John Walker Lindh is seen during an interview soon after his capture in Afghanistan. Lindh, who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019 after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence. AP
John Walker Lindh is seen during an interview soon after his capture in Afghanistan. Lindh, who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019 after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence. AP
John Walker Lindh is seen during an interview soon after his capture in Afghanistan. Lindh, who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free Thursday, May 23, 2019 after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence. AP
John Walker Lindh is seen during an interview soon after his capture in Afghanistan. Lindh, who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan

American who fought for Taliban released from prison


  • English
  • Arabic

John Walker Lindh, the American captured in 2001 fighting for the Taliban, was released early from federal prison on Thursday despite some US politicians expressing fear that he remains a security risk.

His lawyer confirmed his release to The Washington Post.

Mr Lindh, 20 years old at the time of his capture in Afghanistan, will leave federal prison on probation after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence, according to a prison official.

Now 38, Mr Lindh was among dozens of prisoners set to be released over the next few years after being captured in Iraq and Afghanistan by US forces and convicted of terrorism-related crimes following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

Elected officials questioned the reasons behind Mr Lindh's early release, and if the parole officers were trained to spot radicalisation and recidivism among former militants.

Leaked US government documents published by Foreign Policy magazine show the federal government as recently as 2016 described Mr Lindh as holding "extremist views".

"What is the current interagency policy, strategy and process for ensuring that terrorist/extremist offenders successfully reintegrate into society?" asked US Senators Richard Shelby and Margaret Hassan in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Mr Lindh's parents Marilyn Walker and Frank Lindh did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bill Cummings, Mr Lindh's lawyer, declined to comment.

Melissa Kimberley, a spokeswoman for the Terre Haute prison in Indiana, could not confirm details of Mr Lindh's release other than it would be on Thursday.

The American converted from Catholicism to Islam as a teenager. At Mr Lindh's 2002 sentencing he said he traveled to Yemen to learn Arabic and then to Pakistan to study Islam. He said he volunteered as a Taliban soldier to help fellow Muslims in their struggle but had no intention "to fight against America".

Mr Lindh told the court he condemned "terrorism on every level" and attacks by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were "completely against Islam".

But a January 2017 report by the US government's National Counterterrorism Center, published by Foreign Policy, said that as of May 2016, Mr Lindh "continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts".

NBC said Mr Lindh wrote a letter to its Los Angeles station KNBC in 2015 expressing support for ISIS, saying the radical Islamist group was fulfilling "a religious obligation to establish a caliphate through armed struggle".

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

The Transfiguration

Director: Michael O’Shea

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

MATCH INFO

Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')

Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Milkman by Anna Burns

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Circe by Madeline Miller

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.