Captured American to be handed over

12/08/2001

By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — The American captured along with Taliban fighters is being held by Marines in Afghanistan and will be handed over to U.S. civilian authorities as soon as possible, the Pentagon said Saturday.

How John Walker's case will be handled has not been decided, spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said. Lawyers from the departments of Defense and Justice are ``working on the way ahead on that,'' he said by phone from the war's command center in Tampa, Fla.

Walker was being held at Camp Rhino, the base for some 1,300 Marines helping in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, Quigley said. The timing of the transfer and where he would go were not clear.

In the meantime, Walker was ``being treated in a manner consistent with protections provided enemy prisoners of war under the Third Geneva Convention,'' said a statement by U.S. Central Command.

The Justice Department has said Americans who have fought for the Taliban or al-Qaida could face treason, murder, conspiracy or other charges. The issue surfaced after the government said three people claiming to be Americans might have been fighting for the Taliban. The two others were later determined not to be American, though they spoke English, Quigley said.

Federal officials have limited their comments about Walker, 20, who gave his name as Abdul Hamid after being caught in a fortress near the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-e-Sharif.

Attorney General John Ashcroft told a Senate committee last week that he would not comment on any legal actions to be taken against Walker. But he warned, ``History has not looked kindly upon those who have forsaken their countries to go and fight against their countries.''

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld declined comment last week when asked if he considered Walker a traitor.

Walker is the only person — either Afghan or any other nationality — being held by Americans in the Afghan campaign, though rebel forces have custody of some 5,000 to 6,000 militiamen, a senior U.S. defense official.

A videotape aired Friday by ABC apparently showed CIA officers interrogating Walker on Nov. 25 shortly before a prison uprising at the fortress.

A silent, despondent-looking Walker sat in a dusty clearing with his hands tied behind his back. His clothing was tattered and dirty; his hair hid his face. His interrogators were Johnny ``Mike'' Spann, who was later killed in the uprising, and an agent known only as Dave.

``Who brought you here?'' Dave asked repeatedly. ``Hello? Wake up!''

Walker did not respond.

Shortly after the interrogation, other prisoners emerged from parts of the fortress and launched the uprising.

Walker's parents have described him as an introvert and pacifist who converted to Islam when he was 16. He studied in Yemen and Pakistan, but his parents lost contact with him about six months ago.

Through their attorney, Frank Lindh and Marilyn Walker, said Friday they are ``desperately worried'' about their son.

They also said the government had not given them any word about his their son's condition or whereabouts.