>> justice would have been a life sentence for john walker lindh 18 years ago. that didn't happen. this case, what happened with john walker lindh being used as a test dummy for what we are going to do in the future. we have 400-500 other terrorists set to be released in the next 5 years. what are we going to do going forward? what legislation, what policy to prevent this from happening again? john walker lindh was released for good behavior. what i want to know, is good behavior sending letters to members of the media proclaiming support for isis? is good behavior still promoting global jihad while in jail? or do they see behavior is not starting fights? as not getting aggressive with regard? if it is the latter we really need to read aside and redefine what good behavior in prison really is. shannon: this is sparking legislation on the held by lawmakers who have the same questions you do. we will track that. we know nothing can truly bring closure, we thank you for sharing your story. in texas a battle over social issues is front and center and it is all over chick-fil-a. a new b

john walker lindh made national headlines you may remember now nearly 20 years ago and it is sparking more debate. reporter liz kreutz has the latest on his release. >> john walker lindh's journey began in marin county but took him to the middle east and eventually to prison. some are saying his release is too soon. >> at the islamic center, worshippers still remember john walker lindh. >> he was always calm. he was a secretive person but we didn't see any violence. >> reporter: lind was 16 then living in san and selma. the man known as the american taliban will be released from prison after serving 1 years of his 20-year sentence. >> i was a student in pakistan. >> reporter: that's lynn in his own words after his 2001 capture in afghanistan. he said he traveled to the middle east on a milligramage. in 2002, lind was convicted on terrorism charges. his early release now smoking debate. parents of slain cia officer mike span calling it disturbing news saying the man thblame for their sun's death is still a threat. richard shelby said he too believes he should serve his full sentence. f

john walker lindh served 17 years of a 20 year sentence, following his capture by us forces in afghanistans let out early for good behaviour, but not everyone thinks he's done his time. donald trump has said it shouldn't have happened and the us secretary of state mike pompeo called the release unconscionable. the bbc‘s nick bryant has more. john walker lindh was dubbed the american taliban following his ca ptu re american taliban following his capture in afghanistan in the aftermath of the september the 11th attacks. in december 2001, the fact that there then 20—year—old who'd been raised in san francisco fought alongside caliban fighters shocked and already traumatised nation, then in the early days of the bush administration's war on terror. in his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistake joining his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistakejoining the his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistake joining the taliban and told a federaljudge he never supported terrorism, but there's been strong criticism of his release from this prison in indiana after serving 17 years of a 20

now after 17 years of a 20-year sentence, john walker lindh is set to be free in a matter of hours. >risoner. >> reporter: it was in this exclusive cnn video that america first saw john walker lindh, a then 20-year-old from california once known as the american taliban. >> what injuries do you have? >> bullet in my leg and several shrapnel wounds. >> reporter: now lindh is about to be a free man after serving 17 years for fighting with the taliban in afghanistan where he was even introduced to osama bin laden. taliban fighters stormed the compound where lindh was being held and claimed the first american casualty in the global war on terror, johnny walker span, an undercover cia officer who had interrogated lindsh. lindh is being released early likely for good behavior. >> he won't be able to access social media on his own. he won't be able it to have his own email address and probably will have limitations in terms of who he'll be able to meet with. he won't have restrictions on what he will say and doing media. it's likely he'll be out there in the public domain, possibly even aspou

john walker lindh is walking free.ined the taliban just before 9/11 and was captured in afghanistan. his early release from prison today is sparking outrage. the so-called american taliban expected to walk free today from an indiana picture. john walker lindh's capture made international headlines in the wake of 9/11. lindh is seen in this video taken by afghan intelligence refusing to answer questions from cia officer mike spann. >> hey, look at me. do you know the people that you're working with are terrorists? >> reporter: just an hour later spann was killed by militants during an uprising and lindh's daughter is calling the release a slap in the face. >> he's getting released early because of his good behavior in prison and for my family terrorism does not equal good behavior. >> reporter: lindsay had converted to islam as a teenager in california. left for the middle east and even met osama bin laden at an al qaeda training camp. he pleaded guilty to giving support to the taliban. but he's now being released for g

he used one-third of the money he raised to pay himself. >>> the so-called american taliban, john walker lindh, is scheduled to be released from prison today. lindh was captured in afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks and spent 17 years behind bars. jeff pegues has the story. >> reporter: when john walker lindh was captured by the taliban, he was dubbed the american taliban. >> i came into contact with many people, connected with the taliban. >> reporter: he was interrogated at an afghan prison camp by johnny mike spann. soon, after this video was recorded, span was killed in a prison uprising, the first u.s. casualty of the war. lindh was right back to the u.s. and sentenced to 20 years in prison. ahead of his release, after 17 years, spann's daughter, allison, wrote in a letter to president trump, that lindh's early release was a slap in the face. he is a traitor, she said. law enforcement and intelligence reports from 2017 said lindh continued to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent, extremist texts. lindh's family refused to comment today. but in a 2007 interv

john walker lindh walked out of a federal prison in indiana toda after serving 17 years of a 20 year wing his capture u.s. forces in afghanistan in 2001. lindh was let out early for gd behavior, but not everyone thinks he has done his time. the u.s. secretary of state called the release unconscionable and others fear he may be radicalized. was: john walker lindh dubbed the american taliban following his capture in afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. then 20-year-old who had been raised in sanraisco fought alongside taliban fighters, shocking an already traumatized nation in the early days of bush administration war and terror. war on terror. in his trial, lindh admitted he made a mistake joining the taliban and said he never supported terroris but there has been strong criticism of his release from this prison in indiana, after serving 17 of a 20 year sentce. governme documents suggest he still h a government reporting 2017 claimed lindh continued to advocate for global jihad, and to write and translate violent extremisttasks -- texts. donald trump's today said he wanted to block

>> justice would've been a life sentence for john walker lindh 18 years ago. that didn't happen. er lindh, being used as a test dummy for what we are going to do in the future. we have 400, 500 terrorists who are said to be released in the next five years. what are we going to do going forward? what legislation, what policy are we going to push or to prevent this from happening again? john walker lindh was released early for good behavior. his good behavior sending letters to the media proclaiming support for isis? is good behavior promoting global jihad while still in jail, or did they see good behavior as not getting aggressive with the guards? because if it is the latter we really need to redefine what good behavior in prison really is. >> shannon: this case is sparking legislation on the hill by lawmakers who have the very same questions and concerns that you do. we will track that. our best to you, we know that nothing can ever undo or truly bring closure to you over what happened but we thank you for sharing your story. >> thanks, shannon. >> shannon: in texas, a battle over

john walker lindh is out of prison after serving 17 years but his release has sparked outrage and has u.s. law enforcement watching him closely. here is nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: john walker lindh walked out of the federal prison in indiana earlier this morning he was sentenced to 20 years but qualified for time off for good behavior because he abided by prison rules. arrested two months after the 9/11 attacks, he became known as the american taliban for fighting with the group the first american to be convicted in the war on terror. his release is strongly condemn by the family of johnny michael spann, the cia officer who questioned him in 2001 in afghanistan and was killed in an uprising a few hours later. >> some want to call it a slap in the face, it is a stab in the back he is a traitor before anything else, people need not forget that. >> reporter: secretary mike pompeo, the former cia director, called lindh's release today unconscionable given intelligence assessments say that he continued to advocate for global jihad while in prison. tonight president donald trump. >

johnny span takes exception to the name given to john walker lindh american taliban. he believes lindh was al qaeda all along and met with osama bin laden. 85% is usually the protocol for serving out a federal sentence. that's exactly what john walker lindh did almost to the number. the family is very upset about the early release. sandra. >> sandra: just off the phone with his father this morning. mike tobin, thank you. >> bill: get to this high drama in the battle between president trump and congressional democrats. speaker pelosi accusing the president of a cover-up. the president says the only real thing -- the only thing blocking real work getting done for the american people are the phony investigations and russian hoax. here is how this unfolded in the span of an hour and a half just yesterday. >> president trump: i walk in to look at people that have just said that i was doing a cover-up. i don't do cover-ups. i told senator schumer, speaker pelosi, i want to do infrastructure but you can't do it under these circumstances so get these phony investigations over

. >>> john walker lindh, the man dubbed the american taliban in 2001 is set to be released from prison today some fear he remains a major security risk. >>> the two grandmothers arrested for carrying cbd oil. what you need to know if you plan to travel with it. >>> and the story of the day involving a friendship that will have you smiling all day "early today" starts right now >>> good thursday morning. i'm phillip mena. >> and i'm frances rivera. we begin with breaking news. massive tornadoes have wreaked havoc in missouri, and the damage is being described as devastating. officials have confirmed at least three deaths in the state and we're hearing reports of firefighters stopping to people trapped in collapsed buildings for more let's get to nbc's morgan chesky, who is near jefferson city for us. morgan, what are you seeing? >> reporter: frances, good morning. we are in jefferson city, missouri, right now, drying through one of the strands of that storm that hit just before midnight today we do know the reports are confirmed of a violent tornado that made its way through the capital

american taliban john walker lindh is a free man this morning. of his sentence in federal prison, after he was captured by u.s. forces in 2001. lindh will live in virginia now. >>> teachers in a strike enter their fifth day. parents and teachers join in a strike. teachers want a pay increase. but the district is offering far less. >>> and today, in santa clara county, a decision on plans for a new mosque. the proposal calls for a 30,000 square foot complex on a grass field in martin. it would also include a cemetery with 2,000 graves. >>> new updates on your platform, including our website. your platform, including our website. ♪ inside out got it figured out,♪ ♪ i'm feeling good. ♪ doing it my own way, ♪ every single day. ♪ and it feels good to feel good. ♪ start your day with sunsweet amazin! prune juice. and feel good. >>> good morning here at 7:28. we are tracking some delays this morning. let's look at your main travel times. so far, everything is in the red, with the exception of you coming out of the south bay this morning. 53 minutes on h

that's what john walker lindh walked out of the sprawling prison behind me. e had three years shaved off for good behavior. many believe his behavior has not been good. documents said lindh had been back on the internet viewing radical material, even translating violent text. >> as i understand it, he still is threatening the united states of america. still committed to the jihad that he engaged in that killed a great american and great officer. there's something deeply troubling about this. >> reporter: lindh has supervised parole now for three years. he can have a smart phone or internet capable device that isn't approved by parole. he can only communicate online in english. according to his former attorney that parole will take place in northern virginia. dana? >> dana: you spoke with mike spann's father. >> reporter: he is the father of the cia agent that was killed in afghanistan. the family of mike spann has long held the belief that he knew about the prison uprising. spann points out lindh has sued the bureau of prisons a couple of times and won. he sai

as john walker lindh re—enters american society, he'll be subject to stringent restrictions.k bryant, bbc news, washington. a violent tornado has caused heavy damage in the us state of missouri, killing at least three people. the state capital, jefferson city, was also hit. rescue teams are carrying out door to door checks to make sure people are safe. storms have also hit neighbouring oklahoma and texas. ramzan karmali reports. the damage from yet another tornado has hit the american west. the damage from yet another tornado to hit the american west. according to the us national weather service, over 170 twisters have been reported in the last week alone. winds of 160miles an hour hit the state of missouri and some said the storm, whent it's hit, and some said the storm, when it's hit, felt like an earthquake. the trail of destruction has been most acutely felt in the state of missouri. in golden city, the bodies of 86—year—old kenneth harris and his 83—year—old wife, 0pal, were found over 180 metres away from their home. the state highway patrol identified the third victim

that has residents fired up. >>> plus, breaking news, american taliban and bay area john walker lin john walker lindh released from federal prison. what we know is next for him. you are watching "today in the bay." . good thursday morning to you. thanks so much for joining us. taking a peek outside at the bay bridge. hoping for nice temperatures today. no rain in sight. at least for the moment. we are in may. good morning, thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> kris sanchez is on location in concord. he is giving out free coffee and making your day. we will catch up later to see how you can get your free cup of joe, tea, muffins, whatever you want on us. >> whatever. >> to get your morning going. >> let's take a look at the forecast with kari. >> this will keep you going. we are starting to see sunshine come through the blinds across the bay area as we wake up. this is a live look outside, we'll be at 54 degrees, so another nice and cool start and a fairly quick warm-up going into noon. we'll be in the upper 60s. we continue to go up a few more degrees from there. we will talk about the weekend

the so-called american taliban john walker lindh has been released from prison. county native has spent the last two decades in prison. abc's whit johnson is in indiana with why some are concerned about lindh's release. >> reporter: reggie and jessica, good morning to you both. the now 38-year-old john walker lindh is leaving this prison today much like he went in nearly two decades ago under a cloud of controversy. sources expressing concern to abc news that lindh remains radicalized with extremist beliefs. lindh served 17 of his 20-year sentence shaving off three years for good behavior. the case making international headlines in the wake of 9/11, lindh found gaunt and filthy captured from a prison basement in afghanistan in 2001. an uprising resulted in the death of cia officer mike spann. lindh had converted as a teenager, left for the middle east, even met osama bin laden at a training camp. he pled guilty to giving armed support to the taliban and condemned terrorism at his sentencing. his release is sparking outrage. two government reports found he continue

nbc news now confirming american taliban and bay area native john walker lindh has been released from federal prison. lindz h was sentenced -- hilindh grew up -- lindh grew up in marin county. pete suros wiatos will have a l story at the bottom of the hour. >>> we get our first look at the series of deadly tornadoes in missouri. this is from the state capital. jefferson city took a direct hit. power lines are down. emergency crews are out there. trees knocked down by this massive storm. so far no death has been reported in missouri's capital zichlt 50 miles west -- but 50 miles west of here, the storm caught a lot of people by surprise. >> mom come up, 30 seconds, get downstairs now, got downstairs not 30 seconds, windows start shaking, felt the house rattling. >> can you image than panic? search and rescue are under way in jefferson city, the situation is being called chaotic in some of the hardest hit areas. >>> in washington, the dust is still settling after a dramatic showdown between president trump and house speaker nancy pelosi. the president is vowing to not work with democrat

the so-called american taliban john walker lindh lindh arrearrg released early from prison today.dead after spending hours left inside a hot van. the arrest this morning and the new action to

john walker lindh walked out as a free man in end after serving 17 of 20 years that he was sentencede was let out for good behavior. there's serious concerns that he still supports islamic extremism after all these years. a letter that revealed in 2015 he wrote this from prison about isis. saying "they're doing a spectacular job. the islamic state is clearly very sincere and serious about fulfilling the long neglected religious caliphate." lindh fought alongside the taliban in 2001. he was captured in afghanistan months after september 11th when this whole war was so fresh in everybody's minds. there was an upraising where he was held. during the uprising, johnny mike spann was the first american to be killed after 9-11 in the effort in afghanistan. we'll talk to his father, johnny, in just a moment. but first, my next guest interrogated khalid sheikh mohammed, architect of 9-11. here's dr. mitchell, author of "enhanced interrogation." great to have you on "the story." thanks for being here. what does that letter tell you about where his head is now and do you believe that he poses a

. >> that's president trump talking about john walker lindh. a bay area man who went to afghanistan and then federal prison. tonight the man once known as the american taliban is free. president trump said he tried to >> he was released from custody three weeks early for good behavior. >> the images most americans of to john walker behindh stretches back to gantt. he studied islam and was ultimately capital wurd the taliban. soon americans would learn of his life in the bay area. hero cwing up in marin county where worshippers still remember him to abc7 news. >> he would come here. he was always calm of he was a seeker of knowledge. we didn't see any violence. >> reporter: during his initial activity, the taliban staged a counter raid. mike span had interrogated lindh. span's family raised concerns about his early release, pointing to emails where he told his father he was not interested in renouncing his beliefs. >> we need to find out for sure. is he still the same al qaeda member that we put in jail? >> his father is an adjunct law professor

let's start with those who supervoned releasetions for john walker lindh. are those sufficient to make su that lindh or anyone like him who has been convicted of these crimes doesn't stay radical in the future? >> well, i don't think that they're foolproof and that there's 100% guarantee with anything. what we do is we set up conditions to monitor, provide monitoring, surveillance, correctional treatment throughout the course of supervision, throughout watching behavior very closely we'll know and monitoreople are doing under supervision. we never take people's rd for what they are doing or their commitment, but we wat their actions, and, therefore, tho conditions are paramount and both public safety and ensuring that there is correctional or reharehabilitative treatment for extremists. >> there is an irony, it seems to me. the u.s. actually funds deradicallization programs overseas, as you know, because you ossited some of programs overseas. there is no national u.s. deradicallization program, even though about 80 or 90 convicild terroristsl be released in

that's where his supervision and parole are scheduled to take place, this is after john walker lindh cover of night. the question is whether he is reformed. leaked documents reported by policy magazine said lindh continued in prison to get online, advocate jihad, prompting many to claim he's still a threat. >> he still as i understand it threatening the united states of america and still committed to the very jihad that he engaged in that killed a great american and a great officer. something deeply troubling about this. >> lindh had been indicted on ten charges. the defense poked holes in the case, mostly over the questioning of lindh in custody. so lindh was able to plead to supporting the taliban and carrying weapons in afghanistan. the sentence was 20 years. he did 85% of that as per the federal guideline. guideline says with good behavior he can go off with doing 80%. he does have some restrictions on his supervised release. he can't have a smart phone or an internet capable device. can only communicate online in english. trace? >> mike, you spoke to the father of cia agent mike

james started back to robin 5 a one a breaking news overnight john walker lindh the first american boarded taney in the war on terror. >>has been released from prison in indiana of them are in county man offered are often referred to as the american taliban was arrested in afghanistan back in 2001. >>prof force trusting that hate row live in marin county to tell us now what his life will be like after 17 years behind federal prison bars percent up. >>yep i'm here live in san else. i'm aware he actually let a majority of his life before jail right here and we do know that his dad also live here in marine county in general. now john walker lindh he was the first american morning detainee in that warrant or after the 9.11 attacks, he was arrested and taken into custody in late 2001 just as you are saying james lynn became a focal point of american frustration and anger when the then 20 year-old was found among the ranks of taliban soldiers captured in afghanistan, afghanistan and that was just 3 months after the 9.11 attacks when grew up here in san anselmo we're converting to islam when he w

american tiban john walker lindh is released from prison. the u.s.f state calls the dision unconscionable. elephants, a ban on citing conflict with conservation -- citing conflict with humans. conservations -- conservationists warn of the coequences. welcome to our viewers on public television in americaand around the globe. the indian prime minister has proclaimed a historic mandate following his return to power for another five years. voters gave his party an overwhelming majority in congress with more than 300 of the 543 seats up for grabs. of t vote follows the world's largest-ever election process, involving 900 million people and now from new delhi and a warning, flashing images. india's strongman has retained his grip onower. owck for a second term, the boy who sold to has into one of the world's most powerful men. >> is the people who have one. ntdedicate this victory to the people of this c. tonly have one emotion express pay long mother india. he has fended off fallenges five more years. celebrations here are about more than just then. elec

. >>> the american taliban john walker lindh is expected to be released from prison tomorrow 18 years after he was arrested in afghanistan, and tonight we're hering exclusively about his support from isis from behind bars. nbc's pete williams has more. >> reporter: john walker lindh's imminent rease has law enforcement officials concerned tonight. nbc news learned an internal memo warns that he remains a committed jihadist after serving 17 years of a 20-ar prison sentence. he was called the american taliban, a shocking arrest in afghanistan two months after the 9/11 attacks. >> what is your name? fo>> reporter: he ht with the taliban and met al qaeda leader bin laden. lindh was questioned fft an afghan prison by ciaer johnny michael span killed in an uprising there several hours later. lindh pleaded guilty in 2002 to support the taliban tearfully renouncing terrorism in court but these u.s. intelligence assessments say he continued to advocate global jihad while in prison. in his letter in 2015 seen tonight for the first time, he expressed support for isis and said quote they are doin

john walker lind is out of pafter serving 17 years but his release spked trage and has u.s. law enforcement watching him closely. here nbc's is andrea mitchell. >> reporter: john walker lindh walked out of prison early this morning. he was sentenced to 20 years but qualified for time off because he abided by prison rules arrested two months after the 9/11 attacks, he became known as the american titaliban for fighng with the group. the first american to be convicted on the war on terror. his release rongly condemned by the family of johnny michael sp, the cia officer who questioned lindh at a prison in afghanistan in 2001 and killed a few hours later. >> ome people want to call it a slap in the face. it's a stab in the back. he's a traitor before anything else. people need not forget that. >> reporter: mike pompeo called lindh's release unconscionable. he continued to actively talk about global jihad while in prison.pr ident trump weighing in. >>> what bothers me more than anything else, here is a mad who has not given up his proclamaon of terror and we have to let him out. am i happy about it? not even a little bit. for now lindh will not live far from the virginia courth

>>american taliban is now out of prison john walker lindh's took up arms with terrorists and was arrestedn. shortly after the 9.11 attacks, he served 17 years of his 20 year sentence as there are concerns tonight about his release and whether he still harbors radical views. john lawrence reports. >>john walker lindh your free man once again, the first american born detainee in war on terror was taken into custody in late 2001 american when grew up in a san francisco suburb converting to islam when he was 16 documents based on interrogations saillant went to pakistan in 2000 and train but the radicals. he later moved to afghanistan and became a member of the tell us what you thought would be. >>is the right >>lynn was sentenced to prison have his own e-mail address. and you probably will have some limitations in terms of even who we might be able to meet with some are calling for an investigation into comments lindh allegedly made in support of isis during his incarceration his discuss still the same al qaeda member that we put in jail. >>if he still al qaeda member we put in jail, they wi

. >>> the man known as the american taliban, john walker lindh, was freed from federal prison today after serving 17 of a 20 year sentence. heather holmes is here now with reaction to his release. >> reporter: john walker lindh lived in martin county from the time he was 10 years old and attended high school in larkspur. he has not headed back here. he will live near washington, dc under the terms of his release. he was 20 years old when he traveled to afghanistan, joined the taliban and attended out al qaeda training camps. he was captured in 2001 and is now 38 years old. he was serving a 20 year prison sentence and released three years early for good behavior. president trump said he's tried to stop the release, but there was no legal way to do so. the president vowed that lindh would be closely monitored. >> we will be watching him closely. what bothers me more than anything else is here is a man who is not given up his proclamation of terror and we have to let him out. am i happy? not even a little bit. >> reporter: lindh's release is also opposed by the family of cia operative mike s

jeff pegues picks up the story. >> reporter: when john walker lindh was captured in afghanistan shortlyer the u.s. invasion in 2001, he was dubbed the "american taliban." >> i came into contact with many people who were connected with the taliban. >> reporter: the california native was interrogated at an afghan prison camp by c.i.a. officer johnny "mike" spann. soon after this video was recorded, spann was killed in a prison uprising, the first u.s. casualty of the war. lindh was brought back to the u.s. and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. ahead of his release, after 17 years, spann's daughter, alison, wrote in a letter to president trump that lindh's early release was a slap in the face. "he is a traitor," she said. >> i think every american ought to be outraged at his early release. >> reporter: cbs news senior national security analyst fran townsend: >> he volunteered to go to afghanistan, he met with bin laden, and put himself on the front lines of this fight, fighting american forces. >> reporter: law enforcement and intelligence reports from 2017 said lindh "continued to advo

>> well, the department of probation will oversee john walker lindh with a number of conditions that not possess an internet capable device unless it's approved by the department of probation. he may not have a foreign passport or leave the united states even though he has duel citizenship in ireland. he may not communicate online in any language other than english. he may not communicate with anybody extremist and must undergo mental health counselling. trace, back to you. >> trace: thanks, mike. president trump considering pardoning several military service members accused or convicted of war crimes, including murder. jennifer griffin reporting live at the pentagon. jennifer? >> trace, there are indications president trump is considering pardoning several u.s. service members accused of war crimes ahead of memorial day. they include the four marine snipers urinating on taliban corps in afghanistan in 2011. they were caught on this video. nicklaus flatten who was found guilty for killing unarmed iraqi civilians in 2007. other possible pardons include former green beret, major matthe

john walker lindh was the first prisoner brought into a u.s. courtroom to face charges in the war on terror following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. >> and now the nth bay native is out, and he is not coming back to california. abc7 news reporter whit johnson has the story. >> dan and am marks we're told john walker lindh, the so-called american taliban is on the move to his new home outside washington after walking out of this indiana prison in the early morning hours. lindh, a new 38-year-old from marin county who converted to islam captured in afghanistan just weeks after 9/11. today released after serving only 17 of his 20-year sentence. president trump now responding to the growing controversy, saying he wanted to stop it but legally couldn't. this after government report surfaced finding that lindh continued to advocate for global jihad and made pro isis statements behind bars. lindh was released on probation for good behavior with restrictions on internet access travel, and he is required to undergo mental health treatment. experts tell us th

here's jeff pegues. >> reporter: overnight, a man believed to be john walker lindh got into a car and left a federal prison in terre haute, indiana. 18 years ago, u.s. troops captured lindh fighting with the taliban in afghanistan. c.i.a. officer johnny "mike" spark interrogated lindh. soon after this video was recorded, spann was killed in a ann'htisonising. believes lindh remains a threat. >> we still feel that he is radicalized, and that releasing him into our public is a danger to everybody. >> reporter: president trump said there was nothing legally he could do. >> what bothers me more than anything else is that here's a man who has not given up his proclamation of terror, and we have to let him out. >> reporter: according to the group new america, since 9/11, 346 people have been charged and convicted in the u.s. of jihadist terrorism-related crimes. like lindh, 19 of them will be released this year and next. >> this is the start of a wave. >> reporter: counter-terrorismys is no strategy in place to help terrorism prisoners re-enter society. no system? >> no system adequate to a

american taliban john walker lindh is now hours away from freedom tonight. he left the u.s. before 9/11, trained with al qaeda. he was captured during the u.s. invasion of afghanorteonige -ca just hours away from walking of an indiana prisonft w thiheh the right place? would be.y what i >> reporter: a headline grabbing case in the wake of 9/11. stunning images, john walker lindh, gaunt and filthy, captured from prison basement in afghanistan in 2001. seen here in this video taken by afghan intelligence, refusing to answer questions from cia officer mike spann. >> hey, look at me. do you know the people that you're here working with are terrorists? >> reporter: just an hour later, spann killed by militants during a prison uprising. lindh had converted to islam as a california teenager, left for the middle east, even met osama bin laden at an al qaeda training camp. he pleaded guilty to giving armed support to the taliban, but is now being released for good behavior, sparking outrage. mike spann's father urging president trump to intervene. >> don't turn him loose if there's r

john walker lipped was releas-- walker lindh was released. he is from marin. his future holds. >>> stocks are down right now in another steep sell-off. it's down nearly 300 points, it was down farther than that earlier this morning. the dow and nasdaq are both down 1% as a u.s.-china trade war continues with a sell-off today and concerns about each side digging in. tomorrow, we )ll brel the memorial day weekend events happening across the bay area. plus-- we )re tracking your weekend forecast as you make your plans. join us tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7. >>> it's 8:00 on " . >>> it's 8:00 on "today," coming up, the hidden heroes among us more than 5 million care givers across the u.s. whose stories are untold, whose courage is unseen, and whose resilience is unwavering. >> i know that i am not alone, that more than anything makes this journey worth it. >> today, we prepare a hero's welcome as we celebrate their sacrifice for our country and their service to our men and women in uniform all live from the iconic indianapolis motor speedway. joining us, former

john walker lindh oig fought with the taliban before he was captured in 2001 pe is out on probation. despite letters that he wrote to an nbc affiliate which he wrote in 2015 which show his support for isis. he wrote, i feel honored to have been able to take part in the afghan jihad and to contribute to the defense of the islamic emrat of afghanistan. ron mott is joining us from just outside the prison where lindh spent the last 17 years. >> reporter: it is now official, john walker lindh has been released from federal custody. we had a crew camped out here all night outside the federal prison, did not see what we could determine a departure from the prison, but suffice to say he is no longer in prison custody. we believe he was taken to the jurisdiction in which he was convicted, that is the eastern district of virginia. john walker behind's parenuk e'e made arrangements for him to live in virginia. he had to agree to certain prohibitions. perhaps at the top of that list is all of his electronic communications must be monitored by the federal government. that includes the fbi, perhap

john walker lindh was today released from prison on good behavior, after his arrest after 9/11 in afghanistan, serving 17 years for supporting the taliban. he'd actually spent time in an al qaeda training camp. tonight, some authorities warn he still has terrorist sympathies. he will live in the u.s. abc's whit johnson has new reporting on where. >> reporter: the so-called american taliban, john walker lindh, slipping out of this indiana prison before dawn. >> he's an american citizen, right? >> yeah. >> well, right now, you are a prisoner. >> all right. >> reporter: the californian who converted to islam, captured in 9/11, today released after serving only 17 of his 20-year sentence. president trump saying he wanted to stop it, anythi else is that here's a man who has not given up his proclamation of terror. and we have to let him out. am i happy abo i after government reports found that lindh "continued to advocate for global jihad" and "made pro-isis statements" behind bars. the family of mike spann, a cia officer who interrogated lindh just before he was killed by militants, appealed dire

just yesterday this man, shown in the late 2001, john walker lindh, walked free from jail yesterday despitens that he could still be a violent islamic extremist. john walker lindh served 17 years of a 20-year sentence under the guidelines issued by the american government he was free to walk out yesterday. now the authorities took his passport, apparently he does have the ability to have a driver's license. president trump was asked about this yesterday and said the following about john walker lindh. >> president trump: what bothers me more than anything else is that here is a man who has not given up his proclamation of terror. and we have to let him out. am i happy about it? not even a little bit. the lawyers have gone through it with a fine tooth comb. if there was a way to break that i would have broken it in two seconds. >> bill: the president's position is clear on this. here is the issue. as we spoke yesterday with a former federal prosecutor, there needs to be a new review of the american prison system because there are currently 90 other cases in the u.s. just like john walker lind

john walker lindh is set to go free on american soil.5:30 a.m. a tornado outbreak turning deadly in missouri. a tornado emergency for missouri's capital of jefferson city. the national weather service confirms the city took a direct hit from a twister. all jefferson city firefighters have been called into work on rescue operations. we spoke to the city's mayor. >>>. >> the biggest concern is that we are hoping that everybody's okay. buildings and things can be replaced. we just are hoping that everybody is all right. >> the damage is extensive, roofs ripped off homes, debris everywhere. at least 10,000 customers are without power. at this chevy dealership, the cars literally tossed around. landing upside down. officials are asking people to stay indoors. >> we do not need citizens coming out, helping us by driving around identifying problems. we have enough calls coming in from affected citizens to where we don't need people driving around telling us that there's a tree in the roadway. we have personnel out doing that. >> three people in

why john walker lindh got out of a federal prison early today. >>> it is a big problem for b.a.r.t.,ing to stop fare evaders. >>> and breaking overnight a violent tornado touches down in missouri's capital. what we know this morning. that is a terrifying sight. look at that tunnel. it's huge. good morning to you. >>> first we're going to talk about what's happening locally with our weather. >>> all of those tornado outbreaks, those storms originated through us, moved over the rockies, spun up when they hit the high plains. here is a look back here and it looks hazy and fog trying to form. we're going to see increasing sunshine today and warmth. mid-50s at 7:00. near 70 already at noon. what a great lunch time. upper 60s then. here is a look, 33 reports of tornadoes, funnel clouds are tornadoes that don't reach the ground, technically funnel clouds until they do reach the ground and then look what's happening -- i was going to show you there's more severe weather headed for these areas today. look at all of that from texas to new york, tornadoes are possible. sue? >> makes me happy to

if american people followed in john walker lindh's footsteps, would we be free?ca be free? would you be free? would your kids be free? i would like for everybody to think about that, because mike spann was a patriot, and he showed it by his actions. this guy was a traitor and he showed it by his actions. >> mr. spann, i appreciate that. and again, i'm so sorry for your loss. thank you. >> thank you. >> and in a moment, an update on the disaster relief bill that was supposed to get past the house today. we'll have details, ahead. the matters.ar... introducing the all-new 2019 ford ranger, it's the right gear. with a terrain management system for... this. a bash plate for... that. an electronic locking rear differential for... yeah... this. heading to the supermarket? get any truck. heading out here? get the ford ranger. the only adventure gear built ford tough. ♪ ahhhh! ♪ we're here. ♪ ♪ my time is thin, but so is my lawn. now there's scotts thick'r lawn 3-in-1 solution. with a soil improver! seed! and fertilizer to feed! now yard time is our time. this is a scott

but nonetheless, john walker lindh has been granted early release due to good behavior.ana tomorrow at some point. there will be restrictions on him. there are definitely concerns. a couple of days ago, we talked to spann's father, who has also written to the federal court petitioning them to find out once and for all if john walker lindh really does continue to hold radical beliefs and if these beliefs may pose a threat. it's a question with a lot of reports out there about all this, but perhaps not really clear answers. nonetheless, when he leaves prison tomorrow, he will be under parole restrictions. a lot of people still questioning, and no good answers, will that be enough. >> barbara starr, important story and we'll stay on top of it, but nancy pelosi, the house speaker, is speaking right now. >> -- decision case which is in the court today in new york, 10:30 that case will come up. mr. schiff of the intelligence committee talked about the documents that now the justice department is willing to convey or to present to the intelligence committee. so, there were thre

walker lindh is like after 17 years in prison in indiana? we don't entirely but there has been some communication with john walker but there has been some communicationat it looks like, as far as we can tell, he still harbours some extremist views. they've evolved a bit since 2001. he may harbour some pro islamic state views, evolving from al-qaeda and the taliban. still concerning. we'll have to see what he's like when he gets out. in a way, an interesting case for testing the american system of integrating individuals who have been radicalised, putting them back into society. what happens to him now, what's the process for making sure he's integrated in a way that's safe ? he's integrated in a way that's safe? there are restrictions on what he can do, but there is not an american disengagement programme from the government, like in the uk, with the prevent strategy, there's no programme to de—or disengage him from radical beliefs stop —— disengage. it isn't trying to evolve his ideology, which puts him in a dangerous situation. this is a problem that the us is going to have to grapple with because there are around 60—100 prisoners that will come ou

. >>> there are new warnings out tonight about john walker linlin lindh, the man known as the american taliban. he's expected to be released from prison toearsow d tonight we're hearing exclusively about his avowed support of isis from behind bars. nbc's pete williams has more >> reporter: john walker lindh's imminent release has law enforcement officials concerned tonight. nbc news has learned that an internal memo circulated this week warned that he remains a committed jihadist after serving 17 years of a 20-year prison sentence he was called an american taliban a shocking arrest in afghanistan just two months after the 9/11 attacks. he fought with the taliban and met al qaeda leader bin laden. lindh was questioned in a afghan prison by cia officer johnny michael spann, who was killed in a prison uprising there lindh tearfully renounced terrorism in court but intelligence assessments say he continued to advocate global jihad while in prison in this letter to nbc 4 los angeles in 2015, first timend said, quote, they are doing a spectacular job. spann's parents say lindh should never b

span's daughter allison slamming the decision after proof the john walker lindh still supported terrorif he is doing this behind bars, what can we expect when he is free on the streets? justice would have been a life sentence for john walker lindh 18 years ago. that didn't happen. heather: the charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. donald trump issuing this warning. >> we will be watching him, we will be watching him closely. here is a man who has not given up his proclamation of terror. we have to let him out. am i happy about it? not even a little bit. heather: lindh served 17 of his 20 year sentence for convicting terror related crimes following the september 11th attacks. a british prime minister, theresa may, is expected to resign this morning amid the brexit fallout. today she is meeting with the leader of the conservative party. of may steps down she would still be in office when donald trump visits the uk in a couple weeks. frustrated lawmakers upset over her failure to deliver a brexit deal. the time is 20 minutes until the top of the our. donald trump going to tokyo to