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U.S. Defense Department Probes “Degrading” Photos of “American Taliban” Lindh
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John Walker Lindh
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WASHINGTON, April 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The U.S. army is probing allegations that soldiers, who handled "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh following his capture in Afghanistan, made unauthorized and degrading "souvenir photos" of him, the Defense Department said Friday.
The issue rolled over into Saturday as news agencies report that despite U.S. military claims, the photographs are causing problems for the U.S. Army.
"We have received a report from a U.S. Army unit regarding photos that may portray Mr. Walker unfavorably, taken when Mr. Walker was detained by U.S. Army soldiers," the department said in a statement.
While defense officials declined to describe the photos, numerous media reports said they showed several U.S. special forces soldiers posing with a handcuffed and blindfolded Lindh with an obscene, derogatory word written across the blindfold.
"The commander of the unit is inquiring into this matter," the statement said.
It added that Lindh's case was currently pending before the U.S. District Court. He has been charged with conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens and supporting terrorist groups.
"Under the rules of the court, we cannot discuss any potential evidence in that case," the Pentagon said.
The existence of the photos was first reported on the CBS Evening News, a U.S. television program.
A son of a well-to-do California family, Lindh converted to Islam at the age of 16 and moved first to Yemen and then to Pakistan for Qur’anic studies.
He told U.S. investigators he had traveled to Afghanistan in May 2001 and was trained in a camp run by Al-Qaeda, the group led by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, whom Washington blames for the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Lindh was captured by U.S.-backed Northern Alliance forces in November and handed over to U.S. troops after a bloody prison uprising at Qala-Jangi fortress, in which he was wounded in the leg.
Brought back to the United States in January, he has been charged with 10 counts of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens and providing support to foreign terrorist organizations. Three of the 10 charges carry a maximum life sentence; the other seven have prison terms of up to 90 years.
If convicted, the 21-year-old could spend the rest of his life in jail. His trial is scheduled to begin on August 26.
His lawyers have argued that he was mistreated and even tortured in captivity to extract a confession. To prove their point, they released a photograph last month of a naked and unshaven Lindh strapped to a stretcher. Defense officials have said that while that photo may have appeared shocking, he was naked as part of his preparation for medical treatment, news agencies report.
The current disclosure of the new photographs, the third incident of U.S. military misconduct, could help support the claims that he was mistreated after capture. The photos also could be a violation of international norms on prisoner treatment.
Prosecutors and other U.S. government officials have denied the mistreatment charges.
In addition, Lindh’s attorneys filed a court motion saying unofficial photos and videos of Lindh were taken aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu, where he was confined, reported news agencies.
The photos troops took of themselves with Lindh were found when the Pentagon did a computer search for documents and other materials ordered by the court, a Defense department official said.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the incident as not deserving his attention.
"If you ask me when I got up in the morning and we've got people getting killed in the Middle East and we've got a war going on in Afghanistan, if I'm going to change my schedule and go chasing after the rumors on things like that, it's unlikely," he told reporters.
While Rumsfeld says he hasn’t seen the photos, he said he doubted the photographs would trigger a probe on a higher level.
"You know, there's hundreds of detainees, and about every day somebody says something," he said in response to reporter's questions.
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