October 6, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 28, 1423

WASHINGTON, Oct 5: American Taliban John Walker Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday by US District Judge T.S. Ellis for fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Lindh addressed the court in Alexandria, Va. emotionally for 15 minutes.

He said Osama bin laden and the Al Qaeda network “were against the teachings of Islam”, and explained how he had been led to believe that the Taliban were just an Islamic group fighting against the Russian-backed Northern Alliance. He said had he known what he knows now about the Taliban militia, he would never have joined it.

“I have become aware of the relationship between the leaders of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden’s organization,” Lindh said.

“Bin Laden’s terrorist attacks are completely against Islam, completely contrary to the conventions of jihad and without any justification whatsoever. I have never supported terrorism in any form and never would.”

He also denied any role in the death of CIA agent Johnny “Mike” Spann, who was killed in a prison uprising in Afghanistan last December, when captured Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters seized weapons from their Northern Alliance captors and attempted to break out from the Qala-i-Changi prison near Mazar-i-Sharif.

Addressing the court, Spann’s father, Johnny Spann said Lindh’s 20-year sentence was not enough.

“Forgiveness is not the same as punishment,” he said, adding that he believed that Lindh had been involved in the murder of his son. But both Ellis and Assistant US Attorney Randy Bellows said that there has never been any indication that Lindh was involved in Spann’s killing.

As part of the plea deal, Lindh dropped claims he had been tortured and mistreated by US military personnel in Afghanistan and aboard two military ships during December and January.

According to Paul McNulty, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, the deal allows the government to collect as much information as possible from Lindh. He will be required to cooperate with investigators, take repeated polygraph examinations, and appear as a witness in any trial at which he might be needed.

While it has been unclear in the ensuing months exactly what Lindh has told prosecutors and investigators about his involvement with Al Qaeda, he could be asked to testify at future trials as part of his cooperation.