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American Morning

How Will John Walker React When He Arrives on U.S. Soil Later Today?

Aired January 23, 2002 - 09:40   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Taliban American John Walker is coming back to face criminal charges that could put him in prison for life. But how will he react when he arrives on U.S. soil later today? Is Walker ready to face the music?

Journalist Robert Young Pelton scored a dramatic exclusive when he interviewed the young American for CNN, just after Walker's capture in Afghanistan. How does he think walker will handle the transition? He'll tell him his self.

Journalist Robert Young Pelton joins us now from Los Angeles.

I know it's an early morning out there. Thank you very much for joining us this morning, Robert.

ROBERT YOUNG PELTON, JOURNALIST: Thank you.

ZAHN: I know you feel very strongly that you were able to get more information out of John Walker than many of the FBI investigator who spoke with him on the USS Baton. Why do you believe that?

PELTON: Walker was actually the second Irish-American Roman Catholic kid that I found fighting in Jihad. I think he's found a friendly face. And I think the fact that someone was taking care of his wounds, and he was under the hellacious bunker were a large part of our conversation.

ZAHN: So are you thinking that investigators used the wrong approach with this guy?

PELTON: Yes, usually threatening to kill somebody is not the best way to start a relationship. I think the CIA agents were very abusive to him and really didn't understand some of the cultural sensitivities that Muslims expect.

ZAHN: What evidence is there that these CIA interrogators hurt him in any way?

PELTON: They didn't hurt him. They treated him very roughly. They said that you can talk or you can die. It's been videotaped and it's been shown many times by Afghan cameraman. But the bottom line is, he was there to fight a war, and considered them the enemy. They were armed and they were abusive. When he met me, I was more interested in helping him explain who he was and why there so I could contact his parents.

ZAHN: And to this hour, we still don't know -- we know his parents have not had any contact with him over the last several weeks, and it's not clear whether they will see him tonight when he comes in. You interviewed John Walker, we said this at the top of your introduction, right after the prison uprising in Mazar-e Sharif.

How valuable was his information about many of the prisoners he fought alongside here?

PELTON: Well, he had trained and he had fought with these people for over six months, so obviously, he knows the inner working of the Al Qaeda network and the inner working of the Taliban, but only as a foot soldier. I don't consider him a high-ranking military person or a good intelligence source for what bin Laden was doing.

My hope, though, is that when he gets back, he will realize the impact he has had on his country, and he will be very cooperative and forthright in helping us track down any other terrorists that are out there.

ZAHN: But based on dealing with him and how strongly he felt about his mission in Afghanistan, how likely is that he will cooperate?

PELTON: Well, he's never shown any indication of either lying or trying to hide from what he did. He's very proud of what he did. He's very forthright in expressing it. He doesn't feel he's done anything wrong. He's obviously about to get a wake-up call when lands in Virginia.

ZAHN: Would it surprise you at all if he denies the use of the attorney that his family has lined up for him to use?

PELTON: Yes, that wasn't his choice, and I would have to say, as a devout Muslim, I think he's quite comfortable with telling the truth and telling everybody what he did and why he did what he did. So I don't think there's going to be any problems with him relating his story and being honest and accurate about what he did.

ZAHN: What do you think interrogators missed so far? What haven't they got from him? And what were you not able to get out of him?

PELTON: Well, I think the thing we're looking for, is why do these people come from all around the world to sacrifice their lives in these God-forsaken places. My personal opinion is I thought he was an idiot for going to Afghanistan to kill other Muslims, and I thought if he wants to do something for the Islamic cause, why not work in charities, why not work in a school? Why pick up a gun and kill other people?

ZAHN: Did you ever tell him that?

PELTON: Of course, I did. ZAHN: And what did he say in response to that? I mean, that's a pretty harsh judgment for a kid that's just been injured, and under tremendous pressure and duress as you were interviewing him?

PELTON: Well, he felt that the Koran handled this, and explained why a Muslim can kill another Muslim. And I am not an expert on the Koran, but I just know that I have two 18-year-old girls, and if I caught them fighting a war in a foreign country, I think I'd give the same response.

ZAHN: Final question for you, would you like to see the -- what the FBI got out of him as admissible in court?

PELTON: I'd like to see everything that transpired between Walker and everybody he met to come out in the public so we can understand this phenomena more.

ZAHN: You certainly gave insights into the man Robert Young Pelton.

Thank you again for joining us. And as you know, we continue to play your interview over and over again, for good reason.

Thank you.

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