U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the final remaining captured American soldier, has been released (after five years in captivity) in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees.
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Recently, U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl was released from capture, after being held captive by Taliban insurgents for five years. In exchange for his release the U.S. released five prisoners from Guantanamo Bay: Abdul Haq Wasiq, Mullah Norullah , Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mohammed Nabi, Mohammad Fazl (all former high ranking Taliban officials, and one, an alleged mass murderer).
The White House released the following statement on the matter:
“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 honored to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return, mindful of their courage and sacrifice throughout this ordeal. Today we also remember the many troops held captive and whom remain missing or unaccounted for in America’s past wars. Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery is a reminder of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield. And as we find relief in Bowe’s recovery, our thoughts and prayers are with those other Americans whose release we continue to pursue.
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.
This week the United States renewed its commitment to the Afghan people and made clear that we will continue to support them as their chart their own future. The United States also remains committed to supporting an Afghan-led reconciliation process as the surest way to achieve a stable, secure, sovereign, and unified Afghanistan. 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.”
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Coinciding, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had this to say: “It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade.” As a veteran I am glad to have Sgt. Bergdahl home, and couldn’t agree more with the words of Gen. Dempsey. Thinking back on my time in the army, specifically basic training, I remember having to repeat, again, and again, and again, the Warrior Ethos:
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
It’s a great moment to have Sergeant Bergdahl home; however, I’m afraid that his welcoming will be short lived. For many people in the country, outside of the ardent military news followers, the most surprising aspect of this story isn’t that Sergeant Bergdhal’s has been release, it’s that there was still even a capture American soldier in the first place. The wars of today are not like the wars of yesterday. In WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc, the entire nation was enthralled in the affairs of the military and wars. But today? Many people wear t-shirts, and have bumper stickers on their cars, but people in this country are not as effected, and affected, by the wars as they used to be. If you’re been following the news, it means that Bergdahl is coming home to a country that is politically torn apart, fighting its way out of a recession, and that after five years in the care of the Taliban, he’ll be coming home to receive VA care from a broken system.
We went to war with Afghanistan because the Taliban were allowing terrorists to freely train under their tutelage, protection, and control. Now we are releasing five high ranking Taliban insurgents. We will be leaving Afghanistan in a matter of years, and Bergdahl, along with his fellow veterans, is coming home to a country that had forgotten about him, forgotten about the war, and to a government that sees its veterans as nothing more than a strain on the bank account. Many are talking about Bergdahl’s release, but we cannot allow it to distract us from the issues facing veterans and how it is, and why, we got ourselves into this mess in the first place.
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–Photo: U.S. Army/Flickr
“The policy of the United States government has always been we do not negotiate with terrorists.” So why did the administration release five of the worst GITMO jihadists – Taliban leadership – in exchange for an AWOL soldier – a traitor – who willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could be charged with being absent without leave or desertion…..
He is a deserter, who claimed to be “disgusted to be an American”.
As a fellow veteram, I think they should have left hm there.
We made a trade with terrorists and gave them 5 of their own in return ….. there is a lot of not so good about this. It’s my understanding that he may be tried.
For many people in the country, outside of the ardent military news followers, the most surprising aspect of this story isn’t that Sergeant Bergdhal’s has been release, it’s that there was still even a capture American soldier in the first place.
indeed, i was shocked to hear of this, i had never seen any mention before.
would you know if there were attempts to do a prisoner exchange (with lower level taliban detainee/s) much earlier in his captivity?