Attorney of 'American Taliban' held in Afghanistan releases letter to family

By JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO – The American captured with Taliban fighters and now in U.S. military custody has sent a letter to his parents saying he is safe and regrets not contacting them sooner.

John Walker, 20, who is being held at a Marine base in southern Afghanistan, apparently dictated the letter to an International Red Cross volunteer.

The lawyer for Walker's parents e-mailed a copy of the letter, dated Dec. 3, to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"I apologize for not contacting you in such a long time. I realize this must have caused you a lot of g(rief)," reads the letter, addressed to "Dear Papa and Mama." The law firm said it inserted the words in parentheses because they were hard to read on the fax.

"I am currently alive and well in Afghanistan and I am in safe hands," Walker continued. "I cannot give you many details a(bout) my situation but it would be g(ood) to hear from you all."

Neither of the parents, Frank Lindh and Marilyn Walker, nor their lawyer were available for comment Tuesday.

The parents have complained that the U.S. government has not let them talk to their son, and that Walker has not been allowed outside counsel before being questioned.

Walker surrendered near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where he was caught in a prison uprising before U.S. authorities flew him to the Marine base in the south known as Camp Rhino.

Capt. Stewart Upton, a spokesman at the base, said Walker was classified as a military detainee, giving him the same rights as an enemy prisoner of war under the Geneva Conventions.

Upton said Walker, the sole detainee at Camp Rhino, was in good condition and was recovering from dehydration and a gunshot wound in the leg. It is believed he is being held in a heavily guarded green metal shipping container, about 10 feet high, 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

Walker has been providing useful information, and no final decision had been made on his fate, officials have said.

AP-WS-12-12-01 1000EST