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Journalism of Courage
A US judge on Friday sentenced a tearful and apologetic John Walker Lindh, the American captured by US forces during the war in Afghanistan, to 20 years in prison for fighting in support of the Taliban.
Before the sentence was announced, Lindh apologised for his actions and told the court he regretted ever joining the Taliban and did not do so in order to fight America.
‘‘You made a bad choice to join the Taliban and to engage in that effort over there,’’ US district judge TS Ellis told Lindh as he pronounced sentence. Lindh, 21, must serve a minimum of 17 years, if he is given time off for good behaviour.
Under a July plea deal, Lindh was spared a possible life-prison sentence, and all terrorism charges against him were dropped. Lindh had originally been charged with 10 counts of conspiring to kill Americans.
‘‘I went to Afghanistan because I believed it was my religious duty to assist my fellow Muslims militarily in their jihad,’’ said Lindh, who converted to Islam as a teenager.
Lindh’s lead attorney, James Brosnahan, said that now that Lindh had ‘‘fessed up,’’ it was time for the US government to find ‘‘some real terrorists.’’ (Reuters)
