Updated 9 a.m. Thursday
John Walker Lindh, the Marin County man who became known as the “American Taliban” after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, was released on Thursday after nearly two decades in prison.
But conditions imposed recently on Lindh’s release make clear that authorities remain concerned about the threat he could pose once free.
Lindh, now 38, was raised as Catholic, converting to Islam as a teenager after seeing the film “Malcolm X” and going overseas to study Arabic and the Quran. In November 2000, he went to Pakistan and from there made his way to Afghanistan. He joined the Taliban — an extremist Islamic movement that ruled Afghanistan at the time — and was with them on Sept. 11, 2001, when al-Qaida terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The U.S. attacked Afghanistan after the country failed to turn over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Lindh was captured in a battle with Northern Alliance fighters in late 2001. He was present when a group of Taliban prisoners launched an attack that killed Johnny Micheal “Mike” Spann, a CIA officer who had been interrogating Lindh and other Taliban prisoners.
Television footage of a bearded, wounded Lindh captured among Taliban fighters created an international sensation, and he was brought to the U.S. to face charges of conspiring to kill Spann and providing support to terrorists. Eventually, he struck a plea bargain in which he admitted illegally providing support to the Taliban but denied a role in Spann’s death.
Lindh received a 20-year prison sentence. He served roughly 17 years and five months, including two months when he was in military detention. Federal inmates who exhibit good behavior typically serve 85 percent of their sentence.
His probation officer asked the court to impose additional restrictions on Lindh while he remains on supervised release for the next three years. Lindh initially opposed but eventually acquiesced to the restrictions, which include monitoring software on his internet devices; requiring that his online communications be conducted in English and that he undergo mental health counseling; and forbidding him from possessing or viewing extremist material, holding a passport of any kind or leaving the U.S.
Authorities never specified their rationale for seeking such restrictions. A hearing on the issue was canceled after Lindh agreed to them.
The Bureau of Prisons said Lindh rejected an interview request submitted by The Associated Press, and his lawyer declined to comment. KQED efforts to reach his father, Frank Lindh, were unsuccessful.
A Marin County Teenager Who Wanted to Travel to the Middle East
In 2007, Frank Lindh told NPR that his son was a proxy for Osama bin Laden.
“The entire country turned on our son as if he were the terrorist, as if he had perpetrated the 9/11 attacks. It was this overwhelming and emotional response, and it was like being in a vortex. It was a real nightmare for all of us in John’s family,” he said.
Lindh was one of three children: He has an older brother and a younger sister. At 17, Lindh, who graduated from Tamiscal High School in Larkspur, told his parents he wanted to go to Yemen to study Arabic, NPR reported.
“I did with John research as best I could,” said his mom, Marilyn Lindh. “I talked to people about the school he was looking into to attend. And I got encouragement that it was safe and the fact that many kids go abroad to study.”
But they didn’t know he would go on to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, Lindh’s parents were criticized for poor parenting from angry emailers and for their residence in affluent Marin County.
“All three of our kids have grown up here. The schools are good. The neighborhoods are friendly. It’s got a strong community sense. There are good family values in Marin. There are very wealthy enclaves in Marin, but most people who live here are just middle-income people,” said Frank Lindh.
Nearly a decade into his imprisonment, in May 2011, Frank Lindh told KQED Forum that his son remained “the same young man he always was.”
“He’s a nice kid. He’s spiritual. He does his prayers every day. He’s highly intellectual. He studies constantly. He’s got a really very positive attitude, a sparkling sense of humor,” he added. “He’s a wonderful son.”
Emigrate to Ireland?
It’s unclear where Lindh will go when he is released. The Bureau of Prisons said it doesn’t comment on individual release plans, citing safety, security and privacy.
Foreign Policy reported in June 2017 that Lindh, who got Irish citizenship in 2013, had considered potentially moving to Ireland after he got out, citing a Bureau of Prisons intelligence summary.
The Irish government could deny him a passport on grounds that he poses a threat to national security, the publication reported. Lindh’s release conditions also prohibit him from holding a passport of any kind or leaving the U.S. while he remains on supervised release for the next three years.
Behavior in Prison That’s Cause for Concern?