‘American Taliban’ Militant John Walker Lindh Released From Prison

John Walker Lindh, the captured Islamic militant who at age 20 journeyed to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and fought alongside the terrorists in the days after 9/11, was released from a U.S. federal prison in Indiana on Thursday — despite lawmakers’ concerns about the “security and safety implications” of freeing an unrepentant terrorist who officials say continues to “openly call for extremist violence.”

Lindh, dubbed the “American Taliban,” had been serving his sentence at the Terre Haute, Indiana facility. He was discharged several years before completing the 20-year prison sentence he received for joining and supporting the Taliban, with officials citing “good behavior” for the early release. The former Islamist fighter and enemy combatant, named “Detainee 001 in the war on terror,” was captured alongside a group of Taliban fighters in 2001, just months after the Sept. 11 attacks and the start of the war in Afghanistan.

12 Key Points on Iran Peace Deal Revealed, as Trump Says He’ll Likely Read It to Media So They Get It Right

Pentagon Sends Coast Guard to Rescue 2 Survivors After Latest Deadly Strike on Narco-Terrorists in Pacific

Oklahoma Democrats face runoff showdown in race for deep-red Senate seat

Deadly B-52 crash puts focus on engines, controllability as investigators hunt for answers

Trump says Senate hearing on DNI nominee is cancelled until US attorney replacement confirmed

Trump DNI pick braces for Senate grilling as temporary stand-in fuels Dem pressure

5 chilling details from the alleged White House attack plot tied to UFC event

Canadian tourism to US begins to rebound after 51st state, tariffs debacle

Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump becomes baggage in reelection campaign

Trump wins two, loses one: Georgia billionaire delivers rare blow to endorsement machine

Texas plane crash leaves one dead, more injured after business jet catches fire on highway

GOP Gov DeWine urges Ohio to abolish the death penalty, says it is no longer a deterrent

Dems pick potential successor to DC’s congressional delegate after decades-long incumbency

State of play: What to know about potential socialist showdown between Trump and DC mayor as votes pour in

DC Guard shooting suspect stares down death penalty in first court appearance

See also Trump arrives for UFC fight

“We must consider the security and safety implications for our citizens and communities who will receive individuals like John Walker Lindh, who continue to openly call for extremist violence,” Sens. Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., wrote in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons late last week that was obtained by the Washington Post.

In the letter, the lawmakers reportedly sought details on how the agency is working to prevent prisoners such as Lindh from committing additional crimes after their release. They also asked which other “terrorist offenders” are next in line to be freed and how the Federal Bureau of Prisons determines whether or not someone is an “ongoing public threat.”