[madprof98]

I wonder what sort of organization this "Commonwealth Club" is.

[mainepatsfan]

He just has to hope Hillary gets elected. We know the Clinton's have no problem pardoning terrorists.

[steveo]

honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest,

To destroy life as we know it. :p

[Bahbah]

his son thought he had been rescued by U.S. soldiers until he was taken into custody and tortured.

Total BS.

[ikka]

Was it ever demonstrated that the boy was engaged in homosexual behavior with his "spiritual Islamic leaders" as well? Thought I saw a story about that...

[Wolfhound777]

After years of silence, the father of American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh said Thursday he has asked President Bush to grant his son clemency, adding that the then teenager never raised arms against the United States. "In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest," said Frank Lindh.

There is absolutely nothing decent or honorable about Lindh. Let him rot.

[muawiyah]

Why doesn't he wait until this is all over to make such requests?

[Mr. Lucky]

John Lindh should be turned over to the custody of his father...for burial.

[LibWhacker]

Pound sand, Frankie, you flake! If you really cared for your son, you would've raised him right.

[frankjr]

Hang 'em high!

[teenyelliott]

this is the story of a decent and honorable young m

Bullshi*t. Maybe that's what you stupid socialist hippies call it, but out here in fly over country we call it treason.

Your son is a traitor, sir. Personally, I think he should have been hung.

[phoenix0468]

"Lindh said he decided to break his silence because he hoped the story of his boy's journey from bucolic Marin County to harsh Afghanistan battlefields will help gain him a reprieve." Or show that he was actively involved in fighting U.S. troops. Either way he was sleeping with the enemy, and in my book that's trason. I thought treason was a capital crime during wartime. 20 years is light in my opinion.

[ralice]

Considering that this guy started off as a sixteen-year-old to the ME, not knowing the languages or culture, and managed to get close enough to OBL to shake his hand, when the CIA didn't have a single operative in the area, I say he should do community service work as their consultant....

[phoenix0468]

"...taken into custody and tortured."

Now his father is using that old islamofacist tactic of crying torture at every turn. Send his ass to jail too, he doesn't deserve to be an American.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"...adding that the then teenager never raised arms against the United States."

Then WFT was he doing on a battle field dressed as a Muslim? Hiding? Performing undercover work for the CIA? Feh.

[Doogle]

According to the federal government, Lindh fought terrorism by signing up with the Taliban, attending al Qaeda seminars on how to kill Americans, staying in guesthouses funded by Osama bin Laden, sharing campfire tales about suicide terrorists being dispatched against the United States (just before 9/11 and practicing his anti-terrorism skills with rocket-launchers, pistols and Molotov cocktails (a favorite tool of anti-terrorism forces everywhere). During the summer of 2001, Osama bin Laden personally thanked Lindh for everything he had done to "fight terrorism and oppression." However, when Lindh was invited to take the fight against terrorism to U.S. soil, he declined in favor of a Rambo-style battlefield experience.

...*sniff*

[MediaMole]

While it was never proven in court, Lindh may well have had a hand in the death of Mike Spann during the prison uprising at Qala-i-Jangi.

Lindh deserves no clemency. He was and is a traitor to this country.

[martin_fierro]

"In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest," said Frank Lindh

In reality, nothing like that happened.

Better shut up while you're ahead, Lindh. Your boy's lucky to be alive.

[El Gato]

I don't know, sounds kinda liberal from their history, but here's the Commonwealth Club Website, figure it out for yourself.

[bkepley]

Well I know I'll catch flak for this but I could see Bush pardoning him on leaving office. I don't know if there's any evidence that he fired on US troops. If there is, then Bush probably shouldn't. I think the kid was mostly rebelling against his father over leaving his family for a homosexual life.

[VOA]

Until now, his parents have mostly maintained a public silence about
the case, hoping to avoid a media barrage that could be detrimental
to their son.

Maybe more likely, Papa doesn't want any more scrutiny of his ditching
his wife and running off with his boyfriend. That was rumored to
be a factor in sending Taliban John on his strange odyssey.
IIRC, this surfaced when Taliban John was a news item.