John Walker Lindh, “ American Taliban” set to be released

John Walker Lindh, an Irish-American who converted to Islam as a teenager, is due to be freed in May after being convicted in 2002 of supporting the Taliban. Walker Lindh gained Irish citizenship in 2013 because his paternal grandmother was born in Donegal in 1929,  The Times of Ireland reported.

For those who forget about the case we present the official case below.

John Walker Lindh

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, a/k/a “Suleyman al-Faris,” a/k/a “Abdul Hamid,” Defendant.

CRIMINAL NO.: Conspiracy to Murder U.S. Nationals (18 U.S.C. § 2332(b)) (Count One) Conspiracy to Provide Material Support & Resources to Foreign Terrorist Organizations (18 U.S.C. Defendant. ) § 2339B) (Counts Two & Four) Providing Material Support & Resources to Foreign Terrorist Organizations (18 U.S.C. §§ 2339B ) & 2) (Counts Three & Five) Conspiracy to Contribute Services to al Qaeda (31 C.F.R. §§ 595.205 & 595.204 & 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b)) (Count Six) Contributing Services to al Qaeda (31 C.F.R. §§ 595.204 & 595.205, 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 2) (Count Seven) Conspiracy to Supply Services to the Taliban (31 C.F.R. §§ 545.206(b) & 545.204 & 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b)) (Count Eight) Supplying Services to the Taliban (31 C.F.R. §§ 545.204 & 545.206(a), 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 2) (Count Nine) Using and Carrying Firearms and Destructive Devices During Crimes ) of Violence (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) & 2) (Count Ten)

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS

Al Qaeda and Usama Bin Laden

1. At all relevant times from in or about 1989 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, al Qaeda was an international terrorist group dedicated to opposing non-Islamic governments with force and violence. The group was founded by Usama Bin Laden and others. Bin Laden declared a jihad, or holy war, against the United States and its citizens, which he carried out through al Qaeda and its affiliated organizations. Among other activities, Usama Bin Laden and al Qaeda sponsored, managed, and/or financially supported training camps in Afghanistan, which camps were used to instruct members and associates of al Qaeda and its affiliated terrorist groups in the use of firearms, explosives, chemical weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction. Beginning in or about 1996, Usama Bin Laden and others operated al Qaeda from their headquarters in Afghanistan, and forged close relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. On October 8, 1999, al Qaeda was designated by the Secretary of State as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and was redesignated as such on or about October 5, 2001. In addition, the Secretary of State declared al Qaeda a “specially designated terrorist,” pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Harakat ul-Mujahideen (“HUM”)

2. At all relevant times from in or about 1994, until the date of the filing of this Indictment, Harakat ul-Mujahideen (“HUM”), formerly known as the Harakat al-Ansar, was a terrorist group dedicated to an extremist view of Islam that was based in Pakistan and which operated primarily in Kashmir. HUM ran terrorist training camps in, among other places, the Kashmiri region, and, beginning in approximately 1994, conducted terrorist operations against Indian troops and civilian targets in Kashmiri. On October 8, 1997, HUM was designated by the Secretary of State as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Taliban

3. Beginning around 1994, the Taliban, meaning “students of Islam,” emerged as Afghanistan’s dominant force. The Taliban were extremist religious leaders drawn from the country’s Pashtun ethnic majority, and were supported by Afghans as well as foreigners who traveled to Afghanistan. They practiced an extremist form of Islam, and believed in conducting jihad against those whom they believed threatened their form of Islam, including the United States. The Taliban’s supreme leader was Mullah Mohammed Omar, a cleric from near Kandahar. Occupying and controlling an increasing percentage of the country, the Taliban were opposed primarily by the Northern Alliance, a coalition of various non-Pashtun groups. In 1996, the Taliban took Kabul, and, in 1997, Pakistan recognized the Taliban as the governing body of Afghanistan.
4. In taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban were aided and sustained by Bin Laden and al Qaeda, whose leadership was headquartered in Afghanistan after 1996. In exchange for sanctuary and room to operate terrorist camps, Bin Laden provided the Taliban with money and fighters, and thereafter extended his influence. Within a short time, Bin Laden and the Taliban made Afghanistan a destination point and training center for thousands of young would-be terrorists from around the world.
5. In the ongoing civil war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, the Taliban continued to tighten its hold. By late 2001, the Northern Alliance controlled less than ten percent of Afghanistan, in the northeast corner of the country. Foreign-born, al Qaeda-trained fighters served with the Taliban on the front line.

National Emergency and Executive Order 13129

 

6. On July 4, 1999, President of the United States William J. Clinton declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban. Specifically, the President found that:The actions and policies of the Taliban in Afghanistan, in allowing territory under its control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Usama bin Ladin and the Al-Qaida organization who have committed and threaten to continue to commit acts of violence against the United States and its nationals, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.In his Executive Order 13129, the President prohibited, among other things, the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of the Taliban.
7. On June 30, 2000, the national emergency with respect to the Taliban was continued. One year later, the national emergency was again continued, pursuant to a finding by President of the United States George W. Bush that “[t]he Taliban continues to allow territory under its control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Usama bin Laden and the al-Qaida organization who have committed and threaten to continue to commit acts of violence against the United States and its nationals.”

Terrorist Acts of September 11, 2001

 

8. On or about September 11, 2001, in a coordinated attack against the United States, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. They flew two of the planes into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan, and one into the Pentagon in Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Some 3000 persons died in the attacks; many others were injured, and there was enormous destruction of property.

The United States’s Military Response

 

9. In response to the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush declared a national emergency. After the Taliban refused repeated demands by the United States to turn over Bin Laden, the United States and allied forces began retaliatory bombing of targets in Afghanistan on or about October 7, 2001. Beginning in or about October 2001, United States armed forces and other personnel entered the conflict. On or about November 9, 2001, the Northern Alliance forces claimed their first major victory, by capturing the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, and setting off a chain of Taliban defeats. Taliban fighters afterwards fled Kabul and lost control of most major cities in Afghanistan.

Venue

10. On or about January 23, 2002, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, was first brought into the United States in the Eastern District of Virginia.

COUNT ONE
(Conspiracy to Murder United States Nationals)

 

AP VIDEO On October 4, 2002, John Walker Lindh, the so-called “American Taliban,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a federal judge in Alexandria, Va.

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 the General Allegations of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside the United States and outside the jurisdiction of any particular state and district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did engage in a conspiracy to kill nationals of the United States, including civilians and military personnel, by committing murder, as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1111(a).
3. It was a part of the conspiracy that members and associates of al Qaeda would commit terrorist acts and kill American citizens around the world.
4. It was a part of the conspiracy that members and associates of al Qaeda and the Taliban would violently oppose and kill American military personnel and other United States Government employees serving in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.
5. In furtherance of the conspiracy and to effect the illegal object thereof, the defendant and his coconspirators performed overt acts, including, but not limited to the following:
6. In or about May or June 2001, after several weeks of training in a HUM military training camp in Pakistan, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH (hereafter “LINDH”), informed HUM officials that he wished to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
7. In or about late May or June 2001, LINDH crossed from Pakistan into Afghanistan for the purpose of taking up arms with the Taliban.
8. In or about late May or June 2001, LINDH reported to the Dar ul-Anan Headquarters of the Mujahideen in Kabul, Afghanistan, which was used as a Taliban recruiting center. After presenting a letter of introduction from HUM, LINDH told personnel at that facility that he was an American and that he wanted to go to the front lines to fight.
9. In or about late May or June 2001, LINDH agreed to attend an al-Qaeda training camp for additional and extensive military training, knowing that America and its citizens were the enemies of Bin Laden and al-Qaeda and that a principal purpose of al-Qaeda was to fight and kill Americans.
10. In or about late May or June 2001, LINDH traveled to a Bin Laden guest house in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he stayed for several days.
11. In or about June 2001, LINDH traveled to the al-Farooq training camp, an al Qaeda facility located several hours west of Kandahar, in Afghanistan. LINDH reported to the camp with a group of approximately twenty other trainees, mostly from Saudi Arabia.
12. In or about June and July 2001, LINDH remained at the al-Farooq camp and participated fully in its training activities, after having been told early in his stay at the camp that Bin Laden had sent forth some fifty people to carry out twenty suicide terrorist operations against the United States and Israel.
13. In or about June and July 2001, as part of his al Qaeda training, LINDH participated in terrorist training courses in, among other things, weapons, orienteering, navigation, explosives and battlefield combat, which included the use of shoulder weapons, pistols, and rocket-propelled grenades, and the construction of Molotov cocktails.
14. In or about June or July 2001, LINDH met personally with Bin Laden, who thanked him and other trainees for taking part in jihad.
15. In or about June or July 2001, LINDH met with a senior al Qaeda official, Abu Mohammad Al-Masri, who asked LINDH whether he was interested in traveling outside Afghanistan to conduct operations against the United States and Israel. LINDH declined in favor of going to the front lines to fight.
16. In or about June or July 2001, LINDH swore allegiance to jihad.
17. In or about July or August 2001, after completing his training, LINDH traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan and was issued an AKM rifle, with a barrel suitable for long-range shooting.
18. In or about July or August 2001, LINDH carried the AKM rifle while he traveled, together with approximately 150 non-Afghani fighters, from Kabul to the front line in Takhar, in northeastern Afghanistan. There, LINDH’s unit was placed under the command of Abdul Hady, an Iraqi.
19. In or about July 2001 to September, 2001, LINDH’s group was divided into smaller groups, which rotated in one to two week shifts in the Takhar trenches, opposing Northern Alliance troops.
20. In or about July 2001 to November 2001, LINDH carried various weapons with him, including the AKM rifle, an RPK rifle he was issued after the AKM rifle malfunctioned, and at least two grenades.
21. After learning about the terrorist attacks against the United States on or about September 11, 2001, LINDH remained with his fighting group. LINDH did so despite having been told that Bin Laden had ordered the attacks, that additional terrorist attacks were planned, and that additional al Qaeda personnel were being sent from the training camps to the front lines to protect Bin Laden and defend against an anticipated military response from the United States.
22. From in or about October through early December 2001, LINDH remained with his fighting group after learning that United States military forces and United States nationals had become directly engaged in support of the Northern Alliance in its military conflict with Taliban and al Qaeda forces.
23. In or about November 2001, LINDH’s fighting group retreated from Takhar to the area of Kunduz, Afghanistan, and ultimately surrendered to Northern Alliance troops. On or about November 24, 2001, LINDH and other captured fighters were trucked to Mazar-e Sharif, in Afghanistan, and then to the nearby Qala-i Janghi (“QIJ”) prison compound.
24. On or about November 25, 2001, LINDH was interviewed in the QIJ compound by two Americans, CIA employee Johnny Micheal Spann and another United States Government employee, who were attempting to identify al Qaeda members among the prisoners.
25. On or about November 25, 2001, Taliban detainees in the QIJ compound attacked Spann and the other employee, overpowered the guards, and armed themselves. Spann was shot and killed in the violent attack. After being wounded, LINDH retreated with other detainees to a basement area of the QIJ compound. The bloody uprising took several days to suppress.
26. From on or about November 25, 2001 though on or about December 1, 2001, LINDH remained in the basement area of QIJ with other Taliban and al Qaeda fighters until their recapture. (In violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332(b)(2).)

 

COUNT TWO
(Conspiracy to Provide Material Support & Resources to HUM)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about June 2001, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, but outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, with other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly conspire to knowingly provide material support and resources, as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b), to a foreign terrorist organization, namely Harakat ul-Mujahideen (“HUM”).(In violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B.)

COUNT THREE

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 though 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. In or about May and June 2001, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, but outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, did knowingly provide and attempt to provide material support and resources, as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b), to a foreign terrorist organization, namely Harakat ul-Mujahideen (“HUM”).(In violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2339B and 2.)

COUNT FOUR
(Conspiracy to Provide Material Support & Resources to al Qaeda)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, but outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly conspire to knowingly provide material support and resources, as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. §2339A(b), to a foreign terrorist organization, namely al Qaeda.(In violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B.)

COUNT FIVE

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, but outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, did knowingly provide and attempt to provide material support and resources, as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. §2339A(b), to a foreign terrorist organization, namely al Qaeda.(In violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2339B and 2.)

COUNT SIX

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, being a United States person, did willfully violate a regulation issued under Chapter 35 of Title 50, United States Code, in that LINDH, with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did conspire to willfully and unlawfully make a contribution of services to and for the benefit of al Qaeda, a specially designated terrorist.(In violation of 31 C.F.R. §§ 595.205 & 595.204, and 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b).)

COUNT SEVEN

(In violation of 31 C.F.R. §§ 595.204 & 595.205, 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b), and 18 U.S.C. § 2.)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, being a United States person, did willfully violate a regulation issued under Chapter 35 of Title 50, United States Code, in that LINDH did willfully and unlawfully make and attempt to make a contribution of services to and for the benefit of al Qaeda, a specially designated terrorist.

COUNT EIGHT

(In violation of 31 C.F.R. §§ 545.206(b) & 545.204, and 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b).)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, being a United States person, did willfully violate a regulation issued under Chapter 35 of Title 50, United States Code, in that LINDH, with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did conspire to willfully and unlawfully supply services to the Taliban, to the territory of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, and to persons whose property and interests in property were blocked pursuant to Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 545.201.

COUNT NINE

(In violation of 31 C.F.R. §§ 545.204 & 545.206(a), 50 U.S.C. § 1705(b), and 18 U.S.C. § 2.)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. From in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, being a United States person, did willfully violate a regulation issued under Chapter 35 of Title 50, United States Code, in that LINDH did willfully and unlawfully supply and attempt to supply services to the Taliban, to the territory of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, and to persons whose property and interests in property were blocked pursuant to Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 545.201.

COUNT TEN

(In violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A), 924(c)(1)(B)(ii), and 2.)

1. The Grand Jury realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 through 10 of the General Allegations and paragraphs 5 through 25 of Count One of this Indictment.
2. Between in or about May 2001 through in or about December 2001, outside of the jurisdiction of any particular state or district, the defendant, JOHN PHILLIP WALKER LINDH, did knowingly use, carry, and possess firearms, namely, an AKM rifle, an RPK rifle, and at least two grenades that were destructive devices under Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(B)(ii), during, in relation to, and in furtherance of crimes of violence for which the defendant may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, namely, Conspiracy to Murder United States Nationals as charged in Count One of this Indictment, Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to al Qaeda as charged in Count Four of this Indictment, Providing Material Support and Resources to al Qaeda as charged in Count Five of this Indictment, Conspiracy to Contribute Services to al Qaeda as charged in Count Six of this Indictment, Contributing Services to al Qaeda as charged in Count Seven of this Indictment, Conspiracy to Supply Services to the Taliban as charged in Count Eight of this Indictment, and Supplying Services to the Taliban as charged in Count Nine of this Indictment, all of which Counts are incorporated herein by reference.

 

HIS FATHER’s SIDE OF THR STORY.

The Crimeless Crime: The Prosecution of John Walker Lindh

From Washington Lawyer, May 2005

By Frank R. Lindh

In 1997, at the age of 16, my son John converted to Islam. His aspiration was to become a teacher. He hoped he could one day study at Al-Madinah University in Saudi Arabia, but before enrolling in such a prestigious institution, he decided he should first master classical Arabic and memorize the Koran. It was this ambition that in 2000 took him to Sana’a, the ancient capital of Yemen, where he embarked on a rigorous course of study. He went with my blessing.

At the time, I did not know John’s travels would lead him to encounter circumstances of extreme peril and deprivation, unwanted international notoriety, and ultimately a 20-year prison sentence. All I knew was that John was an inquisitive, respectful, and sensitive kid with a lively intellect and a sincere desire to do good in the world. He was (and is!) a son of whom I am proud.

In September 2000 his visa expired and John was obligated to leave Yemen. He wrote via e-mail that he intended to continue his studies in Pakistan, focusing on Arabic grammar and memorization. I accepted John’s plans without hesitation and wrote, “I trust your judgment and hope you have a wonderful adventure.”

In the spring of 2001, John went up into the mountains to escape the oppressive summer heat. In early June, unbeknownst to me, he crossed the border into Afghanistan, intent upon volunteering for service in the Afghan army, which was engaged in a long-running civil war between the Taliban government and the Russian-backed Northern Alliance. Accepted as a volunteer, John received two weeks of military training in a Taliban camp he later learned was funded by Osama bin Laden, who visited the camp twice. On the second visit John met bin Laden, but came away unimpressed. He could see that bin Laden was not an authentic Islamic scholar or leader.

Later, after his return to the United States, John acknowledged that he made a serious mistake in joining the Taliban army. But at the time of his decision he was not aware of the Taliban’s atrocious human rights record. His motive, he explained, was simply to help alleviate the suffering of ordinary people in Afghanistan. “I felt,” he said at his sentencing hearing, “that I had an obligation to assist what I perceived to be an Islamic liberation movement against the warlords who were occupying several provinces in northern Afghanistan. I had learned from books, articles, and individuals with firsthand experience of numerous atrocities committed by the Northern Alliance against civilians. I had heard reports of massacres, child rape, torture, and castration.” (The reports of the atrocities committed by the Northern Alliance warlords were neither exaggerated nor inaccurate, and they have been thoroughly documented by the State Department.)

In the summer of 2001—prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States—John was assigned to perform sentry duty on the front lines in the remote province of Takhar in northeastern Afghanistan. He was issued a rifle and two hand grenades, neither of which he ever had any occasion to use. Despite Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s later claim that John had been found “with an AK-47 in his hands,” John in fact surrendered his weapons to Northern Alliance troops long before encountering any U.S. troops.

Although the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have obscured the fact, John’s concern about the suffering of innocent civilians in Afghanistan was shared by his own government. On July 21, 2000, for example, the State Department issued a “fact sheet” that reported that the United States was “the largest single donor of humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.”

The United States government also provided funds directly to the Taliban government, including a $43 million grant in May 2001 for opium eradication. This was not covert aid, but was announced personally by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who pledged, “We will continue to look for ways to provide more assistance to the Afghans.” After the September 11 attacks, the State Department quietly removed the press release from its web site.

The Bush administration’s aid to the Taliban was part of a pattern that dated back to 1979, when President Carter responded to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by providing both military and humanitarian assistance to the anticommunist opposition. President Reagan was particularly emphatic in his support of the Afghan resistance movement. In March 1983 President Reagan said, “Every country and every people has a stake in the Afghan resistance, for the freedom fighters of Afghanistan are defending principles of independence and freedom that form the basis of global security and stability.” A year later, in March 1984, he said, “The resistance of the Afghan freedom fighters is an example to all the world of the invincibility of the ideals we in this country hold most dear, the ideals of freedom and independence.” The following year, in a March 1985 speech, he said, “They are our brothers, these freedom fighters, and we owe them our help. . . . They are the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers and the brave men and women of the French Resistance. We cannot turn away from them.”

These were the “freedom fighters” John believed he was supporting when he became a volunteer in the Taliban army. If John was confused about the true nature of the Taliban, he was not alone. For two full decades his own government had praised these soldiers as courageous, moral freedom fighters battling an oppressive foe. Were it not for the September 11 attacks, John’s decision to join the Afghan army in the spring of 2001 would have been left as a family matter.

To be sure, this was an unwise choice. John acted impulsively, with misplaced idealism, and without conferring with his family. He placed himself in harm’s way in a civil war between the Taliban government and the Russian-backed Northern Alliance.

It should be noted, however, that John did not have any advance knowledge of Osama bin Laden’s sinister plot to attack the United States, and that in joining the Afghan freedom fighters he was aligning himself with an army that had received assistance from the Carter administration, the Reagan administration, the first Bush administration, the Clinton administration, and the second Bush administration. John had no criminal intent, and he never took any action of any kind against the United States. READ THE REST HERE