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American Morning

Attorney General Says John Walker Turned on Country and Must Now Suffer Consequences

Aired January 16, 2002 - 07:04   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Up front this morning, Taliban American John Walker. He'll be coming home to face multiple criminal charges. The attorney general says John Walker turned on his country and must now suffer the consequences.

In just a moment, John Ashcroft will join us live. But first, Susan Candiotti has more on the case against John Walker.

(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 terrorists 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 days.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We expect momentarily to be joined on AMERICAN MORNING by the attorney general of the United States, John Ashcroft, to talk more about how the decision was arrived at to charge him with crimes that would carry life imprisonment as opposed to crimes that might carry the death penalty. Again, a live interview with the attorney general coming up in just a couple of minutes.

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