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CNN Live At Daybreak

American Taliban to Be Tried on Four Counts

Aired January 16, 2002 - 05:01   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more now on the case against John Walker, charged with helping Osama bin Laden fight a holy war against the United States.

Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): American Taliban John Walker, who also went by the name Suleyman al-Faris, will be tried in federal court on four counts. None carries the death sentence, but Walker could face life behind bars.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: At each crossroad, Walker faced a choice, and with each choice, he chose to ally himself with terrorists.

CANDIOTTI: The charges are conspiracy to kill Americans outside the U.S., two counts of providing material support to terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, and providing services to the Taliban. Walker was interviewed by CIA Agent Johnny Michael Spann before a prison uprising during which Spann was killed.

ASHCROFT: He chose to embrace fanatics and his allegiance to those fanatics and terrorist never faltered, not even with the knowledge that they had murdered thousands of his countrymen, not with the knowledge that they were engaged in a war with the United States.

CANDIOTTI: According to the criminal complaint, Walker met with Osama bin Laden three to five times during al Qaeda training.

ASHCROFT: On one of these occasions Walker met personally with bin Laden, who, according to Walker, "thanked him for taking part in jihad."

CANDIOTTI: Some time after June of last year, court documents state, "Walker learned from one of his instructors that bin Laden had sent people to the U.S. to carry out several suicide missions." It does not specify whether Walker knew any details. Authorities say Walker waived his Miranda rights in writing before he was interviewed by the FBI. The complaint cites a CNN interview with Walker after his capture as evidence of his allegiance to the Taliban.

JOHN WALKER: So I started to read some of the literature of their scholars and the history of the movement and my heart became attached to them.

CANDIOTTI: Walker's family has maintained his innocence, describing a 20-year-old young man who got caught up in something way over his head. Walker is being held on the U.S. Navy ship Bataan in the Arabian Sea.

(on camera): Pentagon officials say once orders are finalized, Walker will be sent to the U.S. The White House predicts the transfer could come in day.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And details are still sketchy on the reported kidnapping of an American citizen in Afghanistan. The wife of Clark Bowers says he called her by satellite phone to say he and his translator were being held for ransom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA BOWERS, WIFE: He told me that he had landed safely in Afghanistan, but that he and his Afghan interpreter had been abducted by someone whom Clark said was a tribal warlord. Clark reported he had been driven blindfolded around for several hours and that he was being treated fairly well, although the interpreter that was with him had been roughed up.

He then gave me instructions on getting money together to send to his abductors. Clark also said that he would call me back on Saturday to tell me where to send the money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was Amanda Bowers. She says her husband was on a humanitarian mission. U.S. officials say they're taking the reported kidnapping very seriously, but are having difficulty getting information about it.

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