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AP. 7 December 2001. Parents of Alleged American Taliban Warrior Say They Haven't Heard From Government About Son. SAN FRANCISCO -- The parents of the Californian found holed up with Taliban troops in Afghanistan said Friday that the government has not given them any word about his condition or whereabouts. Through their attorney, Frank Lindh and Marilyn Walker said they are "desperately worried" about 20-year-old John Walker, who was taken into custody nearly a week ago by U.S. forces after a bloody prison uprising near Mazar-e-Sharif. Attorney James Brosnahan told The Associated Press on Friday he had sent a fax to the Department of Defense seeking information on Walker's whereabouts, and also contacted the State Department. Neither agency provided information, he said. "John's parents have received no official word as to John's physical health, mental state or even his whereabouts," Brosnahan said in a statement. "We have renewed our previous request to the government to know what John's condition is and to visit him without delay." Federal officials have limited their comments about Walker, who gave his name as Abdul Hamid after being caught with Taliban fighters. Attorney General John Ashcroft would not comment Thursday on any legal actions to be taken against Walker. A day earlier, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the Bush administration had yet to decide what to do him. A videotape aired by ABC Friday apparently showed CIA officers interrogating Walker on Nov. 25 shortly before the prison uprising in northern Afghanistan. In the video, a despondent Walker sat in a dusty clearing with his hands tied behind his back. His clothing was tattered and dirty; his hair hid his face. His interrogators were Johnny "Mike" Spann, who was later killed in the uprising, and an agent known only as Dave. "Who brought you here?" Dave asked repeatedly. "Hello? Wake up!" The agent told Spann: "The problem is, he needs to decide whether he wants to live or die here. ... We can only help those guys who will talk to us." The video was first described Thursday by Newsweek magazine on its Web site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
