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American Taliban Sentenced

 
 
bio k9
05:42 / 05.10.02
John Walker Lindh was sentenced to 20 years for aiding the Taliban and carrying an explosive during commission of a felony.

So, too much or not enough?

...and be sure to checkout the yahoo message boards at the bottom of the article... ~shivers~
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
09:58 / 05.10.02
I'm kind of wishing I hadn't checked out the message boards now...

I think it all comes down to Lindh's status- was he a criminal engaged in terrorist activity or was he an enemy combatant? I guess as a US citizen he was probably the former according to the letter of the law, but as a member of the Taliban's army, more likely the latter in reality. But then, all the guys who should have undoubtedly been classed as POWs were "unlawful combatants"...

I think bringing up the dead CIA guy is a bit much... apart from anything else, Lindh probably didn't do it, and the guy was hardly a civilian target...
 
 
Turk
20:27 / 05.10.02
Well you know how it is, you get mixed up in the wrong crowd, you're white, who wouldn't be sympathetic?
 
 
w1rebaby
09:41 / 06.10.02
I really don't get this case. Guy joins a foreign army to fight foreigners. There's no indication he knew anything about connections between the Taliban and al Qaeda, certainly not when joining, and there's certainly nothing about him having been a member or acted for them. The US attacks the army he's fighting for and he's captured. So that means he's committed terrorist crimes in the US?

I suppose not to charge him with terrorist offences would spoil the official "Taliban == al Qaeda" line of bullshit.

Still, from his point of view, if he'd been born anywhere else he'd probably be in a big pit somewhere by now.

I'm not going anywhere near the message boards, I know what they're like and I've just had my breakfast.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
12:45 / 06.10.02
Ideology aside, really all Lindh did was no worse than George Orwell going to Spain... fortunately for George, the UK didn't proceed to invade the place.
 
 
tango88
14:45 / 09.10.02
I would definitely let this 'sack of shit' go free and stick some of the yahoo posters inside for 20 years.

You can't choose where you're born. I can remember seeing bumper stickers when I was in the US that said "America - love it or leave it". Lindh didn't love it so he left it. Sounds fair to me.

Incidentally, I left America too but it still pisses me off.
 
  
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