McGraw, I don't think it's nearly as clean as you suggest. The U.S. was accusing the Taleban of harboring the terrorist bin Laden for up to a year before the WTC, and had, I believe, threatened bombing before September 11. At the minimum, Walker was aiding an abetting a group that was knowingly, at a minumum again, providing aid, shelter, safe harbor and support after the fact to a declared enemy of the U.S. Walker was aligned with conspirators against the U.S.

It seems likely that the Taleban were conspirators before the fact, as well, even if they were not the direct actors in the WTC. They knew what bin Laden and his gang intended against officials and civilians of western nations, what he had been accused of and what he had taken credit for in the past. They had negotiated his "extradition," (according to news reports), to no agreement, before 9/11. They also (according to news reports) accepted his money in exchange for their "protection," such as it was. The degree to which Walker may have known the Taleban were enemies of the U.S., before the U.S. declared it and made it official, is a question of fact, known currently only to him.

Walker's best defense seems to be that he only knew of them as conspirators after the fact, and feared any attempts to extricate himself from involvement. That's a weak defense when the loss of others' lives is at stake.

Still, I can't imagine wanting to kill him. I can readily understand wanting to cut him loose and let him drift away.