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American Morning

People of Walker's Hometown Reacting to News of His Return to U.S.

Aired January 23, 2002 - 09:05   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: More now on John Walker's return, the Taliban-American who could face a life sentence if he's convicted on conspiracy to murder American charges, may never again set foot in his hometown. That is, if federal prosecutors get their way. So it's not exactly a homecoming, but nevertheless, the people of Walker's hometown, including his family and the neighbors, are reacting to the news of his return to the United States.

CNN's Rusty Dornin is live with us this morning from San Anselmo, California.

Good morning, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jack, folks here are barely just getting up and getting their morning coffee. San Anselmo is a bedroom community about 10 miles north of San Francisco. It's where John Walker lived part time with his father. He lived also with his mother in Fairfax, a community just over the hill from here. Now the medium price of a house here is well over a million dollars. And while the press has painted Marin County as blatantly liberal, the folks I spoke to yesterday afternoon had some pretty conservative views about the deeds of John Walker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's fair. I think he's an adult. He knew who he was playing with, and he has to face the consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Regardless of his nationality, he should be charged, along with all of the other people who have been conspiring to hurt us, you know, to kill us, to sabotage us, to create explosions and terror and all the things that they're very busy doing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm an ex-Marine, and I think on the face of it, what he did was heinous, and at the same time, I would tend to give him a break. I just -- it just doesn't feel quite right that a young man who was caught up in his position, and evidently was on some spiritual quest to begin with, I mean, I think he didn't go over there with the intention of overthrowing the U.S. government; I think he went over there to learn more about a different faith, and found himself swept up in something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was clearheaded and clear minded about what he did. I don't think anybody coerced him or brainwashed him. I think that he definitely should be convicted of not only conspiring to kill Americans, but full treason.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: What's interesting is if we went over the hill and went to the community where his mother lives, we might get some different viewpoints on John Walker and what his punishment should be. Folks over there, it's a more eclectic community. There's a strong feeling of pacifism and a feeling that we shouldn't be involved militarily in Afghanistan, period. Most of all, people here still are wondering why? How could this happen? How could a boy have gone from a family in Marin County and ended up in Afghanistan, accused of conspiring to kill his fellow Americans -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right, Rusty, thank you.

Rusty Dornin, live from San Anselmo, California.

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