An American who converted to Islam and fought for the Taliban before his 2001 capture in Afghanistan is slated to be released from prison this week — three years early.
Born and raised Catholic, John Walker Lindh became a Muslim as a teenager and first traveled to the Middle East in 1998. He even attended a lecture by Osama Bin Laden during a visit to Afghanistan. He joined the Taliban but was captured by Afghan forces on the battlefield in late 2001.
Lindh, who was nicknamed the "American Taliban," was charged with several felonies, including conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens. He struck a plea bargain with federal prosecutors on lesser charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
As The Washington Post reported, however, Lindh will be released from the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana on Thursday at the age of 38.
Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., sent a letter to Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Hugh Hurwitz last week to express their concern with releasing Lindh.
"We write to express concern over the anticipated release of convicted American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh and request information about what steps the U.S. government is taking to ensure public safety," the senators wrote. "As many as 108 other terrorist offenders are scheduled to complete their sentences and be released from U.S. federal prisons over the next few years.
"Little information has been made available to the public about who, when, and where these offenders will be released, whether they pose an ongoing public threat, and what your agencies are doing to mitigate this threat while the offenders are in federal custody."
The Post noted that the Federal Bureau of Prisons is facing a potential crisis because of the pending release of Lindh and other Americans who were convicted of joining Islamic militant groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). Programs aimed at reducing recidivism and preventing people from rejoining terror groups after their release are being considered.
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