American Taliban Fighter in U.S. Custody - Report

Reuters ^ | Sunday December 2 5:42 PM ET | Reuters

[mdittmar]

A 20-year-old American who fought with the Taliban and survived a bloody prison uprising near Mazar-i-Sharif last week has been taken into custody by U.S. special forces troops, Newsweek magazine said on its Web site on Sunday.

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which is running the military campaign on Afghanistan , confirmed that a man claiming to be an American was in the control of U.S. military forces.

``Military forces in Afghanistan do have in their control a man who calls himself a U.S. citizen,'' Marine Maj. Brad Lowell, a Central Command spokesman, said.

``He was among the al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners; he was held by the Northern Alliance in Mazar-i-Sharif. He is injured and is being given medical assistance by U.S. forces,'' he told Reuters.

The man, described by Newsweek as ``a white, educated-sounding, apparently middle-class American,'' who identified himself only as Abdul Hamid, was taken into custody on Saturday at a hospital where he had been taken for treatment of minor gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

The special forces soldiers who detained Hamid took him aside for treatment and later left with him, doctors told the magazine. A Northern Alliance military source said the U.S. soldiers had taken Hamid to Mazar-i-Sharif, Newsweek said, adding that U.S. forces refused to comment on his whereabouts.

Hamid told Newsweek earlier he was a Washington, D.C., native but indicated he grew up elsewhere in the United States. He said he converted to Islam at age 16 and later went to Pakistan to study the Koran, Newsweek said.

Hamid said he came into contact with Taliban teachings while studying in Pakistan and traveled to Afghanistan six months ago to help ``because the Taliban are the only government that actually provides Islamic law,'' the magazine reported.

He fought with the Taliban at the siege of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan and surrendered along with hundreds of other fighters after the two sides negotiated a deal.

Hamid later was transferred along with hundreds of other prisoners to Qala-i-Jhangi fortress west of Mazar-i-Sharif, where a revolt ensued a week ago. The uprising was violently put down by U.S. warplanes and Northern Alliance ground forces.

Several hundred prisoners were believed to have been killed. A CIA officer was among those killed in the uprising, the first reported American combat death in Afghanistan.

[Fred25]

Huh? I didn’t say that. You’re quoting the wrong person.

[LiberalBassTurds]

I know my apologies, see #199.

[Fred25]

Ok.

[Centurion2000]

Try him for treason and HANG the b#st#rd ... then put his body on display on the news as an example of what we're going to do with the rest of the traitors as we find them.

Of course maybe that will make Bill and Hillabeast flee the country.

I can dream ...

[Catspaw]

This guy has been over there longer than 6 months is my gut reaction.

He had a decidedly pronounced Pak accent--and someone there for six months wouldn't have been able to pick an accent that distinct in that time, even with immersion--unless English wasn't his first language at home.

[mathurine]

I suppose we could force him to marry Jane Fonda as one of his four wives, Madeline Albright at #2 wife; Hillary as the third and Barbara Boxer as # 4. Others could perhaps suggest other conjugal variations by which to punish this peculiar fellow.

[mdittmar]

Hopefully he will stick around and suck in the wisdom from FR.

[willyone]

Beaverton Oregon? Ever been to Vernonia? Hillsboro sure has grown. And the picture was great. Left out the Hildabeast though.

[a_witness]

You've got to remember this guy is a "White, middle class" Muslim. He's in for some fun.

1. Is it fun for you ?
2. It means your children and grandchildren are more likely to be raped, boys or girls, men or women, and they can thank you because you make it culturally acceptable.
3. No one should be raped. Ever. It is evil to glory in it.

[kinghorse]

Folks at the NoCal Mosque are said to be shocked that this "sweet boy" ended up fighting for the Taliban/Al Qaeda. "He just wanted to memorize the Quran and learn to speak Arabic. Northern California is the same region Al Zawari visited for his fund raising tour.

[JeepInMazar]

He pronounced a sound which does not occur in the English language flawlessly. But a lot of language learning can master new sound quickly so I'll give him that. But the accented English leads me to believe he did not go to grade school and junior high in America.

[StopGlobalWhining]

Actually, Natural Light,Bud gives me a headache.

Interesting, since Bud has always given me a headache. Same with my brother. Anyone else here experience headaches after drinking moderate amounts of Anhauser Busch products?

[mdittmar]

Anyone else here experience headaches after drinking moderate amounts of Anhauser Busch products?

Huh?

[clamper1797]

Don't forget Janet Reno ... I'm sure she would like to be one of his "virgins"

[clamper1797]

Hopefully he will stick around and suck in the wisdom from FR.

............ nay

[GussiedUp]

That was taken out of context. You ought to learn how to read things without projecting your own emotional biases on them. I believe I also noted that he was miguided and will rightly pay for what he's done

You've been smoozing about him all over this board and DID call him a "hero". You've also been getting your tail rightly ripped on this board. Well deserved, I might add.

[GussiedUp]

You sound like one of these liberals screaming "objectivity" and "one mans's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." How sick. Get a life, filthy man

Said to Wildconservative. I totally agree. It was worth repeating. Bump.

[Catspaw]

He pronounced a sound which does not occur in the English language flawlessly. But a lot of language learning can master new sound quickly so I'll give him that. But the accented English leads me to believe he did not go to grade school and junior high in America.

He may hold an American passport, or have been born in the US, but he sounded as though English was his second language, not his first.

BTW, there may be TWO Americans, not one--this guy, plus another one who has Arab heritage.

It's going to be a while before this is sorted out. But if this guy is claiming to be an American, he'd better be able to give the Special Forces the name of his mother and father, plus an intimate and detailed life history. Of course, once he does, I hope he's charged and convicted of a plethora of crimes against the United States.