I understand why so many Americans were angry when I was first discovered in Afghanistan. I realize many still are, but I hope in time that feeling will change.

As an adolescent Lindh participated in IRC chat rooms with the IRC nickname Mujahid. A convert to Islam in California at age 16 Lindh went to Yemen in 1998 to study Arabic for 10 months. S.

He later returned in 2000 then went to Afghanistan to aid the fighters. He did not know about the planned September 11 2001 attacks.