Mr Walker Lindh's lawyers had argued that he never had anything to do with terrorist activities.

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They readily conceded the news value of seeing Walker Lindh's parents and hearing from them for the first time.

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The judge rejected defence arguments that Mr Walker Lindh was a loyal American, saying "the evidence before the court belies that assumption".

BBC: 'American Taleban' had Yemen hopes

Mr Walker Lindh, accompanied by federal marshals, was driven by motorcade to the courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, at 0700 local time (1400 GMT).

BBC: 'American Taleban' had Yemen hopes

During the court hearing, Judge W Curtis Sewell sided with federal prosecutors who maintained that Mr Walker Lindh posed a threat to the public.

BBC: 'American Taleban' had Yemen hopes

After the hearing, one of his lawyers, James Brosnahan, accused US Attorney General John Ashcroft of using "inappropriate" language and taking out his frustrations about terrorism on Mr Walker Lindh.

BBC: 'American Taleban' had Yemen hopes

In a written request for Mr Walker Lindh's release, defence lawyers said their client had no previous criminal record, no record of drug or alcohol abuse and no history of violent or dangerous conduct.

BBC: 'American Taleban' had Yemen hopes

For example, the arrests of John Walker Lindh (a white, middle-class man better known as the 'American Taliban') and Richard Reid (a British citizen of West Indian and European ancestry now serving a life sentence at the Supermax prison in Colorado) confirm that effective law enforcement techniques must rely solely on criminal behavior and not race, religion or nationality in order to ensure our citizens' security.

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He has identified himself as John Walker in interviews, but his father's last name is Lindh.

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