Father of 'American Taliban' Asks Bush for Clemency
Frank Lindh, the father of jailed "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh, said yesterday (January 19th) that he's asked President Bush to grant his son clemency. Speaking at the nonprofit Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Lindh charged that his now 24-year-old son had been unjustly punished amid public hysteria in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and had been tortured by U.S. forces after he was captured in November 2001 fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. Lindh said, "The maltreatment and imprisonment of John Lindh was -- and is -- a human rights violation."
John Walker Lindh was given a 20-year sentence and spared a possible life term under a plea deal in which he pled guilty to aiding the Taliban and carrying explosives, but all terrorism charges were dropped. He has himself also appealed to the president to commute his sentence.
Lindh's parents have mostly been publicly silent, but Frank Lindh said yesterday he's speaking out now because he hopes the story of how his son journeyed from being a California teen to ending up on an Afghan battlefield will help him get clemency. Choking back tears at times, he said, "In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest."
Do you think Lindh should be granted clemency?
What do you think of Frank Lindh coming out now, more than four years later, and charging that his son was tortured by U.S. forces after he was captured?
Do you believe that Lindh never meant to fight U.S. forces and was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?
posted by Pat Campbell @ 10:09 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
"jeb" whined: "how about we all just get along? this guy was just caught up in all the post 911 excitement - let him go. we can only achive undersanding by compassion not by force."
Some people don't want to "just get along." The muslim extremists don't want to get along; they want to either convert us to islam or kill us; for them, there is no middle ground. The only way to deal with people like that is with strength and conclusive use of force.
"...this guy was just caught up in all the post 911 excitement...."?
He's an adult. He should take responsibility for his actions as should any adult. If he cannot be responsible, then he should be kept on a leash or in a cage to prevent injury to himself or other people.
"we can only achive undersanding by compassion not by force."
I don't need to "achive undersanding;" I already understand that the islamists are my commited enemies. The only way to "teach" them to stop trying to conquer us is to hit them repeatedly with very deadly force. They may be blinded by ignorance and deep devotion to their demon god, allah, but that's not an insurmountable obstacle to teaching them to back off. Pavlov's dogs didn't need a high IQ to be taught to salivate on cue. Likewise, even blind fools like the islamists can be taught to back off.
They understand force, but, to them, compassion is a sign of weakness.
"jeb," I never said that muslims are our committed enemies. I said islamists are our committed enemies.
It's best that you don't enter a debate until you understand the jargon.
Oh Bill the racist. You are constantly lumping all Muslims together. And to think, you have to lecture Jeb.
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