Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Walker Expected to Plead Not Guilty Today

Aired February 13, 2002 - 06:08   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: OK, let's talk about Taliban- American John Walker Lindh now. He is expected to enter a not guilty plea in federal court about three hours from now.

CNN's Elaine Quijano is outside the Alexandria, Virginia courtroom this morning. Good morning Elaine. What can you tell us?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol. He's appeared at this northern Virginia courthouse twice before, this time John Walker Lindh faces a federal judge to answer to an indictment against him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): John Walker Lindh stands accused of helping to kill Americans abroad and providing support and services to terrorist groups including al Qaeda. The charges, part of a 10-count indictment handed up last week by a federal grand jury.

JOHN ASHCROFT, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: We will litigate this matter very seriously. We consider these offenses to be serious, and our approach will be a serious approach.

QUIJANO: It was last fall when the former California resident was found among a group of Taliban prisoners and taken into custody in Afghanistan. At today's arraignment Lindh will enter a plea in response to the charges against him. Already his defense team has tried to portray Lindh as a loyal American who only fought against the Northern Alliance not the United States, and his lawyer say the government is going overboard in prosecuting Lindh.

JAMES BROSNAHAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: In my view, they have brought up the cannon to shoot the mouse.

QUIJANO: But the government insists the evidence so far indicated Lindh was a terrorist, evidence that includes a series of e- mails from Lindh to his family introduced by prosecutors last week. In one, dated February 8 of last year, Lindh tells his family he doesn't want to see America again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And Lindh's arraignment is set to take place in just about three hours. Today the federal judge is expected to approve a trial date for some time in November.

Alive in Alexandria, Virginia I'm Elaine Quijano. Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: And I take it his parents are still in town there Elaine.

QUIJANO: We don't know for sure. They were here for his last appearance last week at that detention hearing. We have not heard yet whether or not they are here. Most likely they will be here. They were here for his previous two court appearances, but so far no definitive word on whether or not they'll be in the courtroom -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And this court hearing that's expected to take a day will just take a few minutes, right?

QUIJANO: That's exactly right. It's just supposed to be a very brief appearance. They're going to go over this 10-count indictment against him, and he will be asked to enter a plea. The judge will likely then go ahead and set a trial date no sooner than mid November -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much. Elaine Quijano reporting live for us from Alexandria, Virginia this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com