The of father of John Walker Lindh “The American Taliban” wants his son to be given sympathy by way of a commutation of his sentence for committing acts of terror against the US on behalf of his hero, Usama bin Laden. Read this by Robert Young Pelton and tell me if Lindh should be given one ounce of sympathy.
After chronicling several times in which Lindh is given an opportunity to fess up and get the heck out of Afghanistan, the tell tale opportunity is when Lindh is face to face with CIA interrogator, Mike Spann, and knows of an impending attack by armed jihadis. Lindh, once again, sells out his country.
Spann and Tyson play a clumsy game of “good cop, bad cop”. But one thing is clear; they offer Lindh a way out. Lindh is alone with two of his fellow countrymen with full knowledge of the violence that is about to happen. He says nothing. If there was ever one moment that will define one man and damn another this was it. Lindh is put back into the lineup and Mike Spann will die in the next few minutes as Uzbeks rush up from the basement, yelling Allahhuakbar detonate hidden grenades. The fighting begins. Lindh has once again has been given a clear choice between right and wrong and once again. He makes that clear choice again.