Father: ‘American Taliban’ should get clemency

updated 9:43 p.m. ET Jan. 19, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO - After years of silence, the father of American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh called on President Bush on Thursday to grant clemency to his son, who he says was wrongly maligned as a traitor and murderer.

“In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest,” said Frank Lindh, swallowing back tears at times during a speech at the Commonwealth Club, a nonprofit organization.

Frank Lindh said that although his son had nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks, they ended up adding dire consequences to his decision to join the Taliban, targeted by the United States after the 2001 attacks for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

“Being viewed through the prism of those attacks has caused this young man to be vilified as a terrorist and a traitor,” the elder Lindh said.

John Walker Lindh, who turns 25 next month, was 20 when he was captured by American forces on Nov. 21, 2001, alongside Taliban fighters.

Avoided life sentence
Charged with conspiring to kill Americans and supporting terrorists, the younger Lindh avoided a potential life sentence in 2002 by pleading guilty to lesser charges of supplying services to the Taliban in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and of carrying weapons against U.S. forces. In exchange, John Walker Lindh agreed to withdraw claims of abuse or torture.

Until now, his parents have mostly maintained a public silence about the case, hoping to avoid a media barrage that could be detrimental to their son. But on Thursday Frank Lindh shared baby pictures and other photos of his son during the presentation and said he is proud of his child.

Frank Lindh said he decided to break his silence because he hoped the story of his boy’s journey from bucolic Marin County to harsh Afghanistan battlefields will help him get a reduction in his 20-year prison sentence. Last year his son renewed his request for clemency, already rejected once.

Movie ‘Malcolm X’ piqued interest in Islam
John Walker Lindh, raised Catholic, was 12 when he saw the movie “Malcolm X” and became interested in Islam, his father said. A few years later he converted to Islam in a mosque in Mill Valley.

With his parents’ blessings, he headed to Yemen, and later Pakistan, to memorize the Quran and become an Islamic scholar.

What did Frank Lindh think of his son’s decision to pursue these studies?

“It’s a wonderful thing for an American kid to go overseas and study, to learn another language, to learn another religion, these are great things,” he said.

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