he California man who became known as the “American Taliban” after his battlefield capture in Afghanistan in 2001 was freed early from his federal sentence on Thursday.
The California man who became known as the “American Taliban” after his battlefield capture in Afghanistan in 2001 was freed early from his federal sentence on Thursday, despite official concerns that he retains a radical ideology and still poses a risk to U. S. interests.
John Walker Lindh, now 38, was released Thursday from the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, under a series of post-release restrictions recently imposed by a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. He served more than 17 years after pleading guilty to providing support to the Taliban. The plea deal called for a 20-year sentence, but Lindh got out early for good behavior.
His early release was opposed by the family of Mike Spann, who was killed during an uprising of Taliban prisoners shortly after interrogating Lindh in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it “unexplainable and unconscionable” in a Fox and Friends interview, and called for a review of the prison system’s early release policies.
Concerns that Lindh still harbors radical ideology prompted a judge to impose additional restrictions on Lindh’s post-release supervision. Lindh eventually acquiesced to the restrictions, which include monitoring software on his internet devices; requiring that his online communications be conducted in English and that he undergo mental health counseling; and forbidding him from possessing or viewing extremist material, holding a passport of any kind or leaving the U.
