Saturday - May 31, 2014

Held Captive So Long That He Forgot English

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier held captive in Afghanistan, was released Saturday by Taliban captors, an announcement that has Americans rejoicing but also raising questions on Capitol Hill and beyond about “negotiating with terrorists.”

Bergdahl was released from captivity after nearly five years, in exchange for five Taliban members being held in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Bergdahl was taken prisoner after leaving his base in east Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. Why he left and whether he’ll face any consequences for his actions remains unclear.

U.S. officials said the deal was reached after a week of intense negotiations that were mediated by the Qatar government, which will take custody of the Taliban detainees.

They said efforts to negotiate Bergdahl’s release began in November 2010, that his return has been a top priority since May 2011 and that the opportunity to resume diplomatic efforts emerged several weeks ago.

“We ...made an ironclad commitment to bring our prisoners of war home. It’s who we are as Americans,” President Obama said Saturday evening in a Rose Garden ceremony flanked by Bergdahl’s parents. “Today, at least in this instance, it’s a promise we’ve been able to keep.”

“Like all Americans, we celebrate the release of Sergeant Bergdahl,” California Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a joint statement.

“However, we must carefully examine the means by which we secured his freedom. America has maintained a prohibition on negotiating with terrorists for good reason. Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl’s release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans.”

They also argued that Obama “clearly violated laws” that require him to notify Congress 30 days before any transfer of terrorists from Guantanamo Bay and to explain how the threat posed by such terrorists has been substantially mitigated.

Bergdahl is reportedly in good condition and able to walk. He was taken first to Bagram Air Base, in Afghanistan, then to Landstuhl, German, and will likely go to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
...
The announcement of Bergdahl’s release comes as the United States winds down its military operation in Afghanistan.

The Bergdahls spoke briefly after President Obama delivered his remarks, expressing their joy and thanking those who secured their son’s release.

Bob Bergdahl, the father, spoke briefly in what experts think was Pashtu. He suggested his son will need an extensive recovery period and is having trouble understanding English after five years.

In the foreign language, Bergdahl thanked the Afghan people and told his son, “I am your father.”

Glad we’ve got him back. And I do hope the 5 who were let go were first secretly given some CIA slow acting biological, so that in about 13 months they all suddenly develop an incurable, debilitating, fatal cancer or horrible pathogen.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/31/2014 at 10:29 PM   
Filed Under: • Military •  
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