Inmate Charged with Assault on 'American Taliban'
Thu July 3, 2003 05:30 PM ET


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An inmate has been charged with attacking so-called American Taliban John Walker Lindh in an incident at the federal prison in California where Lindh is serving a 20-year sentence for his involvement with militant Islamic fighters in Afghanistan.
The U.S. attorney's office said Richard Dale Morrison, 29, had been charged with one count of misdemeanor assault in an alleged hands and fist attack on Lindh at the prison in Victorville in March.

Lindh's lawyers said at the time that Lindh -- a Muslim convert reviled as a traitor in the United States for fighting with the Taliban -- was hit by a fellow inmate as he prepared for evening prayers at the prison. Lindh, 22, received minor injuries.

Local media reports said in March that the attack stemmed from prison rivalry between Muslims and white supremacists, but officials declined comment.

The U.S. attorney's office said on Thursday that Morrison was serving a 63-month sentence for damaging religious property stemming from a fire he set at an African-American church in Nevada in 1996. If found guilty of assaulting Lindh, Morrison could face a further six months in prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert Stacy declined to speculate on Thursday on the reports that religious rivalry had prompted the assault. No other motive was offered.

Lindh was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan during the U.S.-led assault in retaliation for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of aiding the Taliban, who harbored Osama bin Laden, and carrying explosives, but the U.S. government dropped more serious terrorism charges against him.

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One POS beats on another POS.

Who cares?

My only regret is that Jihad Johnny didn't get his brains bashed in.

I hope he gets sodomized every night.

Against his will, if that's possible.

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Oh wow, JWL got beat up in jail.  Boy, I'm going to lose some sleep over this.