John Walker Lindh Facts: Release Of 'American Taliban' Protested By Lawmakers

The California man who became infamous as the "American Taliban", after he was captured in 2001 while fighting for terrorist forces in Afghanistan, is due to be released from a federal prison on parole Thursday.

John Walker Lindh, 38, is currently behind bars in Terre Haute, Indiana, after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2002, for supporting al-Qaeda militants planning the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His probation, following reports of “good behavior” in prison, is set for three years and included a number of terms under his plea agreement.

For example, Lindh is required to undergo mental health counseling upon his release. He is barred from communicating with anyone online in any language other than English, and from leaving the United States without permission of the court. Also, his internet usage would be monitored by his probation officer, and he will not access content on terrorism or extremism, National Post reported.

Here are some facts about Lindh.

• He moved to San Anselmo, Marin County, with his family at age 10 and went to high school in Larkspur, Patch reported.
• Shortly before 9/11, he converted to Islam at the age of 19 and made his way to Afghanistan after journeying through Yemen and Pakistan. While training in Kandahar, he met with late al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at least once.

• In November 2001, the Taliban leader of Lindh's militant group surrendered to the Northern Alliance in the northern Afghanistan province of Mazār-i-Sharīf , leaving the members in a limbo. U.S. Marine turned CIA paramilitary operative, Johnny “Mike” Spann, was among the military forces who captured Lindh and questioned him in a compound that served as a prison in the area. As Lindh continued to refuse to answer any questions, his fellow detainees started a violent revolt in which Spann was shot and killed. Spann’s daughter, Allison, told Fox News in March that his family held the prisoner responsible for her father’s death. "In those moments, when he chose to stay silent, he sealed his fate as a traitor to the United States,” she said. “At any point, he could have warned him that something was being planned.”
• Initially, the charges against Lindh included one count of murder conspiracy due to the role he played in the prison rebellion, although he maintained that he had no prior knowledge of the revolt. After he pleaded guilty to disobeying an executive order outlawing support to the Taliban and for possessing a weapon in Afghanistan, nine of the ten counts in the indictment against him were dropped. As a result, Lindh avoided getting sentenced to life in prison.

Last week, senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) wrote a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, demanding an explanation as to why the “American Taliban” was getting an early release from prison, two-and-a-half years before the end of his sentence. They also expressed concern over the fact that Lindh was being freed despite not renouncing his radical Islamist beliefs.

“We must consider the security and safety implications for our citizens and communities who will receive individuals like John Walker Lindh, who continue to openly call for extremist violence,” the letter said.