[ikurrina]

Here's a possible difference between Walker and those other people ... Didn't all those people whom you mentioned change their names LEGALLY? (I'm assuming they did .... maybe I am wrong. Correct me if so.) Under the law in most states you can go to court and change your name to just about anything. But as far as I know, this Walker character never did change his name legally in court -- in the U.S. at least. So legally he is still John Walker. Although I've seen some references to him as John Walker Lindh, Lindh being, I think, his mother's name.)

[self_evident]

Lindh is his fathers name, which he has apparently re-adopted. He probably did not change his legal name - although I have read reports that he was angry that his parents failed to use it.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Lindh being, I think, his mother's name...

Lindh is his father's name. Walker is his mother's name. I think this early name change is symtomaic of a kid who is really angry at his parents' divorce -- not that that is an excuse for the rest of the despicable stuff he's done.

We had a son-in-law at one time who did the same thing -- just to get back at his father. It became evident that he was nuts in other ways too, and I'm thankful to say that the marriage was annulled.