Editorial: Don’t let spin get in the way of facts

Thursday, Jan. 17, 2002 | 8:45 a.m.

On Tuesday John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban, was charged with conspiring to kill Americans in Afghanistan. If convicted, Lindh could face life in prison. A statement released by Walker's family said that they were "grateful to live in a nation that presumes innocence ... until all the facts are presented."

We couldn't agree more with the family's sentiments about the presumption of innocence, but the reality is that it has been Lindh's family and their attorney who have tried to sidestep the facts, minimizing Lindh's involvement with the Taliban while playing up the image of a loving child who wouldn't hurt a soul. Others have expressed compassion for Lindh, suggesting that he was just a kid who somehow got caught up in a fanatical religion.

But let's get real. If Lindh was an Egyptian, Pakistani or Afghan who was a member of the Taliban, there would be no pleas for mercy. This is a situation where the facts should determine Lindh's fate -- not well-orchestrated spin that tries to make him into a victim simply because he is an American.

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