that Lindh had fulfilled his agreement to cooperate, allowing prosecutors to drop more serious charges that could have brought a life sentence to the Californian.

In his statement, Lindh expressed remorse for his actions. "I understand why so many Americans were angry when I was first discovered In Afghanistan," he said. "I realize many still are, but I hope in time that feeling will change."

Ellis told Lindh, "You were willing to give your life for the Taliban but not for your country." While he may have joined the Taliban because of his Muslim beliefs, Ellis told Lindh, "What you were fighting for was not virtuous."

Acknowledging that Lindh had sought forgiveness, Ellis said, "Forgiveness is separate from punishment."

The judge told a packed courtroom, which included Lindh's parents, brother and sister, that many Americans will think his sentence was too lenient while others will believe it was too severe.

Government officials said Lindh and other Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners told U.S. interrogators the Sept. 11 hijackings were supposed to be the first of three increasingly severe attacks against Americans. Their claims have not been corroborated, government officials said.

Lindh's lawyers have said his information did not come from high-ranking Taliban officials, but represented what he heard from fellow recruits at a training camp and, later, on the front lines in Afghanistan. The lawyers have said Lindh never swore loyalty to Al Qaeda or its leader, Osama bin Laden.

Details of Lindh's extensive interrogation, part of his plea agreement, remain secret. But Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert who worked with defense lawyers and interviewed Lindh, said the Californian told him he picked up battlefield rumors about post-Sept. 11 attacks.

Reading from his interview notes, Gunaratna said Lindh told him: "The original attack plan was in three phases, totaling 20 separate attacks. The first phase was ... two attacks on the World Trade Center, an attack on the Pentagon and a third attack on the White House."

The notes also reflected that Lindh said: "The second phase of attacks was going to be using biological agents and also attacks on natural gas and nuclear infrastructure.

"The second phase was going to make the U.S. forget about the first phase. The third phase was to finish the U.S. and was to take place within the next six months (after Sept. 11)."

Gunaratna said that while Lindh used the word "biological," he believes from other sources that the weapon could be a radiological device, a so-called dirty bomb.

Gunaratna spoke with Lindh in his jail cell for eight hours on July 25-26 as a defense consultant, and submitted a report to a federal judge that concluded Lindh never swore loyalty to Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

Still, Gunaratna said, Lindh would be a valuable U.S. intelligence asset because he understood what makes Islamic fundamentalists join conflicts around the world.

Authorities have gathered similar information from prisoners of various levels of the terrorist network. But the officials said the United States hasn't found specific plans for two additional large-scale attacks and they suspect the claims could involve disinformation or folklore that circulated among low-level terrorists and Taliban soldiers after Sept. 11.

Lindh also said he heard that 50 people were going on 20 suicide missions, but added he received the information on the front lines in October-- not prior to Sept. 11 when at a training camp, as his original indictment indicated.

Officials have had indications that additional attacks may have been planned immediately after Sept. 11.

[angel nympho]

Maybe I'm being too nice, but it sounds fair to me. He didn't have to confess and he didn't have to say the things he did. He shouldn't get a life term simply because nobody agrees with him. The beauty of America is that we don't have to agree. Maybe I read wrong, but it seems as though the only crimes he actually committed were both punishable by 10 years. So... it makes sense to me.

[ChinaLama]

Originally posted by achtungbaby@Oct 5 2002, 12:11 AM
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted a plea agreement in a proceeding filled with drama, even though prosecutors and defense lawyers had agreed in advance on the sentence in return for Lindh's cooperation.

The Judge shoulda gone:

"SAVE THE DRAMA FOR YOUR MAMA!"

Sorry every time i see that word, drama, i just think about my 10th grade speech teacher's favorite phrase. :)

[phism]

that sucks. he should go free.

terrorism rocks.

[sandra]

the crimes he *plead guilty* to each only carried a sentence of ten years. but he certainly did more than what he plead to--otherwise, it wouldn't be a plea bargain. he knew of their plan--down to the specifics--and provided services to them to carry out such plans. the government should never have offered him a such a plea agreement.

phism: why does terrorism rock?

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by kasia@Oct 5 2002, 10:03 AM
the crimes he *plead guilty* to each only carried a sentence of ten years. but he certainly did more than what he plead to--otherwise, it wouldn't be a plea bargain. he knew of their plan--down to the specifics--and provided services to them to carry out such plans. the government should never have offered him a such a plea agreement.

phism: why does terrorism rock?

Why? He gave us a lot of information, right?

What more did he do? I mean, the way I see it, being a member of a fucked up organization and actually COMMITTING crimes are different things.

Like... being a MEMBER of the KKK shoudn't be punishable unless you actually go out committing hate crimes.

[sandra]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Oct 5 2002, 09:02 PM
What more did he do? I mean, the way I see it, being a member of a fucked up organization and actually COMMITTING crimes are different things.

Like... being a MEMBER of the KKK shoudn't be punishable unless you actually go out committing hate crimes.

i suppose that is true. but he was serving them *and* knew of the 9/11 attack and, not only failed to intervene, but *continued* to serve them with this knowledge. isn't that doing more than merely being a member?

[ChinaLama]

Originally posted by kasia@Oct 6 2002, 01:25 AM

i suppose that is true. but he was serving them *and* knew of the 9/11 attack and, not only failed to intervene, but *continued* to serve them with this knowledge. isn't that doing more than merely being a member?

kind of in his defense, i don't think it was easy to just up and leave the Taliban once you're in it. I mean you can't just leave the Mob or a gang either, at least in a movie, and where would an American go in Afghanistan?

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by kasia@Oct 6 2002, 01:25 AM

i suppose that is true. but he was serving them *and* knew of the 9/11 attack and, not only failed to intervene, but *continued* to serve them with this knowledge. isn't that doing more than merely being a member?

I agree with what you're saying, yes. But being a party to a crime isn't punishable the same way actually COMMITTING a crime is. Or at least it shouldn't be. I mean, I know this is a lot less severe, but it's like... when you see your friends doing something wrong, you're always torn between ratting on them or not. Ya know? I find it admirable that the man washed his hands of the business eventually. Living the rest of his life knowing what he's got on his conscience is punishment, too. I'd imagine, too, that he probably couldn't have stopped the attacks if he wanted to.

[thaite]

The fact that he conspired with the terrorists is treasonous enough -- he didn't actually have to take part in the attack to become partly responsible.

Twenty years seems like a sweet deal for him. He'll sit in cushy federal prison, get to write a bestseller and get out when he's 38 -- still plenty of opportunity to live a life.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by buoywonder@Oct 6 2002, 09:09 AM
The fact that he conspired with the terrorists is treasonous enough -- he didn't actually have to take part in the attack to become partly responsible.

Twenty years seems like a sweet deal for him. He'll sit in cushy federal prison, get to write a bestseller and get out when he's 38 -- still plenty of opportunity to live a life.

It would be different if he took part in actually COMING UP with the plans of what to do to America and whatnot rather than just be one of their little *minions of death*. I wouldn't punish somebody who sat around and had beers with terrorists the same way I'd punish terrorists.

[thaite]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Oct 6 2002, 02:38 AM
It would be different if he took part in actually COMING UP with the plans of what to do to America and whatnot rather than just be one of their little *minions of death*. I wouldn't punish somebody who sat around and had beers with terrorists the same way I'd punish terrorists.

Yeah, but he didn't just sit around and have beers with the terrorists (and if they were truly fundamental Muslims, they wouldn't be drinking alcohol. I know you were just using a figure of speech, but I had to throw that in there anyway) -- he had prior knowledge of their plan. JWL got busted for treason which is punishable by death. He got off easy.

If he'd have been one of the terrorists himself he would have gotten death, as well.



<!--EDIT|buoywonder|Oct 7 2002, 05:01 PM-->

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by buoywonder@Oct 7 2002, 11:58 PM

Yeah, but he didn't just sit around and have beers with the terrorists (and if they were truly fundamental Muslims, they wouldn't be drinking alcohol. I know you were just using a figure of speech, but I had to throw that in there anyway) -- he had prior knowledge of their plan. JWL got busted for treason which is punishable by death. He got off easy.

If he'd have been one of the terrorists himself he would have gotten death, as well.

I don't want to be all trying to defend the guy, but honestly, knowing about a crime before it happens doesn't mean you're going to be able to do anything about it. If he's for real, the guilt is probably unbearable.

[wylin]

just let him free, hez a mixed up kid, who was fighting for what he believed was evil american imperialism and economic expanationism. He deserves a 2nd chance bush should parden him then ship him off to iraq to fight saddam.



<!--EDIT|wylin|Oct 7 2002, 04:49 PM-->