Spann Family: Lindh Is a 'Traitor'

By JENNIFER LOVEN
.c The Associated Press

 
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - They showed up, unannounced, to call John Walker Lindh a traitor. The mother, father and widow of slain CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann have a score to settle - and no hesitation about saying so.

``John Walker is a traitor because of the way he lived,'' Spann's mother, Gail, said Wednesday. ``If you go back from the time he was 16 years old and just go through his history, you know, what more could I say? It's so simple and I hope that all Americans will feel the same way that I do.''

She and Spann's father, Johnny, had traveled from Winfield, Ala., to see how Lindh would respond to the allegations against him. The elder Spanns watched quietly alongside Spann's widow, Shannon. Their presence in the small courtroom and before reporters outside afterward made a dramatic statement as Lindh proclaimed himself innocent of conspiring to kill Americans and supporting the Taliban and terrorist organizations.

Spann and Lindh crossed paths in November in Afghanistan, in a prison where the young American Taliban soldier was being held with fellow fighters.

Spann and another CIA agent tried, apparently unsuccessfully, to interrogate Lindh. Later that day, during an armed rebellion in which the prisoners took control of the compound, Spann became the war's first combat casualty.

Lindh, meanwhile, disappeared with other captives into a prison basement where he was discovered almost a week later.

Spann's death left three young children without a father, including his and Shannon's 8-month-old son. Gail and Johnny Spann also now are raising their son's two young daughters from his first marriage, orphaned when their mother died of cancer five weeks after Spann was killed.

Though the government's indictment does not directly accuse Lindh of killing Spann, it cites his presence at the bloody uprising as a reason for the murder conspiracy charge. If convicted on all 10 counts, Lindh could end up with multiple life sentences.

Spann's widow said that would not be enough for a man who ``dedicated his life'' to waging war against the West and Americans. Shannon Spann - a CIA employee herself who lives in northern Virginia - would rather see Lindh accused of treason, which could result in his execution.

``We expect Mr. Walker to be held personally responsible for all of the things that he has done,'' she said calmly. ``Certainly I should have preferred the death penalty myself.''

The defense contends Lindh intended to fight the anti-Taliban northern alliance, not Americans.

But Spann's family made it clear that is not their view - and said they hope the court will agree. Spann's father said on ABC's ``Good Morning America'' he considers Lindh responsible for his son's death as an accomplice.

``We sent our sons and our daughters and our husbands and our wives and our fathers and our mothers to a faraway land to fight this terrible evil so we could continue to live and enjoy the freedom that we live in today,'' Johnny Spann told reporters. ``As we all know, freedom's not free. Bodies have come home draped with flags. Mike's was the first. ... Americans will not tolerate traitors.''

After the legal proceeding, Lindh's father, Frank, approached Spann's father in the crowded courthouse hallway. He tried to shake his hand, offer condolences and say his son was not involved in the younger Spann's death. Officials from the prosecutor's office, however, intervened to end the conversation.

AP-NY-02-13-02 2010EST

Spann's death left three young children without a father, including his and Shannon's 8-month-old son. [red]Gail and Johnny Spann also now are raising their son's two young daughters from his first marriage, orphaned when their mother died of cancer five weeks after Spann was killed.[/red]

Quoted:
"John Walker Suleiman Al-Rashid Lindh, I hereby sentence you to be fed into a woodchipper.

Feet first. May God have mercy on your soul. Proceeed."

Quoted:
If he is conficted, can we start a AR15.COM lottery on how long he lasts in the joint?

Will Vegas give odds?

Quoted:
"John Walker Suleiman Al-Rashid Lindh, I hereby sentence you to be fed into a woodchipper.

Feet first. May God have mercy on your soul. Proceeed."

Quoted:
Wasn't Jeffery "I want to have you over for dinner" Dahmer being kept in a "special" area of prison for his own protection? Fat lot of good it did him...

Quoted:
[b]Though the government's indictment does not directly accuse Lindh of killing Spann, it cites his presence at the bloody uprising as a reason for the murder conspiracy charge. If convicted on all 10 counts, Lindh could end up with multiple life sentences.[/b]

Don't you guys know how to read?? Since when is this a crime?? I suppose you all believe everything the govt. and the "press" tell you about the Kennedy assaination, Ruby ridge, and Waco too??
My first thought on reading the article was, did the prosecuter pay their way?? Why was the Spann family there?? To inflame folks? If the jury is as easily manipulated by their  emotions as much as you all are, why have a trial??

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You seem to relish your role as smug, accusatory, insulting know-it-all. Have you seen the government's evidence? Have you listened to the tapes of the FBI interviews of Johnny Al-Rashid? If not, then you have no idea what evidence will be presented at trial.

What's your theory on what happened there or what his part in it was? What's your idea on what crimes he committed?

Oh, that's right! You don't have to present any ideas or theories! You exist only to insult others and make accusations. Thank you for playing.

Quoted:
"John Walker Suleiman Al-Rashid Lindh, I hereby sentence you to be fed into a woodchipper.

Feet first. May God have mercy on your soul. Proceeed."

Quoted:


Do you know what a "lynching" is jarhead??

My first thought on reading the article was, did the prosecuter pay their way??

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

"John Walker Suleiman Al-Rashid Lindh, I hereby sentence you to be fed into a woodchipper.
Feet first. May God have mercy on your soul. Proceeed."

Do you know what a "sentence" is? It's something a judge passes after conviction

It must be nice to be so superior to the rest of us that you never make any assumptions based on the information available

Johnny Al-Rashid took up arms in the military of a foreign nation. Is that fact in dispute? He fought for a force that wished harm on the nation of his birth and its people. That force aided and abetted terrorists who committed horrendous acts against the US.

Since my chi is obviously not as centered and at one with the infinite lifeforce as yours, I'll avoid the rush and start hating Johnny Al-Rashid now. Tell you what though, I won't actually seek his death unless and until he's convicted. Happy?

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1. It doesn't matter what I say or think about what happens to him. If I sentence him to death now or later because I hate him for being a traitor against his country, that has no impact on his fate. I think it's a little self-righteous and hypocritical of you to object so stridently.

2. What will you believe? It seems to me that you will only believe the worst about America, and in that case, why even bother? I make my assumptions, and you damned sure make yours.

3. He has stated that he was trained in an Al-qaida camp and met Osama bin Laden.

Quoted:
Self righteous? Hypocritical? Did you take the oath? Please read Article 3, section 3 again. Also perhaps Article 6 of the Bill of Rights....

Is your #3 above a crime? Has it ever been?

As for your #2 above, I have fought in our countrys "defense". I've seen some of the worst about her....AND some of her BEST!

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Liberty86, I know what you mean. I also wondered why the Spann family was there. But we are not supposed to question. This is turning into a mob mentality, either you believe everything the goverment says and act like a true "patriot" or you are on the side of the terrorist, absolutely rediculous. Who knows if "Johnny Taliban" even knew he was going to be fighting american forces. I think he is just some dumb ass that went to search for something "religion", got caught up with a bunch of zealots that went to fight another "clan" (the northern alliance) and then found his ass under custody of american forces. It's not like they got any real news media over there, you only know what the clan leader tells ya. But what the hell do I know. I love this country but still don't have much love for lying POS politicians that run our country, does that mean I am a terrorist lover, hell no.

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Thanks, I agree, I believe it's the jarheads "herd" mentality, (that & apathy), that's contributing to the death of a once great people.....

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You don't believe that taking up arms with the band of terrorists who bombed the USS Cole, the two US embassies in Africa and perpetrated the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks is wrong.

Either that, or you don't believe Al-quaida did it.

You never present an argument or any evidence, of course, because that would require a commitment to something beyond your own narrow self-interest.

Make an argument. Put up some evidence. It's got to be tiring living in that narrow little conspiracy world all the time.

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Thats the whole point that you don't even see jarhead. I don't have to show evidence

I'm not the one who wants to kill some one in the name of the state!

Little world of conspiracy? You believe the Kennedy story?? Gulf of Tonkin?? Pearl Harbor?? Randy Weaver? Waco? Income tax ratification?

The list goes on & on. I have a much better track record for truth than those you choose to blindly follow.

Guess where they are leading you.....BAAAAAA!