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American Morning

Interview with Shannon Spann

Aired July 16, 2002 - 07:20   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: John Walker Lindh, the Taliban- American, will be going directly to jail, possibly for as long as 20 years. Lindh's lawyers cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid a possible life sentence and his family afterwards said they were quite relieved by the outcome yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK LINDH, WALKER LINDH'S FATHER: John has not bitterness. He has never expressed the slightest bitterness about any of the treatment that he suffered. He never, in all the interrogations that were going to be the subject of the suppression hearing, never once did John ever say anything against the United States. Never once, not one word. John loves America and we love America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: For the family of slain CIA officer Mike Spann, who blame Lindh for their son's death in Afghanistan, it's just a case for them of justice denied.

From Montgomery, Alabama, Spann's widow, Shannon Spann, is out guest this morning -- good morning to you, good to have you with us today.

SHANNON SPANN, MIKE SPANN'S WIDOW: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

HEMMER: Johnny Spann, the father of Mike, was quite emphatic throughout the day yesterday in how much he disagreed with this plea deal. I want you to listen to his words from yesterday and again last night with Connie Chung here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNNY SPANN, MIKE SPANN'S FATHER: We watched on TV as Mike stood in front of him and tried to talk to him, gave him every opportunity to say hey, I'm an American, get me out of here. I shouldn't be here. I don't want to be here. He didn't do that. Mike would have died for him that day to get him out of that fort if he had just asked for help. He didn't. He didn't want to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Johnny Spann from last night.

Shannon, do you feel the same way?

SPANN: Well, sure. I think certain levels of evidence speak for themselves. I mean Mr. Walker was there at the time. I think the evidence suggests that the prison uprising on that day wasn't a sort of spontaneous event but that it was preplanned in some manner. And so certainly Mr. Walker had opportunity to have knowledge of those plans prior to the events that happened.

HEMMER: Given that, Shannon, would you have liked to have seen the government pursue this case to the absolute max?

SPANN: Yes. I mean I think, I've said this before, but we certainly, as a family, believed in the charges that were laid against Mr. Lindh, believed in the government's case. And we felt strongly that if they had pursued those charges that they would have been able to convict him on the ones that were laid.

HEMMER: Then how do you feel today knowing that the plea has been reached and John Walker Lindh possibly will be in jail until the age of 40?

SPANN: Yes, I mean I think it made -- it caused me to reflection my husband, really, and the sort of level of integrity that he had and his standard for accepting personally, you know, personal responsibility for his actions. In one sense I'm gratified that Mr. Walker has found it within himself to be able to accept responsibility for his actions overseas. I think that's not a small thing, really, for me on a personal level.

I should have been pleased to have seen all of those charges addressed, but in any case I'm taking some small comfort from the fact that he has admitted his guilt.

HEMMER: I mean no disrespect by the following question to your husband, but there are those who believe that at the age of 21 John Walker Lindh was just a misguided young man chasing a crazy ideology. He won't be out of jail until the age of 40. They claim he's no threat today and won't be when he's out of jail.

Do you understand and agree with that thought?

SPANN: Well, no. I mean I think the vast majority of the American people don't agree with those kinds of statements. I mean certainly men and women in uniform and out of uniform all over the world are defending the freedoms that we enjoy in this country at ages younger than the age Mr. Walker was when he made that determination.

I mean he was an adult and he certainly indicated in his statements, both before he was captured and after, that he was passionately pursuing the course of action that he took. And I'm convinced that he knew exactly what he was doing.

HEMMER: Yes, Shannon, given that and knowing that John Walker Lindh, according to his family, will not turn away from Islam, will continue to study the religion behind bars, he'll have mail service on all likelihood. He'll have e-mail and Internet service, as well.

Have you given any consideration to the possibility he may become a larger than life character for those not only in this country, but around the world, who still look up to him and the cause he picked up?

SPANN: Sure. I mean it's an unfortunate thing. I think that sometimes we look at notorious characters in history in a larger than life kind of way. But I guess, I mean I'm just so pleased for myself and for my children that we had opportunity to have in our life such a wonderful person that Mike was. That he, you know, his commitment to honor and integrity are such a legacy for his children that regardless of whatever happens in Mr. Walker's life, that nothing can ever take that away from us.

And I think in this time, especially post-9/11, that Americans are really looking for inspiration and certainly they can find it in the character of my husband. And I'm really just blessed and honored that I was able to call him my husband.

HEMMER: Wow, you sound strong today. Stay that way, OK?

SPANN: Well, thank you.

HEMMER: Thank you, Shannon.

Shannon Spann live this morning in Alabama.

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