Editing John Walker Lindh

{{Short description|American Taliban member (born 1981)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox criminal
| image_name        = John Walker Lindh.jpg
| image_size        = 150
| image_caption     = Lindh in January 2002
| name              = John Walker Lindh
| birth_name        = John Philip Walker Lindh
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1981|02|09}}
| birth_place       = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| conviction_penalty = 20 years imprisonment
| conviction_status = Released May 23, 2019<br>
Supervision ended May 23, 2022
| parents           = Marilyn Walker and Frank Lindh
| alias             = Sulayman al-Faris, Abu Sulayman al-Irlandi, Yahya
| conviction        = [[Title 50 of the United States Code|Supplying services to the Taliban (50 U.S.C. § 1705)]]<br>[[Criminal possession of a weapon|Carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony (18 U.S.C. § 844)]]
| occupation        = [[Taliban]] member (formerly)
| citizenship       = [[United States]]<br>[[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
}}

'''John Philip Walker Lindh''' (born February 9, 1981) is an American [[Taliban]] member who was captured by United States forces as an enemy combatant during the United States' [[invasion of Afghanistan]] in November 2001. He was detained at [[Qala-i-Jangi]] fortress, used as a prison. He denied participating in the [[Battle of Qala-i-Jangi]],<ref name=NPR2BReleased>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/725865999/john-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-set-to-be-released|title=John Walker Lindh, The 'American Taliban', Set To Be Released|website=NPR.org|date=May 23, 2019|language=en|access-date=May 23, 2019|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523053330/https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/725865999/john-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-set-to-be-released|url-status=live|last1=Myre|first1=Greg}}</ref> a violent uprising of the [[Taliban]] prisoners, stating that he was wounded in the leg and hid in the cellar of the Pink House, in the southern half of the fort. He was one of the 86 prisoners who survived the uprising, from an estimated 400 prisoners in total. [[CIA]] officer [[Johnny Micheal Spann|Johnny "Mike" Spann]] was killed during that uprising.<ref>Harnden, Toby, ''First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11''. Little, Brown, 2021. p. 193 {{ISBN?}}</ref> Brought to trial in United States federal court in February 2002, Lindh accepted a plea bargain; he pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released on [[parole]] on May 23, 2019, for a three-year period of supervised release.<ref name=ap>{{cite news |last=Barakat |first=Matthew |date=May 23, 2019 |title='American Taliban' Lindh freed after 17 years in prison |url=https://www.apnews.com/24e30be3a75949b7aa3b30946703140d |work=[[Associated Press News]] |access-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523063914/https://apnews.com/24e30be3a75949b7aa3b30946703140d |url-status=live }}</ref>

A [[Religious conversion#Islam|convert]] to [[Sunni Islam]] in California at age 16, Lindh traveled to Yemen in 1998 to study Arabic and stayed there for 10 months. He later returned in 2000, then went to Afghanistan to aid the Taliban in fighting against the Afghan [[Northern Alliance]]. He received training at Al-Farouq, a training camp associated with [[al-Qaeda]], designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other countries. While at the camp, he attended a lecture by [[Osama bin Laden]]. After the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]], he remained with the Taliban military forces despite learning that the U.S. had become allied with the Northern Alliance. Lindh had previously received training with [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]], an internationally [[List of designated terrorist organizations|designated terrorist organization]] based in Pakistan.<ref>[https://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uswlindh020502cmp.html Original Indictment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051640/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uswlindh020502cmp.html |date=December 22, 2017 }} ''John Walker Lindh Indictment''</ref><ref>[https://www.usdoj.gov/ag/statementoffacts.htm Statement of Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606141844/http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/statementoffacts.htm |date=June 6, 2009 }} U.S. Department of Justice</ref><ref>Lindh, Frank. "[https://www.alternet.org/story/31211/?page=2 Truth About John Lindh (speech)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419181216/http://www.alternet.org/story/31211/?page=2 |date=April 19, 2012 }}"</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mayer|first=Jane|title=The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals|publisher=Doubleday|year=2008|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/darksideinsidest00maye/page/73 73]|isbn=978-0-385-52639-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/darksideinsidest00maye/page/73}}</ref>

Lindh went by the name '''Sulayman al-Faris''' during his time in Afghanistan but prefers the name '''Abu Sulayman al-Irlandi''' today.<ref name="name">{{cite web|date=September 24, 2010|url=https://www.cageprisoners.com/learn-more/for-the-victims/item/608-the-ballad-of-the-fleas|title=Cageprisoners: The Ballad of the Fleas|publisher=pub|access-date=September 25, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002052321/http://www.cageprisoners.com/learn-more/for-the-victims/item/608-the-ballad-of-the-fleas|archive-date=October 2, 2010}}</ref> In early reports following his capture, when the press learned that he was a US citizen, he was usually referred to by the news media as just "John Walker".<ref name=time>{{cite magazine|last=Tyrangiel|first=Josh|title=The Taliban Next Door|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=December 8, 2001|url=https://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,187564,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011209224257/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,187564,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 9, 2001|access-date=August 1, 2009}}</ref>

==Youth, conversion, and travels==
Lindh was born in [[Washington, D.C.]], to Marilyn Walker and Frank R. Lindh, as the middle of three children in the family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peterbcollins.com/2013/06/26/the-real-story-of-john-philip-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-as-told-by-his-father-frank-lindh/|title=The Real Story of John Philip Walker Lindh – 'The American Taliban' – as Told by His Father, Frank Lindh|publisher=The Peter Collins Show|date=June 26, 2013|access-date=December 10, 2017|archive-date=December 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210123716/https://www.peterbcollins.com/2013/06/26/the-real-story-of-john-philip-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-as-told-by-his-father-frank-lindh/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was named "John" after [[John Lennon]], who was [[Murder of John Lennon|murdered]] two months before Lindh's birth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/la-120401walker-story.html|title=American Taliban Took Odd Route|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 4, 2001|last1=Alonso-Zalvidar|first1=Ricardo|last2=Glionna|first2=John M.|access-date=December 10, 2017|archive-date=December 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210123658/http://www.latimes.com/la-120401walker-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was [[Baptism|baptized]] a [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]],<ref name="Guardian200110711">{{cite news|title=America's 'Detainee 001'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/10/john-walker-lindh-american-taliban-father|work=[[The Guardian]]|author=Frank Lindh|date=July 10, 2011|access-date=July 11, 2011|archive-date=May 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524115719/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/10/john-walker-lindh-american-taliban-father|url-status=live}}</ref> and grew up in [[Silver Spring, Maryland]]. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to [[San Anselmo, California]].<ref name=time /> Lindh suffered from an [[intestinal]] disorder as a child. At age 14, his health improved. He enrolled at [[Redwood High School (Larkspur, California)|Redwood High School]] as a freshman. He then transferred to Tamiscal High School in the [[Tamalpais Union High School District]], an alternative school offering self-directed, individualized study programs. While there, he studied world culture, including [[Sunni Islam]] and the Middle East.<ref name=time />

Lindh dropped out of the school and eventually earned an equivalent of a high school diploma by passing the [[California High School Proficiency Exam]] at age 16. As an adolescent, Lindh participated in [[IRC]] chatrooms with the IRC nickname Mujahid. He became a devoted fan of [[hip-hop music]] and engaged in extensive discussions on [[Usenet]] [[Usenet newsgroup|newsgroups]], sometimes pretending to be an African-American rapper who would criticize others for "acting black".<ref>{{cite news|last=Best|first=James|title=Black Like Me: John Walker Lindh's hip-hop daze|url=https://www.eastbayexpress.com/eastbay/black-like-me/Content?oid=1071455|access-date=October 26, 2010|newspaper=East Bay Express|date=September 3, 2003|archive-date=December 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217073332/http://www.eastbayexpress.com/eastbay/black-like-me/Content?oid=1071455|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://groups.google.com/group/alt.true-crime/browse_thread/thread/6bb367aafac35bdb?q=doodoo%40hooked.net John Lindh Usenet Postings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108134002/http://groups.google.com/group/alt.true-crime/browse_thread/thread/6bb367aafac35bdb?q=doodoo@hooked.net |date=November 8, 2012 }} ''John Lindh''</ref> [[Spike Lee]]'s film ''[[Malcolm X (1992 film)|Malcolm X]]'' impressed him deeply and sparked his interest in Islam.<ref name="Guardian200110711"/>

Although his parents did not divorce until 1999, their marriage was in serious trouble throughout Lindh's adolescence. His father often left their Marin residence for extended periods to live in San Francisco with a male lover.<ref name="YaleJournal">{{cite journal|last=Backer|first=Larry|year=2005|title=Emasuclated Men, Effeminate Law in the United States, Zimbabwe and Malaysia |journal=Yale Journal of Law and Feminism |publisher=Yale|volume=17|issue=1|pages=8–9|ssrn=618863}}</ref><ref name="AEI">{{cite news|date=March 1, 2002|title=Liberal Parents, Lost Children|publisher=American Enterprise Institute|page=7|url= |access-date=}}</ref> Frank Lindh said he and Marilyn had been separated since 1997.<ref name="GQ">{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200903/john-walker-lindh-afghanistan-captured-taliban|title=Can John Walker Lindh Go Home Now?|last=Rico|first=John|date=April 2009|website=GQ Magazine|page=2|access-date=November 15, 2009|archive-date=June 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614070341/http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200903/john-walker-lindh-afghanistan-captured-taliban|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in 1997, at the age of 16, Lindh [[Religious conversion|converted]] to Islam. He began regularly attending mosques in [[Mill Valley, California|Mill Valley]] and later in nearby San Francisco.<ref name="Time20011209">{{cite magazine|title=The Taliban Next Door|url=https://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,187564,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011209224257/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,187564,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 9, 2001|magazine=Time|author=Josh Tyrangiel|date=December 9, 2001|access-date=May 26, 2008|author-link=Josh Tyrangiel}}</ref>

In 1998, Lindh traveled to Yemen and stayed for about 10 months to learn Arabic so that he could read the [[Qur'an]] in its original language. He returned to the United States in 1999, living with his family for about eight months. Lindh returned to Yemen in February 2000 and left for Pakistan to study at a ''[[madrasa]]''. While abroad, Lindh exchanged numerous emails with his family. In one, his father told him about the [[USS Cole bombing|USS ''Cole'' bombing]], to which Lindh replied that the American naval destroyers being in the Yemen harbor had been an act of war, and that the bombing was justified. His father told ''[[Newsweek]]'': "This raised my concerns, but my days of molding him were over."<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2001/12/16/a-long-strange-trip-to-the-taliban.html |first=Evan |last=Thomas |author-link=Evan Thomas |title=A Long, Strange Trip to the Taliban |journal=[[Newsweek]] |date=December 16, 2001 |access-date=May 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507012524/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2001/12/16/a-long-strange-trip-to-the-taliban.html |archive-date=May 7, 2012}}</ref>

At the age of 20, Lindh decided to travel to Afghanistan to fight for the Afghan [[Taliban]] government forces against [[Northern Alliance]] fighters.<ref name="now">{{cite web|url=https://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/31/exclusive_john_walker_lindhs_parents_discuss|title=John Walker Lindh's Parents Discuss Their Son's Story|date=July 31, 2009|work=[[Democracy Now!]]|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=May 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517065441/https://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/31/exclusive_john_walker_lindhs_parents_discuss|url-status=live}}</ref> His parents said that he was moved by stories of atrocities allegedly perpetrated by the Northern Alliance army against civilians. He traveled to Afghanistan in May 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0706JLINDH_106|title=Innocent|first=Tom|last=Junod|date=July 1, 2006|work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|access-date=January 30, 2010|author-link=Tom Junod|archive-date=July 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710004943/http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0706JLINDH_106|url-status=live}}</ref> Tony West, his lawyer, explained it as follows: "One of the first things he told Army interrogators when they questioned him on December 3, 2001, was that after [[9/11]] happened, he wanted to leave the front lines but could not for fear of his life. John never wanted to be in a position where he was opposing the United States (and never thought he would be), and in fact he never opposed any American military."<ref>{{cite news|first=Tony|last=West|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/02/politics/west071802.htm|title=John Walker Lindh's plea with Tony West, Defense Attorney and Co-counsel|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 18, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305031238/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/02/politics/west071802.htm |archive-date=March 5, 2016 }}</ref>

==Capture and interrogation==
Lindh surrendered on November 24, 2001, to [[Northern Alliance|Afghan Northern Alliance]] forces after his Al Qaeda foreign fighters unit surrendered at [[Kunduz]] after retreating from Takar.<ref name="Guardian200110711"/> He and other fighters were to be questioned by the [[CIA]] officers [[Johnny Micheal Spann|Johnny "Mike" Spann]] and David Tyson at [[General Dostum]]'s military garrison, [[Qala-i-Jangi]], near [[Mazār-e Sharīf]]. During the initial questioning, Lindh was not advised of his rights and his request for a lawyer was denied.<ref name=glovesoff>{{cite news |last1=Buncombe |first1=Andrew |last2=Penketh |first2=Anne |date=June 10, 2004 |title=Rumsfeld 'told officers to take gloves off with Lindh' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rumsfeld-told-officers-to-take-gloves-off-with-lindh-6167975.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=August 27, 2014 |archive-date=September 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925183132/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rumsfeld-told-officers-to-take-gloves-off-with-lindh-6167975.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Lindh, who had a grandmother from [[County Donegal]], had told other prisoners he was Irish.<ref>Harnden, "First Casualty," p. 276</ref> While being interviewed by the CIA, he did not speak or reveal that he was American.<ref name="Guardian200110711"/><ref name="now"/><ref name="Truth About John Lindh"/> Spann asked Lindh, "Are you a member of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]]?" He was asked this question because, when questioned by Spann, an Iraqi in the group identified Lindh as an English speaker. Lindh had been told to say he was "Irish" to avoid problems.<ref name="Truth About John Lindh">{{cite web|url=https://www.honormikespann.org/pdfs/pelton_feb2006.pdf|title=The Truth about John Walker Lindh|first1=Robert Young|last1=Pelton|author-link1=Robert Young Pelton|website=Honor Mike Spann|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060325105219/http://www.honormikespann.org/pdfs/pelton_feb2006.pdf|archive-date=March 25, 2006}}</ref> Moments later, around 11&nbsp;am, the makeshift prison was the scene of a violent uprising, which became known as the [[Battle of Qala-i-Jangi]]. Spann and hundreds of foreign fighters were killed; only 86 prisoners survived. According to other detainees interviewed by journalist [[Robert Young Pelton]] for [[CNN]], Lindh was fully aware of the planned uprising, yet remained silent and did not cooperate with the Americans.<ref name="Truth About John Lindh"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uswlindh020502cmp.html |title=FindLaw – United States of America v. John Philip Walker Lindh – Grand Jury Indictment |work=findlaw.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051640/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uswlindh020502cmp.html |archive-date=December 22, 2017}}</ref>

Sometime during the initial uprising, Lindh was shot or hit by [[Shrapnel shell|shrapnel]] in the right upper thigh and found refuge in a basement, hiding with the rest of the detainees. On the second day, the [[Red Cross]] sent in workers to collect the dead. As soon as they entered, the workers were shot by the prisoners, who killed one.<ref name=LATimesRedCross>{{cite web|title=3 Relief Workers Shot in Riot Aftermath|url=https://www.latimes.com/la-113001prison,0,547998,full.story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225084538/http://www.latimes.com/la-113001prison,0,547998,full.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 25, 2013|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=December 6, 2012}}</ref> The Northern Alliance repeatedly bombarded the area with [[rocket-propelled grenade|RPGs]] and grenade attacks, and burning fuel poured in.<ref name="Guardian200110711"/> Finally, on December 2, 2001, Northern Alliance forces diverted an [[irrigation]] stream into the middle of the camp to flush the remaining prisoners out of their underground shelters, drowning many in the process.<ref name="Taliban Uprising">[https://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/critical-situation/2951/Overview Taliban Uprising] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223225747/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/critical-situation/2951/Overview |date=December 23, 2008 }} ''National Geographic Documentary''</ref> Lindh and about 85 survivors from the original 300–500 were forced out of hiding. Northern Alliance soldiers bound Lindh's elbows behind his back.

Shortly after his recapture, Lindh was noticed and interviewed by [[Robert Young Pelton|Robert Pelton]], who was working as a [[stringer (journalism)|stringer]] for [[Cable News Network|CNN]]. Lindh initially gave his name as "Abd-al-Hamid" but later gave his birth name. Pelton brought a medic and food for Lindh and interviewed him about how he got there. During the interview, Lindh said that he was a member of al-Ansar, a group of Arabic-speaking fighters financed by [[Osama bin Laden]]. Lindh said that the prison uprising was sparked by some of the prisoners smuggling grenades into the basement: "This is against what we had agreed upon with the Northern Alliance, and this is against Islam. It is a major sin to break a contract, especially in military situations".<ref>{{cite web|first=Dean|last=Lucas|title=Famous Pictures Magazine – American Taliban|url=https://www.famouspictures.org/american-taliban/|access-date=June 26, 2012|archive-date=June 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607080513/http://www.famouspictures.org/american-taliban/|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]] operator, fresh from three weeks of combat, gave up his bed so that the wounded Lindh could sleep there.<ref name="Truth About John Lindh"/><ref name="CNN Interview">{{cite news|date=December 20, 2001|title=Walker: Prison uprising was 'a mistake'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html|website=[[CNN]]|access-date=January 20, 2019|archive-date=March 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315043328/http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="news.findlaw.com">{{Cite web |url=https://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/terrorism/us032902opp2licmot.pdf |title=Government's Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Compel Discovery of Documents Filed in Camera |website=Findlaw News Document Archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825065229/http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/terrorism/us032902opp2licmot.pdf |archive-date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="AR15Inv"/> Pelton repeatedly asked Lindh if he wanted to call his parents or have the journalist do so but Lindh declined. Although Lindh was not tested for explosives or firearms residue before he was washed, an FBI source later told author [[Toby Harnden]] that dark stains on the right side of Lindh's face indicated he had fired a weapon at Qala-i Jangi.<ref>Harnden, "First Casualty", p. 279</ref>

[[File:John Walker Lindh Custody.jpg|thumb|upright|Lindh photographed after being transported to [[Camp Rhino]]]]

After capture, Lindh was given basic first aid and questioned for a week at Mazār-e Sharīf. He was taken to [[Camp Rhino]] on December 7, 2001, the bullet or piece of shrapnel still within his thigh.<ref name="JapanToday">{{cite web|date=August 1, 2007|url=https://www.japantoday.com/news/jp/e/tools/print.asp?content=news&id=208973|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015173102/http://www.japantoday.com/news/jp/e/tools/print.asp?content=news&id=208973|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 15, 2007|title=U.S. denies torturing American Taliban|website=Japan Today|access-date=August 1, 2007}}</ref><ref name="IOL">{{cite web|year=2000|url=https://www.iol.co.za/general/newsview.php?art_id=qw1024422481280B232&click_id=3&set_id=1|title=Lindh's rights were violated, lawyers say| publisher=IOL|access-date=August 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123193039/http://www.iol.co.za/general/newsview.php?art_id=qw1024422481280B232&click_id=3&set_id=1 |archive-date=January 23, 2008 }}</ref> When Lindh arrived at Camp Rhino, he was stripped and restrained on a stretcher, blindfolded and placed in a metal shipping container, which was procedure for dealing with a potentially dangerous detainee associated with a terrorist organization.<ref name=AR15Inv>{{cite web|title=Report of Proceedings by Investigating Officer, AR 15-6|url=https://www.aclu.org/files/projects/foiasearch/pdf/DOD015552.pdf|publisher=DOD|access-date=December 13, 2011|archive-date=March 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322213051/http://www.aclu.org/files/projects/foiasearch/pdf/DOD015552.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> On the day he left the Turkish School{{where|date=April 2025}}, he was photographed with the words "Shit Head" written onto duct tape on his blindfold<ref>Harnden, "First Casualty," p. 294</ref> by [[United States Army Special Forces|Green Beret]]s posing for a "team photo" with their captive. The Green Berets, from {{abbr|ODA|Operational Detachment Alpha}} 592, were later investigated. While bound to the stretcher at Camp Rhino, Lindh was photographed by some American military personnel.<ref name="Lawsuit2">{{cite web|date=June 13, 2002|url=https://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uslindh61302dstat.pdf|title=United States of America vs John Phillip Walker Lindh – Criminal No. 02-37-A|publisher=United States District Court |access-date=August 1, 2007|last=Tony West Attorneys for defendant John Walker Lindh|quote=By the time Mr.Lindh arrived at [[Camp Rhino]], it was night and the temperature was cold. Immediately upon arrival, soldiers cut off all of Mr. Lindh's clothing (medical personnel from an STP- Shock Trauma Platoon to access medical needs).  He allegedly developed frostbite, while fighting in the Northern Province. Completely naked, wearing nothing but his blindfold and shaking violently from the cold nighttime air, Mr. Lindh was then bound to a stretcher with heavy duct tape wrapped tightly around his chest, upper arms, ankles and the stretcher itself. Medical personnel provided a wool blanket from its hospital supplies. Next, he was placed in a windowless metal shipping container about 15 feet long, 7 feet wide and 8 feet high. Triaging combatants (in a metal con-ex container, particularly in the cold harsh conditions, was commonly done to ensure no explosives or other weapons were missed initially. file Pictures were taken of ALL enemy combatants by medical personnel to document identifying marks as well as wounds.   These photos would be sent on to the next medical resource or in the combatants file.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211121604/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uslindh61302dstat.pdf |archive-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> At Camp Rhino, he was given [[oxycodone/paracetamol]] for pain and [[diazepam]].<ref name="news.findlaw.com"/>

On December 8 and 9, he was interviewed by the [[FBI]],<ref name="IOL"/> and was [[Miranda warning|mirandized]] on December 9 or 10.<ref name=criminalcomplaint>{{cite web |url=https://www.justice.gov/ag/criminalcomplaint1.htm |title=United States of America v. John Philip Walker Lindh |last1=Asbury |first1=Anne |date=January 15, 2002 |website=justice.gov |access-date=August 27, 2014 |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114085102/http://www.justice.gov/ag/criminalcomplaint1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He was held at Camp Rhino until he was transferred to the {{USS|Peleliu|LHA-5|6}} on December 14, 2001, with other wounded detainees, where his wound was operated on and he received further care.<ref name="Lawsuit">{{cite web|date=April 2, 2002|url=https://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/terrorism/us032902opp2licmot.pdf|title=United States of America vs John Phillip Walker Lindh – Criminal No. 02-37-A |publisher=United States District Court |access-date=August 1, 2007|first=Paul J. (United States Attorney) |last=McNulty |quote=On December 14, 2001, Lindh was flown from [[Camp Rhino]] to the USS ''Peleliu'' where he received the following treatment: 12 days after his US capture in [[Afghanistan]], he was operated on by the ''Peleliu's'' senior surgeon to remove the bullet lodged in his leg; he received daily medical treatment for the bullet wound as well as mild frostbite on his toes; he received various forms of medication including Motrin and Keflex (an [[antibiotic]]); … ; he and his fellow detainees were advised five times per day as to the time for prayer and the brig supervisor called up to the deck to ascertain the location of [[Mecca]] so that he could advise the detainees in which direction to pray; he and his fellow detainees were provided Korans to facilitate their prayers. He was permitted to shower twice a week and to wash his feet every day; he was given meals and unlimited water, was permitted to talk with his fellow detainees; and he was repeatedly queried by ''Peleliu'' personnel whether there was anything else he needed. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211121604/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/lindh/uslindh61302dstat.pdf |archive-date=February 11, 2017}}</ref> He was interrogated before the operation on December 14. While on the ''Peleliu'', he signed confession documents while in the custody of the [[United States Marine Corps]]. On December 31, 2001, Lindh was transferred to the [[USS Bataan (LHD-5)|USS ''Bataan'']], where he was held until January 22, 2002. He was flown back to the United States to face criminal charges. On January 16, 2002, Attorney General [[John Ashcroft]] announced that Lindh would be tried in the United States.

In 2002, former President [[George H. W. Bush]] referred to Lindh as "some misguided [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] hot-tubber". The comment, in which Bush also mispronounced the county's name, provoked a minor furor and prompted a retraction of the statement by Bush.<ref>{{cite news|first=Duncan |last=Campbell|url=https://www.theguardian.com/bush/story/0,7369,756219,00.html|title=From hot tub to hot water|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 16, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807164657/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jul/16/worlddispatch.usa|url-status=live}}</ref> Lindh's attorneys told the press that his client had asked for a lawyer repeatedly before being interviewed by the FBI, but did not get one, and that "highly [[coercion|coercive]]" prison conditions forced Lindh to waive his [[Miranda warning|right to remain silent]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Franken|url=https://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/14/walker.lindh.case/index.html|title=Defense wants Walker Lindh interview withheld|website=[[CNN]]|date=June 14, 2002|accessdate=June 10, 2023}}</ref> Although the FBI asked [[Jesselyn Radack]], a [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] ethics adviser, whether Lindh could be questioned without a lawyer present, they did not follow her advice to avoid that scenario.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Scott |last=Horton |title=Justice's Vendetta Against a Whistleblower: Six Questions for Jesselyn Radack |url=https://harpers.org/archive/2010/02/hbc-90006592 |magazine=[[Harper's Magazine|Harper's]] |date=February 23, 2010 |access-date=January 29, 2012 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925033447/http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/02/hbc-90006592 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Trial and sentencing==
On February 5, 2002, Lindh was indicted by a federal [[grand jury]] on ten charges:<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0202/05/ip.00.html|title=Transcript of John Ashcroft – February 5, 2002|publisher=CNN|date=February 5, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=October 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005133409/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0202/05/ip.00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Conspiracy (crime)|Conspiracy]] to murder U.S. citizens or nationals
* Two counts of [[providing material support and resources to terrorist organizations]]
* One count of supplying services to the Taliban
* Conspiracy to contribute services to Al Qaeda
* Contributing services to Al Qaeda
* Conspiracy to supply services to the Taliban
* Using and carrying firearms and destructive devices during crimes of violence

If convicted of these charges, Lindh could have received up to three life sentences and 90 additional years in prison. On February 13, 2002, he pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges.<ref name="CNN"/>

The court scheduled an evidence suppression hearing, at which Lindh would have been able to testify about the details of the torture to which he claimed he was subjected. The government faced the problem that a key piece of evidence – Lindh's confession – might be excluded from evidence as having been coerced. [[Michael Chertoff]], then-head of the Criminal Division of the [[U.S. Department of Justice]], then directed the prosecutors to offer Lindh a [[plea bargain]].{{cn|date=December 2020}} Lindh could plead guilty to two charges: supplying services to the Taliban ({{uscsub|50|1705|b}}, {{uscsub|18|2}}, 31 CFR 545.204, and 31 CFR 545.206) and carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony ({{uscsub|18|844|h|2}}). He would have to consent to a [[gag order]] that would prevent him from making any public statements on the matter for the duration of his 20-year sentence, and he would have to drop any claims that he had been mistreated or tortured by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan and aboard two military ships during December 2001 and January 2002. In return, all other charges would be dropped. The gag order was said to be at the request of Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]].<ref name="Guardian200110711"/>

Lindh accepted this offer. On July 15, 2002, he entered his plea of guilty to the two remaining charges. The judge asked Lindh to say, in his own words, what he was admitting to: "I plead guilty. I provided my services as a soldier to the Taliban last year from about August to December. In the course of doing so, I carried a rifle and two grenades. I did so knowingly and willingly knowing that it was illegal." Lindh said that he "went to Afghanistan with the intention of fighting against terrorism and oppression", fighting for the suffering of ordinary people at the hands of the Northern Alliance.<ref name="Guardian200110711"/> On October 4, 2002, Judge [[T.S. Ellis III]] imposed a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/LAW/10/04/lindh.statement/ |title=Walker Lindh sentenced to 20 years |publisher=CNN |date=October 4, 2002 |access-date=August 26, 2017 |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827043946/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/LAW/10/04/lindh.statement/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some activists and academics called for Lindh to tell his story.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Shane|last1=Ralston|title=Give John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban," a Chance to Tell His Story|url=https://truthout.org/articles/give-john-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-a-chance-to-tell-his-story/|website=[[Truthout]]|date=January 5, 2017|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224023726/https://truthout.org/articles/give-john-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-a-chance-to-tell-his-story/|url-status=live}}</ref> The government invoked the [[Son of Sam law]] and informed Lindh that any and all profits made from book deals or any movies about Lindh's experience would be automatically transferred to the federal government. Lindh, his family, his relatives, his associates and his friends will be unable to profit financially from his crimes and/or experiences. Lindh's attorney, James Brosnahan, said Lindh would be eligible for release in 17 years, with good behavior. Lindh agreed to cooperate "fully, truthfully and completely" with both [[military intelligence]] and [[law enforcement agency|law enforcement agencies]] in the terrorism investigation.<ref name="Guilty">{{cite news|url=https://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/07/15/walker.lindh.hearing/index.html|title='I plead guilty', Taliban American says|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=July 17, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2010|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316065755/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/07/15/walker.lindh.hearing/index.html|archive-date=March 16, 2007}}</ref>

==Imprisonment==
In January 2003, Lindh was sent to the [[United States Penitentiary, Victorville|U.S. Penitentiary, Victorville]], a high-security facility northeast of Los Angeles.<ref name="SentToCA">{{cite news|title=Lindh Gets Sent From Va. to Calif. Prison|url=https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/Lindh-Gets-Sent-From-Va-to-Calif-Prison-7325492.php|work=Huron Daily Tribune|date=January 29, 2003|access-date=September 15, 2017|archive-date=September 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915114145/http://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/Lindh-Gets-Sent-From-Va-to-Calif-Prison-7325492.php|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 3, 2003, Lindh was tackled by inmate Richard Dale Morrison. He assaulted Lindh at prayer, causing bruises on his forehead. On July 2, 2003, Morrison was charged with a [[misdemeanor]] count of assault.<ref name="Richard_Dale_Morrison">{{cite news|last1=Rosenzweig|first1=David|last2=Johnson|first2=John|title=Fellow Prisoner Is Charged With Assault on Lindh|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-04-me-lindh4-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 4, 2003|access-date=September 15, 2017|archive-date=October 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024174711/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jul/04/local/me-lindh4|url-status=live}}</ref> Lindh was held in Federal [[Supermax]] [[ADX Florence]] in [[Florence, Colorado|Florence]], Colorado for a short time. He served his sentence as prisoner 45426-083,<ref>{{cite web|title=BOP Inmate Locator|url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|access-date=September 28, 2017|archive-date=January 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129150019/https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|url-status=live}}</ref> at the [[Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute|Federal Correctional Institution at Terre Haute]], Indiana in the [[Communication Management Unit]].<ref name="aplindhramadanplea" /><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=45426-083&x=25&y=20|title=Federal Bureau of Prisons|website=BOP.gov|access-date=March 22, 2010|archive-date=January 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122083024/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=45426-083&x=25&y=20|url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 2007, citing the reduced sentence for the Australian prisoner [[David Matthew Hicks]], Lindh's attorneys made a public plea for a Presidential [[clemency|commutation]] to lessen his 20-year sentence. In January 2009, the Lindh family's petition for clemency was denied by President [[George W. Bush]] in one of his final acts in office. According to the [[U.S. Department of Justice]], all "[[special administrative measure]]s" in place against Lindh expired on March 20, 2009, as part of a gradual easing of restrictions on him.<ref>{{cite news|first=Carrie|last=Johnson|title=Prison Officials Are Loosening Restrictions on Taliban Supporter|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 18, 2009|page=6}}</ref><ref name="FP"/>

In 2010, Lindh and the Syrian-American prisoner [[Enaam Arnaout]] sued to lift restrictions on group prayer by Muslim inmates in the Communication Management Unit.<ref name="aplindhramadanplea">{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/09/01/john_walker_lindh_prison_prayer|title=John Walker Lindh seeks Ind. prison prayer ruling|access-date=October 23, 2010|last=Wilson|first=Charles|date=September 1, 2010|agency=[[Associated Press]]|website=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902033055/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/09/01/john_walker_lindh_prison_prayer|archive-date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> On January 11, 2013, a federal judge ruled in their favor, saying that the government had shown no compelling interest in restricting the religious speech of the inmates by prohibiting them from praying together.<ref name="FP"/><ref name="apgroupprayerdecision">{{cite news|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-born-taliban-fighter-wins-prison-prayer-lawsuit |title=US-born Taliban fighter wins prison prayer lawsuit |date=January 11, 2013 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=January 13, 2013 |last=Wilson |first=Charles |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114070723/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-born-taliban-fighter-wins-prison-prayer-lawsuit |archive-date=January 14, 2013 }}</ref>

In 2013, Lindh secured Irish citizenship through his paternal grandmother, Kathleen Maguire, who was born in [[Donegal (town)|Donegal]].<ref name="FP" />

In February 2015, Lindh wrote to a California television producer,<ref>Harnden, "First Casualty," p. 324</ref> expressing support for ISIS or the Islamic State, the militant group that had recently beheaded five Westerners in televised executions. Asked if he supported the Islamic State, Lindh, now calling himself "Yahya", Arabic for John, replied in a handwritten letter: "Yes, and they are doing a spectacular job. The Islamic State is clearly very sincere and serious about fulfilling the long-neglected religious obligation of establishing a caliphate through armed struggle, which is the only correct method".<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Mary |last2=Perelman |first2=Marina |last3=Nolan • • |first3=Conan |title=Prison Letters From 'American Taliban' Underscore Concerns Over His Supervised Release |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-prison-letters-isis-terrorism/135707/ |access-date=May 11, 2022 |website=NBC Los Angeles |date=May 22, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2017, ''[[Foreign Policy magazine]]'' reported an internal report by the [[National Counterterrorism Center]] asserted Lindh told a visiting television news producer that he had not renounced extremist violence.<ref name="FP">{{cite news |website=[[Foreign Policy]] |title=John Walker Lindh, Detainee No. 001 in the Global War on Terror, Will Go Free in Two Years. What Then? |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/23/john-walker-lindh-detainee-001-in-the-global-war-on-terror-will-go-free-in-two-years-what-then/ |date=June 23, 2017 |first1=Dan |last1=de Luce |first2=Robbie |last2=Gramer |first3=Jana |last3=Winter |access-date=June 23, 2017 |archive-date=June 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623160056/https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/23/john-walker-lindh-detainee-001-in-the-global-war-on-terror-will-go-free-in-two-years-what-then/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Lindh was interviewed for the 2016 book ''The Way of the Strangers: Encounters With the Islamic State'' by Graeme Wood, on the condition that Wood provide Lindh with "books, treatises, articles, or other writings produced by leaders of the Islamic State and/or scholars affiliated with it (preferably in the original Arabic)". Upon sending the package of literature was blocked from delivery by the prison as it was deemed contraband, however Lindh decided to continue corresponding with Wood, although Lindh later ended the correspondence by saying he was personally a "layman" whose opinions had "no consequence", referring to his knowledge of the Islamic State.<ref name="Wood">{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/my-letters-john-walker-lindh-american-jidahist/590071/ |publisher=The Atlantic |title=I Wrote to John Walker Lindh. He Wrote Back ... The American jihadist thanked me for my interest in the Islamic State. |date=May 23, 2019 |author=Graeme Wood |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902205102/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/my-letters-john-walker-lindh-american-jidahist/590071/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Release==
On May 23, 2019, Lindh was released early for good behavior from the Terre Haute, Indiana, federal prison prior to the end of his twenty-year sentence, although he accepted several [[probation]] requirements due to his continued support of [[Islamist ideology]].<ref name=ap/> These requirements included a ban from internet use and contact with fellow extremists.<ref name="Wood" /> The probation lasted for the remaining three years of his sentence.<ref name=NBC2BReleased>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-be-released-prison-next-month-n995511 |first1=Tom |last1=Winter |first2=Pete |last2=Williams |title='American Taliban' John Walker Lindh to be released from prison next month |access-date=April 23, 2019 |date=April 17, 2019 |publisher=[[NBC News]] |archive-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422133922/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-be-released-prison-next-month-n995511 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=NPR2BReleased></ref> President [[Donald Trump]] and Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] were among many who criticized the release but Trump said: "From a legal standpoint, there's nothing we're allowed to do."<ref name="bbc20190523">{{Cite news |date=2019-05-23 |title=John Walker Lindh: Anger as 'American Taliban' freed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48386000 |access-date=2024-02-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2021, Lindh was observed by the FBI in several meetings with Ali Shukri Amin, who had recently been released from prison after being convicted in 2015 for [[Criminal conspiracy|conspiracy]] to [[provide material support for terrorism]] for his support for [[ISIL]].<ref name="ap-2023-01">{{Cite news| last = Barakat| first = Matthew| title = FBI: 'American Taliban' Lindh meets with released extremist| work = AP News| access-date = 2025-03-08| date = 2023-01-26| url = https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-organized-united-kingdom-government-legal-proceedings-726e5ae5da9915bbd8b1d8ea56bfc13e}}</ref><ref name="doj-2015">{{Cite web| last = United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs| title = Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Providing Material Support to ISIL| work = United States Department of Justice, Archives| access-date = 2025-03-08| date = 2015-08-28| url = https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-more-11-years-providing-material-support-isil}}</ref> This could have constituted a violation of the terms of Lindh's [[parole]], which prohibited communication with other extremists, however, federal prosecutors chose not to pursue it. However, Amin was cited for violation of the terms of his release and sent back to prison.<ref name="ap-2023-04">{{Cite news| last = Barakat| first = Matthew| title = Terror convict back in prison after meetings with Lindh| work = AP News| access-date = 2025-03-08| date = 2023-04-04| url = https://apnews.com/article/teen-lindh-amin-virginia-terrorism-65e92d4414d5583118b82f8f76ca573b}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* In a ''[[National Geographic Channel|National Geographic]]'' documentary, ''Taliban Uprising'', the only video of Lindh speaking since his capture is shown.<ref name="Taliban Uprising"/>
* The documentary ''Good Morning, Afghanistan'' by Damien Degueldre features the Battle of Mazar-i-Sharif, where John Walker was being held and later transferred by the Northern Alliance to US Special Forces Operatives.
* [[DJ Krush]] and [[Anticon]] recorded the song "Song for John Walker" for the 2002 album ''[[The Message at the Depth]]''.
* The 2003 book "My Heart Became Attached" by Mark Kukis was a biography of John Walker Lindh, tracing his life from childhood to radicalization to prison<ref>Kukis, Mark, ''My Heart Became Attached: The Strange Journey of John Walker Lindh.'' Brassey's, Inc., 2003 {{ISBN?}}</ref>
* A musical interpretation of John Walker Lindh's story was staged in 2004 by Jean Strong and John McCloskey at the New York International Fringe Festival <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/theater/fringe-festival-reviews-musings-on-murkier-aspects-of-humans-war-and-politics-722871.html |title=Fringe Festival Reviews: Musings on Murkier Aspects of Humans, War and Politics |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 23, 2004 |access-date=August 24, 2020 |archive-date=May 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528052024/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/theater/fringe-festival-reviews-musings-on-murkier-aspects-of-humans-war-and-politics-722871.html |url-status=live |last1=Sweeney |first1=Camille }}</ref>
* [[Steve Earle]] recorded a song about Lindh titled "John Walker's Blues". It was released on his 2002 album ''[[Jerusalem (Steve Earle album)|Jerusalem]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title='John Walker's Blues' meets the boos|url=https://articles.cnn.com/2002-07-23/entertainment/walker.lindh.song_1_steve-earle-john-walker-s-blues-guitar-town?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|publisher=CNN|access-date=January 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307120837/http://articles.cnn.com/2002-07-23/entertainment/walker.lindh.song_1_steve-earle-john-walker-s-blues-guitar-town?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|archive-date=March 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The [[bluegrass music|progressive bluegrass]] band [[Hot Buttered Rum (band)|Hot Buttered Rum]] wrote and recorded ''The Trial Of John Walker Lindh'' for their 2002 album ''Live at the Freight and Salvage.''
* The [[Law & Order season 13|13th-season]] premiere of the police procedural and legal drama television series ''[[Law & Order]]'' is based on the Lindh case.
* A novel by [[Pearl Abraham]] entitled ''American Taliban'' (2010) is based on Lindh.
* In episode seven of the first season of the television series ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'' Vince is offered a role in a fictitious movie based on "the John Walker Lindh story".
* In author [[Doug Stanton]]'s book ''Horse Soldiers'' Lindh is mentioned as one of the Al-Qaeda combatants, then as a prisoner.
* In the popular philosophy collection ''Dune and Philosophy'', American philosophy expert Shane Ralston defends Lindh's character as "quintessentially American" given the idealism, bravery and religious fervor with which he served the Taliban forces in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dune and philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AmflF2QmEyQC|year=2011|isbn=978-0812697278|last1=Nicholas|first1=Jeffery| publisher=Open Court |access-date=January 7, 2021|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704163858/https://books.google.com/books?id=AmflF2QmEyQC|url-status=live}}{{page?|date=August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Shane|last1=Ralston|title=The American Fremen|url=https://www.academia.edu/28498618|journal=[[Academia.edu]]|date=April 21, 2011|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807164658/https://www.academia.edu/28498618|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The Spanish writer Enrique Falcón included a poem titled John Walker Lindh on the book ''Taberna Roja'' (2008).
* The podcast ''[[You're Wrong About]]'' featured Lindh in an episode titled "The American Taliban".<ref>{{cite web|title=The American Taliban|url=https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-hobbes/youre-wrong-about/e/61706806|access-date=August 22, 2019|archive-date=August 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821232554/https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-hobbes/youre-wrong-about/e/61706806|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Lindh is initially referred to as "the Irishman" in the 2021 book "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11" by [[Toby Harnden]].
* [[Showtime Networks]] released a documentary, ''Detainee 001'', about Lindh's capture and interrogations, in September 2021.<ref name="Detainee001-Showtime">{{cite web |title=Detainee 001 |url=https://www.sho.com/titles/3452898/detainee-001 |website=Showtime Networks}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|United States}}
* [[D.C. Five]]
* [[Adam Yahiye Gadahn]]
* [[Yaser Esam Hamdi]]
* [[Bryant Neal Vinas]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://www.justice.gov/archives/ag/united-states-district-court-eastern-district-virginia-alexandria-division The Lindh indictment]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060504174546/http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/terrorism/cases/index.html#lindh Case History: ''U.S. v. Lindh''], on [[FindLaw]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060709202418/http://www.freejohnwalker.net/ Free John Walker Lindh] – Advocacy website.
* [https://www.alternet.org/story/31211/ "The Real Story of John Walker Lindh"] by Frank Lindh, ''[[AlterNet]]'', January 24, 2006. – An address to the [[Commonwealth Club of California]] by John Walker Lindh's father.
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20061003130115/http://www.commonwealthclub.org/archive/06/06-01lindh-audio.html Audio file of above speech] (in [[RealAudio]] format)
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060325105124/http://www.honormikespann.org/pdfs/flindh_retort_feb2006.pdf "False and misleading statements by Mr. Frank Lindh omits many known facts: Article of appeal"]}} by Johnny Spann, ''HonorMikeSpann.com'', February 1, 2006. ([[PDF]] file) – Response by Mike Spann's father.
* [https://www.peterbcollins.com/2013/06/26/the-real-story-of-john-philip-walker-lindh-the-american-taliban-as-told-by-his-father-frank-lindh/ "The Real Story of John Walker Lindh"] – 2013 Frank Lindh interview on The Peter B. Collins Show.
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/10/john-walker-lindh-american-taliban-father/ "America's 'detainee 001' – the persecution of John Walker Lindh"] by Frank Lindh, in ''The Guardian'', July 10, 2011
{{AmericanTerrorism|state=collapsed}}{{WoTPrisoners}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindh, John Walker}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:21st-century American criminals]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Pakistan]]
[[Category:American defectors]]
[[Category:American former Christians]]
[[Category:American Islamists]]
[[Category:American people imprisoned on terrorism charges]]
[[Category:American Taliban]]
[[Category:Converts to Sunni Islam from Roman Catholicism]]
[[Category:Inmates of ADX Florence]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People convicted on terrorism charges]]
[[Category:People from San Anselmo, California]]
[[Category:People from Silver Spring, Maryland]]
[[Category:Redwood High School (Larkspur, California) alumni]]
[[Category:Muslims from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]