Posted on 04/04/2007 1:24:59 PM PDT by SmithL
San Francisco (AP) -- The lawyer and parents of John Walker Lindh, the American-born Taliban soldier serving 20 years in prison after his capture in Afghanistan, called on President Bush on Wednesday to commute his sentence and set him free.
The renewed call to shorten the sentence was based on the relatively light term Australian David Hicks received Saturday after pleading guilty to supporting terrorism. Hicks, who had been imprisoned for five years at Guantanamo Bay and acknowledged aiding al-Qaida during the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, was given a nine month sentence.
"In the atmosphere of the time, the best John could get was a plea bargain and a 20-year sentence," said Lindh's father Frank Lindh. "We love our son very much, he was wrongly accused when he was found in Afghanistan."
John Walker Lindh, 26, a Marin County native, was captured in Afghanistan in November 2001 by American forces sent to topple the Taliban after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was charged with conspiring to kill Americans and support terrorists but pleaded guilty in 2002 to lesser offenses, including carrying weapons against U.S. forces.
Attorney James Brosnahan brokered the plea deal and said it was the best he could do amid the political climate immediately after Sept. 11.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Should have been hung.
Not only NO but He** NO!!!!!
The only way he gets out early is if he agrees to be executed.
Bush to Taliban Johnny, “NUTS!”
I do think he should stay but I cannot understand why Hicks got such a light sentence.
This kid is lucky he wasn’t shot. He should thank the feds for letting him off so easy.
Amazing that he didn’t wait until 2008 to make this request. He could have gotten a ticker tape parade with a Democrat in the White House.
Let him rot.
And I hope he’s somebody’s butt boy.
"In the atmosphere of the time, the best John could get was a plea bargain and a 20-year sentence," said Lindh's father Frank Lindh.
Hey Franco, just in case you forgot:
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
Screw him and his parents. He should have been tried and execute for treason.
Uh-huh. No.
In this one case, I really wish the President had the power to triple the length of prison terms.
L
I think Hicks got a light sentence in deference to our ally, Australia.
Also, I don’t recall all the details, but it seems to me that Lindh was implicated in that hospital prison escape in Afghanistan, in which a CIA officer was murdered.
In WWII he would have been shot. He should be grateful that he’s alive.
he was given nine months because he’s been in gitmo for 5 years and Australia says they are going to pick him up at Gitmo, take him back to Australia, and charge him with terrorism crimes which means he could end up spending many more years in an australian prison as well.
He should stay in jail until his parents admit what he did was wrong and accept responsibility for screwing up their kid.
In remembrance of Mike Spann, President Bush had better not reduce this traitors sentence.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.