American held by Marines to be moved, Pentagon says

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The American captured along with Taliban fighters is being held by Marines in Afghan-istan and will be handed over to U.S. civilian authorities as soon as possible, the Pentagon said Saturday.

How John Walker's case will be handled has not been decided, spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said.

Walker was being held at Camp Rhino, the base for some 1,300 Marines helping in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, Quigley said. The timing of the transfer and where he would go were not clear.

In San Francisco, an attorney for Walker's parents declined comment.

The Justice Department has said Americans who have fought for the Taliban or al-Qaida could face treason, murder, conspiracy or other charges. The issue surfaced after the government said three people claiming to be Americans might have been fighting for the Taliban. The two others were later determined not to be American, though they spoke English, Quigley said.

Federal officials have limited their comments about Walker, 20, who gave his name as Abdul Hamid after being caught in a fortress near the northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-e-Sharif.

Walker is the only person -- either Afghan or any other nationality -- being held by Americans in the Afghan campaign, though rebel forces have custody of some 5,000 to 6,000 militiamen, a senior U.S. defense official