Future of American Taliban fighter 'undecided'

US forces have questioned an American found among Taliban fighters but have not yet decided what to do with him.

Three former Taliban fighters who claim to be Americans are being held by US and Northern Alliance forces.

One of them, an injured man who identified himself as John Walker, is receiving medical treatment after emerging from a fortress in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Walker, 20, who converted to Islam when he was 16, suffered grenade and bullet wounds. His parents identified him from video and photographs as John Philip Walker Lindh, of Fairfax, California.

Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said: "We are talking to him but, no decision's reached what we'll do with him."

Walker's father, Frank Lindh, said he had hired a lawyer and wanted to visit his son, who had studied Arabic and Islam in Yemen and Pakistan. "We're anxious to hear from the government," he said.

Mr Lindh said it appeared his son had been a combatant with the Taliban. "He's really not much more than a boy," he said.

Mr Lindh added: "We want to give him a big hug. I also want to give him maybe a little kick in the butt for not telling me what he was up to and for not getting my permission, because I would not have given him permission to go to Afghanistan."

Asked about Walker, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem, the deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, could not say whether Walker is considered a prisoner of war or whether he would be returned to the United States.

"The only thing that I can say about this individual is that this is somebody who claims to be an American citizen," he said. "That claim is being respected for the moment, until facts can be established."