Posted on 05/24/2002 2:10:13 AM PDT by Bad~Rodeo
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - As U.S. troops transferred him to a metal prison container at a primitive base in Afghanistan, captured Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh pleaded, "Please don't kill me," a defense motion says.
Lindh was told by a Marine to shut up, a response delivered with an expletive, according to the motion filed Thursday.
The defense motion was based on information provided to the government by military guards, and then turned over to the defense under a court order.
The defense team wants to subpoena the Marine guard who heard Lindh's comment, along with other U.S. military and civilian personnel who were in contact with him in Afghanistan and aboard Navy ships.
Their aim is to find testimony and photographs that would demonstrate, at a June 17 hearing, that Lindh did not kill Americans and that he was questioned while imprisoned under inhumane conditions.
The lawyers contend Lindh was bound in the container, sometimes naked in freezing weather, at the time he was questioned late last year. The government says Lindh waived his right to remain silent and have an attorney present.
A Marine identified as USMC No. 11 "was present at Camp Rhino (in Afghanistan) at a critical time," the motion said. "He observed Mr. Lindh's conditions of incarceration and can testify as to his state of mind just prior to interrogation."
For example, the motion said, USMC No. 11 "reports that during the transport to the metal container at Camp Rhino, Lindh kept saying, 'Please don't kill me.'"
Lindh was interrogated at the camp and made statements the government is likely to use at trial. Jury selection is scheduled for Aug. 26.
A government criminal complaint filed in January quoted Lindh as saying he learned in June 2001, while a Taliban military trainee, that alleged terror mastermind Osama bin Laden had sent people to the United States for suicide operations.
The complaint also said Lindh and four other trainees met for about five minutes with bin Laden, who thanked them for participating in his holy war.
Lindh, 21, who grew up in Marin County, Calif., is charged with conspiring to murder U.S. nationals; providing support and services to foreign terrorist organizations, including the bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network; and using firearms and destructive devices during crimes of violence.
Three of the 10 charges carry maximum life sentences. The other seven have prison terms of up to 90 years.
Oh, the inhumanity... he was told to shut up and it was delivered with an 'expletive.' That must have hurt.
If expletives could kill, we'd never have anyone survive boot camp. Imagine what Johny 'the victim' (according to his lawyers) would have undergone as a recruit in the US Armed forces. The mere sight of a sergeant would have turned him to jelly, but hanging out with a bunch of mass murderers is like Sesame Street, I suppose.
Good thing he was one of bin Laden's men in the care of US Marines, instead of being a US soldier in one of al Qeada's cave cells. He'd hear an Arabic command to "shut up," delivered with a lot of pain or a bullet.
That's for a court to decide, not me; but I would have been very tempted.
This guy would suffer a far worse fate if he weren't in the custody of the government.
It's time they brought back an old church doctrine that was used on Martin Luther: "Vogel frei" which is German for "bird free" and means anyone can kill him without the burden of guilt for his actions. They didn't get Martin Luther, but only because he had powerful enlightened protectors. I think we could get this guy.
Didn't happen.
More likely, if Jihad Johnny is sprung, he will be lionized by the media and become a star in the left-liberal galaxy. As Al Gore said, "Everything that's up is down, and everything that's down is up".
Leni
How true. I recall one article I read that claimed that Afghan Mujahadeen beheaded a Soviet soldier back in the 1980s and used his head for some kind of soccer game.
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.