There was a gap between 9/11 and the invasion of Afganistan. I find it hard to believe he didn't know the US would invade. I am sure he had some idea of what was going on in the world.
So let's return to the original topic then, Lindh. What are people's opinions of him:
As an American does he have the freedom to join groups, whether they be good or bad, and thus joining the Taliban was just an expression of this right?
I'm not sure that the right of free association would cover joining a foreign military. Can an American go to Canada and join the Canadian military? I don't know. I know foreign nationals including many Mexican nationals are in the US military. Joining the Taliban would be like going to Burma and joining the Miramar army. If that's not illegal it should be.
Was he simply a naive young American dude who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time?
He was 19. Naive is a good description of 19.
Was he, as his dad argues, actually a prisoner of the Taliban who was freed by U.S. forces?
I think the facts are clear that he was a prisoner of an Afghan war lord. He then ended up in US custody. My guess is the war lord was a Taliban when the Taliban ruled and a NA when the NA ruled.
Did he join a bad group, the Taliban, and thus should be punished?
It's not that he joined the Taliban, that would be free association. But he joined the Taliban army, and that sounds like it should be a crime to me.
Was he with a group allied with terrorists and thus guilty by association?
Yes.
Other views?
His dad paints a picture of a kid on a spiritual quest. His goal was to memorize the Quran, and become a Muslim scholar. But that was not what he was doing from August - December, he was in the Taliban army.
The government was prepared to try him and call for capitol punishment on treason charges. The trial was set with a government friendly judge. The trial, near the Pentagon, was set to begin on the first anniversary of 9/11.
But the government had a problem. No case beyond he was captured in Afghanistan with a bullet wound and was Muslim. Even today that's enough for a jury of 12 Sabadabas would hang him.
A plea bargain was struck. He received 20 years. Prison seems like a good place to memorize the Quran and contemplate it's meaning. If he does that, and can show redemption, I see nothing wrong with an early parole.
I expressed my opinion in an earlier post. The Taliban ran a pretty fucked up Islamist style of government. Lindh became a Muslim, started traveling throughout Southwest and Southern Asia and got involved in radical Islamist politics which led him to Afghanistan. I'm not for hanging the guy or torturing him, but I'm not willing to give him a free pass either.
Agreed.
I'd rather talk about torture. While the president today says we do not torture. He also maintains he has the right to order torture of enemy combatants.
The facts are clear. Lndh was denied medical treatment and subjected to other inhuman treatment. His confession was obtained through torture. That scares me far more than Lind does.
Comments
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Spell check is no replacement for proof reading.
I'm not sure that the right of free association would cover joining a foreign military. Can an American go to Canada and join the Canadian military? I don't know. I know foreign nationals including many Mexican nationals are in the US military. Joining the Taliban would be like going to Burma and joining the Miramar army. If that's not illegal it should be.
He was 19. Naive is a good description of 19.
I think the facts are clear that he was a prisoner of an Afghan war lord. He then ended up in US custody. My guess is the war lord was a Taliban when the Taliban ruled and a NA when the NA ruled.
It's not that he joined the Taliban, that would be free association. But he joined the Taliban army, and that sounds like it should be a crime to me.
Yes.
His dad paints a picture of a kid on a spiritual quest. His goal was to memorize the Quran, and become a Muslim scholar. But that was not what he was doing from August - December, he was in the Taliban army.
The government was prepared to try him and call for capitol punishment on treason charges. The trial was set with a government friendly judge. The trial, near the Pentagon, was set to begin on the first anniversary of 9/11.
But the government had a problem. No case beyond he was captured in Afghanistan with a bullet wound and was Muslim. Even today that's enough for a jury of 12 Sabadabas would hang him.
A plea bargain was struck. He received 20 years. Prison seems like a good place to memorize the Quran and contemplate it's meaning. If he does that, and can show redemption, I see nothing wrong with an early parole.
Agreed.
I'd rather talk about torture. While the president today says we do not torture. He also maintains he has the right to order torture of enemy combatants.
The facts are clear. Lndh was denied medical treatment and subjected to other inhuman treatment. His confession was obtained through torture. That scares me far more than Lind does.
Dan