Bipartisan lawmakers demand to know why Trump administration is releasing John Walker Lindh early
Source: Think Progress
The convicted former Taliban fighter is scheduled for May 23 release, well before his 20 year sentence is completed.
Josh Israel
May 22, 2019, 10:16 am
Nearly 18 years after John Walker Lindh was captured while fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, he is set to be released from custody on Thursday by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. And many members of Congress — including Republicans — are livid that he will not serve his full 20-year sentence.
Lindh, who moved from the United States to Afghanistan in 2000 to join the fight against the Northern Alliance, was captured in November 2001 while working with the Taliban. He pleaded guilty to two charges in February 2002: supplying services to the Taliban and carrying an explosive while committing a felony. Under the plea deal, prosecutors dropped several charge including material support of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, which could have carried multiple life sentences. Media outlets at the time branded him the “American Taliban.”
Now, Lindh is set to be released on probation, after serving just 17 years of his sentence. And Republican lawmakers are criticizing his early release, a decision that is up to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
During a Fox News appearance on Wednesday, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), a former counter-terrorism adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney (R) and a stalwart supporter of President Donald Trump, lambasted the Trump administration for the decision to release Lindh early and allow him to serve out the rest of his sentence on probation.
Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/republican-lawmakers-michael-waltz-richard-shelby-furious-trump-bureau-of-prisons-to-release-john-walker-lindh-aacb2139363e/
And then there is this delusional comment from what's his face........................
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While the president has yet to explain why his administration is releasing Lindh early, he did tweet on Wednesday morning that his approval rating would be at 65% if not for special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.