John Walker Lindh

John Walker Lindh—known colloquially as the “American Taliban”—is a U.S. citizen and convicted former foreign fighter for al-Qaeda and the Taliban . He was captured in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in November 2001 and was transferred to the United States to stand trial on terrorism-related charges, including supplying services to the Taliban and carrying weapons while committing a crime. He was convicted in October 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution in Indiana. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, ; Felicia Sonmez, “Sen. Shelby says Trump opposes early release of John Walker Lindh,” Washington Post , April 1, 2019, .× He was released early for good behavior on May 23, 2019. Rachel Weiner, “‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh released from prison after 17 years,” Washington Post , May 23, 2019, .× According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh grew interested in Islam at age 12 after watching the movie “Malcolm X,” which depicted Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. In 1997, at the age of 16, he converted to Islam and began attending a mosque in Mill Valley, California. He adopted the names Suleyman al-Lindh and Suleyman al-Faris. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× Lindh reportedly became involved with the Sunni missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, which encourages followers to live as the Islamic prophet Muhammad did while rejecting organizational Islam. At the time of Lindh’s capture, experts on the group called it apolitical and did not believe it acted as a bridge to al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Associated Press, “JOHN WALKER LINDH: An American's journey to the Taliban front lines,” Kitsap Sun , December 21, 2001, .× However, authorities have since investigated the group’s links to a number of radicalized militants. Susan Sachs, “A Muslim Missionary Group Draws New Scrutiny in U.S.,” New York Times , July 14, 2003, .× Soon after converting to Islam, Lindh moved to Yemen to study Arabic and Islam. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× In October of 2000, he ventured to Pakistan where he enrolled in a madrassa, or an Islamic religious school. He then joined the Pakistani Harakat-ul Mujahedeen (HuM), a terrorist organization dedicated to wrenching Kashmir from Indian control and forming an Islamic state. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, ; Stanford University, “Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen,” accessed October 2016, .× According to interrogation reports, Lindh crossed the Afghan border in July or August of 2001 to join the Taliban. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× In addition to fighting for the Taliban, Lindh also reportedly trained with al-Qaeda. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh spent seven weeks at al-Qaeda’s al-Farouq training camp near Kandahar, Afghanistan , beginning on June 1, 2001. Three of those weeks were devoted to weapons familiarization, one week to studying maps/topography, one to battlefield training, and one to explosives. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× According to the FBI, Lindh met al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden , who thanked him for “taking part in the Jihad.” “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× Lindh was deployed to the Taliban front lines following al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. He was captured in Kunduz by the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in November of 2001, and was held prisoner in the Qala-e Janghi fortress outside Mazār-e Sharīf. After a prison uprising on November 25, Lindh was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel while Northern Alliance troops quelled the riot. On December 1, he was transferred to U.S. custody. “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, .× The following day, Lindh gave an interview to CNN in which how his “h