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| US PoW Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban in Afghanistan | US PoW Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban in Afghanistan |
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| Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan, has been freed and is in US custody. | Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan, has been freed and is in US custody. |
| US officials said Bergdahl's release was part of a negotiation that included the release of five Afghan detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. | US officials said Bergdahl's release was part of a negotiation that included the release of five Afghan detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. |
| The negotiation between the US and the Taliban was mediated by the government of Qatar, to which the Guantánamo detainees will be transferred. | The negotiation between the US and the Taliban was mediated by the government of Qatar, to which the Guantánamo detainees will be transferred. |
| The five Afghan detainees were still at the US base on Saturday morning, but were being transferred into the custody of Qatari officials. They will be banned from traveling outside Qatar for at least one year. | The five Afghan detainees were still at the US base on Saturday morning, but were being transferred into the custody of Qatari officials. They will be banned from traveling outside Qatar for at least one year. |
| In a statement issued by the White House, President Barack Obama said: “Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, held captive for nearly five years. On behalf of the American people, I was honoured to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return, mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal.” | In a statement issued by the White House, President Barack Obama said: “Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, held captive for nearly five years. On behalf of the American people, I was honoured to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return, mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal.” |
| Officials said Obama spoke to Bergdahl's parents on Saturday, shortly after their son had been taken into US custody. Bergdahl's family was in Washington on a previously scheduled visit when they received the news, and said in a statement: "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son." | |
| Bergdahl, 28, had been held by the Taliban since 30 June 2009. The officials said he was in good condition and able to walk. Several dozen US special operations forces flew into Afghanistan by helicopter and made the transfer with the approximately 18 Taliban members. The official said the commandos were on the ground for a short time before lifting off with Bergdahl. | |
| According to a senior defense official traveling with defence secretary Chuck Hagel in Singapore, once Bergdahl climbed in to a US helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate the letters "SF?" asking the troops onboard if they were special operations forces. | According to a senior defense official traveling with defence secretary Chuck Hagel in Singapore, once Bergdahl climbed in to a US helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate the letters "SF?" asking the troops onboard if they were special operations forces. |
| They shouted back: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time." | They shouted back: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time." |
| Then, according to the official, Bergdahl broke down. | Then, according to the official, Bergdahl broke down. |
| The official added that the US still believes Bergdahl was being held for the bulk of the time in Pakistan, but it was not clear when he was transported to eastern Afghanistan. | The official added that the US still believes Bergdahl was being held for the bulk of the time in Pakistan, but it was not clear when he was transported to eastern Afghanistan. |
| In a statement, Hagel said: “Sergeant Bergdahl is now under the care of the US military after being handed over by his captors in Afghanistan. We will give him all the support he needs to help him recover from this ordeal, and we are grateful that he will soon be reunited with his family." | In a statement, Hagel said: “Sergeant Bergdahl is now under the care of the US military after being handed over by his captors in Afghanistan. We will give him all the support he needs to help him recover from this ordeal, and we are grateful that he will soon be reunited with his family." |
| “Also today, I informed Congress of the decision to transfer five detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Qatar. The United States has coordinated closely with Qatar to ensure that security measures are in place and the national security of the United States will not be compromised.” | “Also today, I informed Congress of the decision to transfer five detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Qatar. The United States has coordinated closely with Qatar to ensure that security measures are in place and the national security of the United States will not be compromised.” |
| General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, used Twitter to say: “It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade. Welcome home SGT Bowe Bergdahl.” | General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, used Twitter to say: “It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade. Welcome home SGT Bowe Bergdahl.” |
| Hagel echoed his words, saying: “Sergeant Bergdahl's return is a powerful reminder of the enduring, sacred commitment our nation makes to all those who serve in uniform. The United States government never forgot Sergeant Bergdahl, nor did we stop working to bring him back.” | Hagel echoed his words, saying: “Sergeant Bergdahl's return is a powerful reminder of the enduring, sacred commitment our nation makes to all those who serve in uniform. The United States government never forgot Sergeant Bergdahl, nor did we stop working to bring him back.” |
| Obama's statement continued: “For his assistance in helping to secure our soldier's return, I extend my deepest appreciation to the amir of Qatar. The amir’s personal commitment to this effort is a testament to the partnership between our two countries. The United States is also grateful for the support of the government of Afghanistan throughout our efforts to secure Sergeant Bergdahl’s release.” | Obama's statement continued: “For his assistance in helping to secure our soldier's return, I extend my deepest appreciation to the amir of Qatar. The amir’s personal commitment to this effort is a testament to the partnership between our two countries. The United States is also grateful for the support of the government of Afghanistan throughout our efforts to secure Sergeant Bergdahl’s release.” |
| Obama this week detailed plans to keep a residual US force in Afghanistan until 2016. | Obama this week detailed plans to keep a residual US force in Afghanistan until 2016. |
| Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement on Saturday, greeting the release of Bergdhal and saying he had spoken to the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, “to brief him on this development and to discuss President Obama’s announcement this week about our efforts there”. | Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement on Saturday, greeting the release of Bergdhal and saying he had spoken to the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, “to brief him on this development and to discuss President Obama’s announcement this week about our efforts there”. |
| The president's statement said: “This week the United States renewed its commitment to the Afghan people and made clear that we will continue to support them as they chart their own future." | The president's statement said: “This week the United States renewed its commitment to the Afghan people and made clear that we will continue to support them as they chart their own future." |
| “While we are mindful of the challenges, it is our hope Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery could potentially open the door for broader discussions among Afghans about the future of their country by building confidence that it is possible for all sides to find common ground.” | “While we are mindful of the challenges, it is our hope Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery could potentially open the door for broader discussions among Afghans about the future of their country by building confidence that it is possible for all sides to find common ground.” |
| The detainees are believed to be the most senior Afghans still held at the prison. They are believed to include Abdul Haq Wasiq, who served as the Taliban deputy minister of intelligence; Mullah Norullah Nori, a senior Taliban commander; and Khairullah Khairkhwa, who served in various Taliban positions including interior minister and had direct ties to Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. | |
| The fourth and fifth detainees are believed to be Mohammed Nabi, who served as a chief of security for the Taliban, and Mohammad Fazl, whom Human Rights Watch says could be prosecuted for war crimes for presiding over the mass killing of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001, as the Taliban sought to consolidate their control over the country. | |
| Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network. Haqqani operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and has been one of the deadliest threats to US troops in the war. The network, which the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2012, claims allegiance to the Afghan Taliban, yet operates with some degree of autonomy. |