On the night of June 30, 2009 Private Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the anti-occupation Haqqani Gang. The circumstances of that evening vary from his video statement that he had fell behind his patrol, the Taliban claiming that he was drunk during an ambush, or that he walked off base heading for the mountains. The US forces conducted initial sweeps to liberate Bergdahl, however he had vanished with his Afghani captors
Attempts to free Bergdahl bogged down with negotiations called for truce discussions between the Taliban and the US-backed Kanzai government.
Nearly five years after Bergdahl’s disappearance President Obama negotiated his release for five Taliban prisoners at the Gitmo Torture Center in Cuba and Bergdahl was freed by the kidnappers. A helicopters flew him to safety and he was later transported to Germany to a military hospital. Family and friends were ecstatic to have him back in safe hands, until FOX News and CNN repeatedly reported on accusations from his squad members that Bergdahl had been a deserter and searches for the missing soldier had resulted in the deaths of several American troops.
GOP politicians were incensed by the President’s failure to notify Congress about the swap and called for his impeachment on the grounds that Obama had broken the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. Politicians on both side of the aisle questioned whether the five Taliban prisoners endangered America. The President defended his action by saying the Taliban had threatened to kill their hostage, if news of his release was leaked to the press.
Bergdahl had suffered torture and long periods of isolation, but his detractors called him a traitor without any proof and a good percentage of the American public bought this rush to judgement as the truth, since their trusted opinion-makers had seen emails from the soldier condemning the Long War in Afghanistan.
“The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be American.”
Many Americans considered his statements to be treason.
There was talk of sending him back to the Taliban.
His hometown cancelled their celebration, concerned that the festivities would be ruined by anti-Bergdahl protestors.
I was reminded of Stalin sending Soviet POWs from the Nazi concentration camps straight to the gulags of Siberia.
Condemned without a trial.
Guilty without proof.
And not one mention of ending the Long War.
For me I’m happy to see Sgt. Bergdahl from home, but I want all the troops back.
There must be some deal we can cut with the Pentagon to free them from their captivity.
Like giving the Chiefs of Staff new uniforms.