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US PoW Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban in Afghanistan US soldier 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. The last American soldier held captive by the Afghan Taliban was released on Saturday, after the US government agreed to release five Afghan detainees from the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba to the custody of the Qatari government, US officials said.
US officials said Bergdahl's release was part of a negotiation that included the release of five Afghan detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, 28, was held captive for almost five years. Sources told the Associated Press he was in good condition and was able to walk. He is expected to return home after being transferred to Bagram air base in Afghanistan for medical evaluations.
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 former Guantánamo detainees have been transferred to the custody of the Qatari government. Their movements will be restricted, according to US government statements.
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 government did not immediately say whether the former detainees were affiliated with the Taliban, although an AP report suggested that they were.
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.” Defense secretary Chuck Hagel said: “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.”
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's release took place near the Pakistani border on Saturday evening, local time in Afghanistan, according to the AP. Several dozen US special forces soldiers were reportedly involved in a non-violent exchange.
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. A senior defense official, traveling with Hagel in Singapore, told the AP that once Bergdahl had climbed aboard a helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate, the letters "SF?", asking the troops 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, over the roar of the rotors: "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." According to the official, Bergdahl then broke down.
Then, according to the official, Bergdahl broke down. American diplomats and officials released statements praising Bergdahl’s release.
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. “Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery is a reminder of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield,” said President Barack Obama.
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." “The cost of years of captivity to Sergeant Bergdahl and his family is immeasurable. Today, we are heartened that Sergeant Bergdahl will soon be reunited with his family and friends, from whom he has been apart for far too long,” said secretary of state John Kerry.
“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.” Obama spoke to Bergdahl’s parents after he was taken into US custody. Bergdahl’s parents subsequently issued a public statement, saying they were "joyful and relieved” at their son’s return.
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.” "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son,” they said.
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.” Bergdahl's family was in Washington on a previously scheduled visit when they received the news, according to the AP.
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.” Bergdahl’s release comes after a reportedly intense week of negotiations between the US government and the Taliban, mediated by the Qatari government, which Obama thanked in his statement. Hagel reportedly told Congress about the prisoner swap on Saturday.
Obama this week detailed plans to keep a residual US force in Afghanistan until 2016. An opportunity for diplomatic exchange became possible several weeks ago, according to a statement from the White House National Security Council. The council said Obama spoke with the Qatari emir on the phone on Tuesday.
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”. “US efforts to facilitate reconciliation with the Taliban began in November 2010, and since May 2011 the recovery of Sergeant Bergdahl has been a central element of our reconciliation efforts. For all that time, our efforts have been coordinated at the highest levels of the US government,” said the NSC.
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 emir's personal commitment to this effort is a testament to the partnership between our two countries,” said Obama, about Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Bergdahl went missing outside a US base in southern Paktika province on 30 June 2009. The next day, the Department of Defense listed his whereabouts as unknown; that changed to “captured” on 3 July 2009.
Bergdahl was 23 years old when he was captured. He is from Hailey, Idaho, a town of about 7,900 people about 160 miles east of Boise, and was serving with the 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Mike McKenna, a resident of the town, told Reuters: "The people of this community have been living with yellow ribbons around trees and yellow 'Bring Bowe Home' stickers plastered everywhere for so long that it won't seem real at first."
Weeks after his disappearance, Bergdahl was shown in a 28-minute video released by the Taliban, with a shaved head and wearing a grey shalwar kameez, a traditional middle eastern garb for men.
"Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country. Please bring us home,” Bergdahl told the camera. The video was condemned as propaganda by US officials.
"I'm scared, scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner," Bergdahl said.
Over the nearly five years Bergdahl was held as a prisoner of war, his family made few public statements. In May 2011, his father posted a video on YouTube which appeared directly addressed to Pakistani diplomats.
"We have been quiet in public, but we have not been quiet behind the scenes," Bob Bergdahl said.
"Continue to be patient and kind to those around you. You are not forgotten,” he appeared to say to his son, according to an AP report published at the time.
Bergdahl’s release came in the same week that Obama outlined plans to keep US forces in Afghanistan until 2016, during a commencement speech at West Point military academy.
On Saturday, Kerry said he had discussed Bergdahl's release with President Hamid Karzai, by phone.
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.