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Is He an Enemy of the U.S.?

By Kathryn Hoffman

Not so long ago, John Walker Lindh was just a quiet teenager living in California. Then his life took a very odd turn. Last week, the 20-year-old American was charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and supporting terrorism. If Walker is found guilty, he could go to jail for life.

In 1998, Walker, who uses his mother's maiden name, left home to study Islam in the Middle East. His parents heard from him last May, then he vanished. In November, U.S. soldiers were amazed to find him among captured Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

The F.B.I. says Walker fought with the Taliban against U.S. troops and trained with the al-Qaeda terrorist group. "We may never know why he turned his back on our country," said U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. "But we cannot ignore that he did."

Last week, the government also charged British citizen Richard Reid with terrorism. He is accused of trying to use bombs in his shoes to blow up a plane in December.

Now, the F.B.I. is searching for five suspects recently identified in an al-Qaeda videotape. Ashcroft released photos of the men and issued a plea for help in finding them.

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