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Illustration by Cody Angell
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Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2002
While Americans speculate on John Walker Lindh's fate, he is most likely sitting in his 7.5 square-foot, Alexandria Adult Detention Center prison cell contemplating his future. Twenty-year old Walker Lindh was captured and taken into custody by the U.S. military after a bloody prison uprising that started Nov. 25 in northern Afghanistan.
Walker Lindh left home as a teenager to study Arabic and Islam in Yemen. On Thursday, Walker Lindh appeared clean-shaven in a U.S. court as he admitted that he understood the charges against him and the potential punishment - that he conspired to kill Americans in Afghanistan and could spend life in jail or face the death penalty.
While he and America await his Feb. 6 preliminary hearing, the defense and prosecution are preparing their cases. Lead defense attorney James Brosnahan, who only got to meet Walker Lindh just before that hearing, claimed his client had been denied legal representation by the U.S. government for more than 54 days. Prosecutor Paul McNulty will likely bring to the court the allegations that the defendant learned from one of his alleged al-Qaida terrorist training camp instructors that Osama bin Laden "had sent people to the United States to carry out several suicide operations."
After visiting with his mother, whom he hadn't seen for more than two years, she commented: "John loves America. We love America. John did not do anything against America. John did not take up arms against America. He never meant to harm any American, and he never did harm any American. John is innocent of these charges."
Until Feb. 6, Americans can only ponder Walker Lindh's role within the Taliban and the possible consequences thereof. What should be done with John Walker Lindh?
Walker committed treason
Forgive this liberal for not being able to jump on the bandwagon on this issue. I agree that American foreign policy is full of problems and hypocrisy. I agree that America's leaders who chose to support the Taliban in the beginning should be held accountable, and the costs of future foreign policies should be analyzed before actions are taken. With all of this in mind, I still find very little sympathy for John Walker Lindh, the Taliban-American.
No matter how strongly Walker Lindh may have felt about the situation in Afghanistan, he proved himself disloyal to the United States. I feel very strongly that the Reagan administration committed travesties in Nicaragua when it acted to overthrow a stable democracy in favor of a conservative dictatorship that supported American foreign policy more readily. However, as an American, I feel a sense of obligation to be an American before I am a liberal or anything else. The appropriate way for Walker Lindh to dissent from American foreign policy was not to join an enemy army. While I believe in civil disobedience in dire cases, he clearly had not exhausted other methods of changing policy. Walker Lindh committed treason and should be treated as such.
Kendrick Wilson is a political science freshman. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
International man of mystery
We will never really know the truth about John Walker Lindh. It appears that he rejected everything American and went in search of religious truth in several different countries. He changed his name, his appearance and turned his back on his former self. However, National Public Radio also reports that when he settled in a mosque to learn the Quran, he left every Sunday without a single exception and walked to a different town to e-mail friends and family.
He stayed connected, so to speak.
What should be done? He needs the best representation money or the government can provide because this case is not cut and dry. Walker Lindh needs an attorney who can put aside biases and frustrations to delve into the real story behind this strange man. American freedom is only worth as much as our ability to take it or leave it. Walker Lindh chose to leave it. The next few months will determine what price one pays for choosing the opposition. Did he choose the wrong, radical way of life at the wrong time? Or did he determinedly plot the deaths of Americans?
The only appropriate measure to take is a full, complete investigation and trial. Anything less would be uncivilized.
Laura Winsky is a senior majoring in Spanish and political science. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Support justice, not hype
The only crimes John Walker Lindh can or should be charged with under American law are those that involve taking up arms against the United States. Those charges, however, must carry with them a presumption of innocence in the eyes of the courts, despite the lynch-mob mentality of most of America.
It will be difficult to prove that Walker Lindh actually fought against U.S. troops and even harder to prove that he did so knowingly. It's plausible that he was, or at least thought he was, fighting only northern alliance soldiers - given that they were the main constituents of the ground forces and that the Taliban leadership isn't exactly known for circulating accurate information, even among its own.
Furthermore, the legitimacy of statements made by Walker Lindh a week after his detainment have been called into question. The statements, which nearly amount to a confession, were made after two days of FBI interrogation without the presence of a lawyer and under the influence of heavy painkillers. The Bureau claims Walker Lindh waived his right to a lawyer, despite the fact he began requesting one the day after his detainment.
Ninety-seven percent of Americans thinks Walker Lindh did something that warrants imprisonment. As far as I'm concerned, the jury's still out.
Caitlin Hall is a junior majoring in biochemistry and philosophy. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Let's move on?
What should be done with John Walker Lindh? "John Who" is more like it.
Frankly, I am going to take the point of view that my engineering teacher took. At the beginning of a lecture last week, someone asked what he thinks should happen to the American Taliban (an interesting oxymoron in itself) and he said, "I am not even going to answer the question."
Yeah, I know. Some of you out there must be thinking, "How can Mariam Durrani not have an opinion about something?" The truth of the matter is that I don't think it is worth all the attention it is getting.
Are those born in America's borders somehow above the capability to get brainwashed and sucked into a fanatical and destructive frame of thinking?
No, I think not.
It is a human imperfection - to be so eager to be accepted and part of something important that one's judgment can be impaired. Skinny ol' John Walker Lindh is a kid who tried to explore outside of his world but met the wrong people.
Anyone can get confused and mess up - not to the degree that he did, of course - but everyone is guilty because it is only human. There are much more serious issues out there to discuss and address.
John Walker Lindh probably wasn't even trusted with such classified information as the terrorist attacks, etc., because he is an American and the Taliban, as we know, are immensely prejudiced. He was most likely a henchman, and his case should be addressed but not with such national importance.
Let's move on with our lives and onto more important topics.
Mariam Durrani is a systems engineering junior. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Tali me a sob story
The following things will not get you executed for treason in the United States: listening to Brit-pop; practicing yoga; thinking the United States is an immoral, greedy country; over-watering your ficus plant.
So what will? Let's ask John Walker Lindh.
Johnny: I'm an al-Qaida-trained, former Taliban fighter. I took up arms against the United States on behalf of a violently anti-American regime. I feel spiritually elevated by the demolition of the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon and the murder of thousands of Americans. One time, I shook Osama bin Laden's hand, and it felt like Dad saying, "I'm proud of you, son." Now I've got a haircut, a shave and the best lawyers money can buy. I sure as hell can't be tried for treason.
Well, John, according to U.S. law (aka politics), you couldn't be more right - although I bet your precious Taliban wouldn't be so lenient with its definitions.
If John Walker Lindh is not a traitor, then we should resurrect everyone ever put to death for treason and sincerely apologize for wronging them. Maybe they also came from divorced homes or were confused kids just trying to fit in.
I propose that we ground Johnny-boy for the rest of his life. Hopefully the prosecution is sharper than his defense team.
I'm not betting on it.
Daniel Cucher is a creative writing senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
Ten to 15 for Johnny Jihad
John Walker. John Lindh. Taliban John. Or my personal favorite, Johnny Jihad.
Whatever you call him, the United States - or at least the media - is quickly becoming obsessed with this guy. And if you're not hooked on him yet, relax - you'll be having the Walker trial shoved down your throat for the next several months.
For the better part of 2002, we'll have the privilege of hearing every pathetic excuse in the book for Johnny's bad behavior: His family was dysfunctional, his father was gay, the corporate media (spare me) distorted his image.
Here's the best defense I can think of: He grew up in northern California, headquarters of anti-America America.
Even so, most of the less patriotic among us don't go venturing to the other side of the planet to join a terrorist faction.
In any event, Walker deserves around 10 to 15 years behind bars, which is what he'll end up getting. If he knew what was good for him, he'd beg and plea to stay there longer. He'll be a lot safer in there than out here.
Shane Dale is a political science junior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
