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American Morning
New Report Walker May Not Have Been Only American to Join with Taliban
Aired February 08, 2002 - 07:39 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: Earlier this week, John Walker Lindh, the Taliban-American, was denied bail, but now there is a new report that he may not have been the only American to join with the Taliban. And clues to the whereabouts of a New Jersey man who has been missing for several years came from documents actually gathered in Afghanistan. The family of the young man has been praying for any kind of news, but now that it has come, they are having trouble believing it.
CNN's Jason Carroll talked with this young man's family.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The working-class town of Perth Amboy, New Jersey is a world away from the streets of Afghanistan, and yet a clue reportedly discovered in a house in Kabul may explain what happened to the man who grew up in this house, Hiram Torres. His family says he has been missing since 1998.
MARCELINA VALENTIN, TORRES' GRANDMOTHER (through translator): I would always pray for him first. He was my first grandson, and I would tell God nothing is impossible for you. Please tell me something about Hiram.
CARROLL: His grandmother keeps old pictures of Hiram, hoping word would come. The Torres family finally did get word, but not how they expected.
A "New York Times" reporter called saying Hiram's name, address and other details turned up on a list of recruits in a house apparently used by a militant Pakistani group with ties to al Qaeda. The document, which appeared to be seven years old, also indicated Torres had converted to Islam, and taken the name Mohammed Salman.
Unlike John Walker Lindh, the only American charged with fighting for the Taliban, there is no indication Torres actually joined anti- American forces. Back home, former friends and neighbors remember an intelligent but lonely boy.
EUGENIA PUENTE, NEIGHBOR: Always carrying books with him.
CARROLL (on camera): Always carrying books. PUENTE: And when he come home straight (ph), his mom and his daddy or whatever they were doing in the house, because she didn't go out either.
CARROLL: Did he have any friends?
PUENTE: None. I never saw hang with nobody.
WILLIAM VELEZ, FORMER FRIEND: Kids used to make fun of him, when he would...
CARROLL: Why would they make fun of him?
VELEZ: Because of the way he dressed. You know, at that time, kids were dressing nice and flashy. He would just dress with normal clothes and stuff.
CARROLL (voice-over): Torres was an excellent student, valedictorian in 1993, a member of the track team and German Honor Society.
(on camera): Torres had a reputation of being a bright student, but he was also known for being strong-willed, especially on social studies class. He was reprimanded for being disrespectful to a female student who wanted to speak.
PABLO CLAUSELL, SUPERINTENDENT PERTH AMBOY SCHOOLS: He was talked to, and based on my discussion with the staff member, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was corrected.
CARROLL (voice-over): Torres graduated and enrolled in Yale University, but dropped out after a month. He soon moved to Bangladesh. His mother telling the "Times" he preferred the culture there. Then, onto Pakistan and Afghanistan. U.S. officials say they have no information on Torres, but law enforcement sources tell CNN they want to interview his family now living in Puerto Rico.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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