John Walker Lindh, Terrorism charges
A 20-year-old American man has been before a Federal Court near Washington today on terrorism charges. John Walker Lindh, who is accused of fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, has been remanded in custody until a hearing next month.
Mr Lindh arrived from Afghanistan into Dulles Airport just outside Washington last night. From there, he was taken by helicopter to Alexandria, Virginia.
After his court appearance, his lawyer James Brosnahan said Walker had requested a lawyer in early December but had only just been told of the charges against him.
Walker, a middle class youngster from California, left the US when he was 16. He converted to Islam and says that he went to Afghanistan to help the Taliban fight the Northern Alliance.
He was taken into custody following a bloody Taliban uprising at a prison at Mazar-I-Sharif. It is reported that, as a member of the Taliban, Mr Walker often claimed to be Irish.
