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| Bowe Bergdahl: Town cancels welcome for freed US soldier | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A welcoming party in the home town of a US soldier freed from Afghan captivity has been cancelled, amid suspicions that he deserted his post. | |
| A statement said the event in Hailey, Idaho, was cancelled for "safety reasons" because of a large increase in the number of expected attendees. | |
| Bowe Bergdahl was released on Saturday after five years in Taliban captivity. | Bowe Bergdahl was released on Saturday after five years in Taliban captivity. |
| Several commentators and soldiers have branded him a deserter and called for him to be punished. | Several commentators and soldiers have branded him a deserter and called for him to be punished. |
| The circumstances of Sgt Bergdahl's capture in 2009 remain unclear, although the Pentagon has concluded he left his post in Paktika Province without authorisation. | |
| A statement by town authorities said that organisers of the 28 June event expected a dramatic increase in attendance because of national media attention. | |
| "In the interest of public safety, the event will be cancelled", the statement said. | |
| The release of Sgt Bergdahl in exchange for five senior Taliban figures from Guantanamo Bay has caused controversy in the US. | |
| Critics of the deal have alleged that six US soldiers were killed in the initial efforts to locate the missing man. | |
| The US Army has confirmed it will launch a review into the circumstances surrounding Sgt Bergdahl's capture in June 2009. |