The parents of a young American man captured fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan pleaded last night for permission to visit him, saying the US government had given them no information on his condition or whereabouts.
"Like any parents would be in their situation, John's parents are desperately worried about their son," attorney James Brosnahan, who represents Frank Lindh and Marilyn Walker, said in a statement.
Their son, 20-year-old John Walker, is being held by US forces after he was found among 80 foreign al Qaeda fighters who survived a bloody uprising at the Qala-i-Jangi fortress in northern Afghanistan last week.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said yesterday that the United States had still not decided how to handle Mr Walker's case.
"The determinations are still pending," Mr Fleischer told reporters. "An investigation and review of the facts - that's being conducted by the Department of the Defense."
Mr Brosnahan said repeated entreaties by Mr Walker's parents for information about their son had thus far gone unanswered.
"Thus far, John's parents have received no official word as to John's physical health, mental state or even his whereabouts," Mr Brosnahan said. "All they know about John's condition is what they have seen on television or read in the newspapers."
Walker, who was known in Afghanistan as Abdul Hamid, converted from Catholicism to Islam at the age of 16 and traveled to Afghanistan via Yemen and Pakistan.
He has said he received combat training in northern Afghanistan from forces supporting al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Mr Walker's father had pleaded for mercy following reports that his son said he supported the September 11 attacks on the United States, in which about 3,900 people were killed.
Mr Fleischer said it was important to ascertain the facts and "if the facts indicate that he knowingly and deliberately was involved in the Taliban, I think that would be a very serious situation."
He added that when President Bush referred to Mr Walker as a "poor fellow" in an ABCtelevision interview this week, he meant that for "anybody of that age, that youth, to be caught up in something like that is terrible."
"Clearly any young American who would fall for Taliban propaganda is a poor fellow in the president's opinion," Mr Fleischer said. "It's unfortunate."
Mr Brosnahan, hired by Mr Walker's parents this week after news of his capture was first reported, said the parents were still eager to visit their son as soon as possible.
"We appreciate the fact that the government is being deliberate and several high officials have said that they do not know enough about the situation yet, but the parents really want to see their son," he said.