US PoW Bowe Bergdahl freed

by Taliban in Afghanistan
A 2009 video still of Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban's al-Emara Jihadi Studio. hotogra!h" A#$%ett& 'mages
(elease terms will send five %uant)namo detainees to *atar
+ ,bama than-s *atari government and amir for mediation role
+ .agel informs /ongress and sa&s 0S se1urit& not 1om!romised
Saturda& 23 4a& 2035
Bowe Bergdahl6 the only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan 6 has been freed and is
in 0S 1ustod&.
0S offi1ials said Bergdahl's release was !art of a negotiation that in1luded the release
of five Afghan detainees held at %uant)namo Ba&6 /uba.
The negotiation between the 0S and the Taliban was mediated b& the government of
*atar6 to whi1h the %uant)namo detainees will be transferred.
The five Afghan detainees were still at the 0S base on Saturda& morning6 but were
being transferred into the 1ustod& of *atari offi1ials. The& will be banned from traveling
outside *atar for at least one &ear.
'n a statement issued b& the 7hite .ouse6 resident Bara1- ,bama said" 8Toda& the
Ameri1an !eo!le are !leased that we will be able to wel1ome home Sergeant Bowe
Bergdahl6 held 1a!tive for nearl& five &ears. ,n behalf of the Ameri1an !eo!le6 ' was
honoured to 1all his !arents to e9!ress our :o& that the& 1an e9!e1t his safe return6
mindful of their 1ourage and sa1rifi1e throughout this ordeal.;
,ffi1ials said ,bama s!o-e to Bergdahl's !arents on Saturda&6 shortl& after their son
had been ta-en into 0S 1ustod&. Bergdahl's famil& was in 7ashington on a !reviousl&
s1heduled visit when the& re1eived the news6 and said in a statement" <7e 1annot
wait to wra! our arms around our onl& son.<
Bergdahl6 2=6 had been held b& the Taliban sin1e 20 June 2009. The offi1ials said he
was in good 1ondition and able to wal-. Several do>en 0S s!e1ial o!erations for1es
flew into Afghanistan b& heli1o!ter and made the transfer with the a!!ro9imatel& 3=
Taliban members. The offi1ial said the 1ommandos were on the ground for a short time
before lifting off with Bergdahl.
A11ording to a senior defense offi1ial traveling with defen1e se1retar& /hu1- .agel in
Singa!ore6 on1e Bergdahl 1limbed in to a 0S heli1o!ter he too- a !en and wrote on a
!a!er !late the letters <S#?< as-ing the troo!s onboard if the& were s!e1ial o!erations
for1es.
The& shouted ba1-" <@es6 we've been loo-ing for &ou for a long time.<
Then6 a11ording to the offi1ial6 Bergdahl bro-e down.
A still from a Manba al-
Jihad video of Bergdahl, held hostage since Jne !""#$ Photogra%h&
'ntel(enter)A*P)+etty 'mages
The offi1ial added that the 0S still believes Bergdahl was being held for the bul- of the
time in a-istan6 but it was not 1lear when he was trans!orted to eastern Afghanistan.
'n a statement6 .agel said" 8Sergeant Bergdahl is now under the 1are of the 0S
militar& after being handed over b& his 1a!tors in Afghanistan. 7e will give him all the
su!!ort he needs to hel! him re1over from this ordeal6 and we are grateful that he will
soon be reunited with his famil&.<
Also toda&6 ' informed /ongress of the de1ision to transfer five detainees from
%uant)namo Ba& to *atar. The 0nited States has 1oordinated 1losel& with *atar to
ensure that se1urit& measures are in !la1e and the national se1urit& of the 0nited
States will not be 1om!romised.;
%eneral 4artin Aem!se&6 the 1hairman of the :oint 1hiefs of staff6 used Twitter to sa&"
8't is our ethos that we never leave a fallen 1omrade. 7el1ome home S%T Bowe
Bergdahl.;
.agel e1hoed his words6 sa&ing" 8Sergeant Bergdahl's return is a !owerful reminder of
the enduring6 sa1red 1ommitment our nation ma-es to all those who serve in uniform.
The 0nited States government never forgot Sergeant Bergdahl6 nor did we sto!
wor-ing to bring him ba1-.;
,bama's statement 1ontinued" 8#or his assistan1e in hel!ing to se1ure our soldier's
return6 ' e9tend m& dee!est a!!re1iation to the amir of *atar. The amirBs !ersonal
1ommitment to this effort is a testament to the !artnershi! between our two 1ountries.
The 0nited States is also grateful for the su!!ort of the government of Afghanistan
throughout our efforts to se1ure Sergeant BergdahlBs release.;
Bowe Bergdahl ,sitting- at
an observation %ost near Mala.h, Afghanistan, in !""#, when he was %art of a team
bilding an base for the Afghan /ational Army$ Photogra%h& Sean Smith
,bama this wee- detailed !lans to -ee! a residual 0S for1e in Afghanistan until 203C.
Se1retar& of State John Derr& released a statement on Saturda&6 greeting the release
of Bergdhal and sa&ing he had s!o-en to the Afghan !resident6 .amid Dar>ai6 8to brief
him on this develo!ment and to dis1uss resident ,bamaBs announ1ement this wee-
about our efforts there;.
The !resident's statement said" 8This wee- the 0nited States renewed its 1ommitment
to the Afghan !eo!le and made 1lear that we will 1ontinue to su!!ort them as the&
1hart their own future.<
7hile we are mindful of the 1hallenges6 it is our ho!e Sergeant BergdahlBs re1over&
1ould !otentiall& o!en the door for broader dis1ussions among Afghans about the
future of their 1ountr& b& building 1onfiden1e that it is !ossible for all sides to find
1ommon ground.;
The detainees are believed to be the most senior Afghans still held at the !rison. The&
are believed to in1lude Abdul .aE 7asiE6 who served as the Taliban de!ut& minister of
intelligen1eF 4ullah Gorullah Gori6 a senior Taliban 1ommanderF and Dhairullah
Dhair-hwa6 who served in various Taliban !ositions in1luding interior minister and had
dire1t ties to 4ullah ,mar and ,sama bin Haden.
The fourth and fifth detainees are believed to be 4ohammed Gabi6 who served as a
1hief of se1urit& for the Taliban6 and 4ohammad #a>l6 whom .uman (ights 7at1h
sa&s 1ould be !rose1uted for war 1rimes for !residing over the mass -illing of Shiite
4uslims in Afghanistan in 2000 and 20036 as the Taliban sought to 1onsolidate their
1ontrol over the 1ountr&.
Bergdahl6 of .aile&6 'daho6 is believed to have been held b& the .aEEani networ-.
.aEEani o!erates in the Afghanistan-a-istan border region and has been one of the
deadliest threats to 0S troo!s in the war. The networ-6 whi1h the State Ae!artment
designated as a foreign terrorist organi>ation in 20326 1laims allegian1e to the Afghan
Taliban6 &et o!erates with some degree of autonom&.
Posted by Thavam