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CNN Live Saturday

Charges to be Filed Against Walker Unknown

Aired December 22, 2001 - 16:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK LINDH, JOHN WALKER'S FATHER: He is not a traitor. He's a good boy. He did not do anything against the United States. He went there to help the Taliban -- not a good choice, but he did go to help the Taliban at a time when the United States was not involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: That's the father of John Walker, the American Taliban appearing on CNN this week taking a firm stance that his son is not a traitor. So what will the U.S. government do with John Walker? It's a question that is remaining unclear at this time and for the first time yesterday we heard President Bush change the tone in the way he talks about John Walker.

Let's go to CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace with the latest on that.

Hello Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello again to you Catherine. You are exactly right, the president definitely changing the tone and yesterday for the first time referring to John Walker as a -- quote -- "an al Qaeda fighter." Now the reason that's significant is previously this administration linked to Walker to the Taliban -- connecting him now though to the al Qaeda network could mean that Walker is possibly facing more serious charges.

Now one thing senior officials continue to stress is that President Bush has not made any final decision; that nothing has been ruled out; and that federal prosecutors continue to look at possible charges, which Walker could face some of those charges could carry the death penalty and those include treason as well as the murder of a U.S. government employee. That employee would be CIA operative Mike Spann. You'll recall Mike Spann was the CIA official who questioned Walker at that prison at Mazar-e Sharif shortly before that prison uprising and Spann was killed in that prison riot.

Now also it is important to point out that just because a charge carries the death penalty does not mean that the federal government would actually seek it against John Walker, and there are lesser charges also that are possibilities that do not include the death penalty and those include providing material support and resources to terrorists and terrorist organizations. Now Catherine, just as you showed there, a sound bite, from John Walker's father, the Walker family continuing to urge the American people to keep an open mind and not to pass judgment.

In fact, in a letter to the editor today in today's "New York Times" a man who identified himself as John Walker's great-uncle, Connell Maguiro writes, quote: "John Walker Lindh joined the Taliban army in May to protect what he saw as a Muslim utopia with no evident enemy in America. He had no control over later developments at higher levels." We also know that Walker's attorney has been in touch with the White House and Catherine, President Bush said yesterday that the administration would notify Walker's family, as well as the American people at, quote, "the appropriate time when the administration has decided how it will proceed."

Catherine, back to you.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you Kelly.

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