Why John Walker Lindh is Still in Jail
Frank R. Lindh, father of Abu Sulayman al-Irlandi (aka Sulayman al-Faris, Abdul Hamid, and John Walker Lindh) has an op-ed in the NYT asking “Bin Laden’s Gone. Can My Son Come Home?”
The answer is, sure: In another 8 to 11 years.
His son pled guilty, in July 2002, to two felonies: supplying services to the Taliban and carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony. In his own words at the hearing, “I provided my services as a soldier to the Taliban last year from about August to December. In the course of doing so, I carried a rifle and two grenades. I did so knowingly and willingly knowing that it was illegal.”
He also stood by, saying nothing, allowing a Taliban raid that killed CIA officer Mike Spann. He was charged with crimes that could have led to three consecutive life sentences. That, however, would have meant allowing al-Irlandi to call fellow Taliban members held at Guantanamo as witnesses and the government pressed for a plea deal instead.
The agreement was for 20 years without chance of parole. But he could get 3 years off for good behavior.
One imagines the President Obama will be unlikely to issue a pardon to such an unsympathetic character.
About James Joyner
More to the point: he’s still in jail because he wasn’t charged with treason and executed, as would have been entirely just.
J.
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Yep, treason sounds like it would fit.
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