Michelle Malkin
5/31/2014
While many people jumped aboard the Bowe Bergdahl bandwagon, I was not one of them. His release today in exchange for five Taliban commanders who had been in custody at Gitmo underscores troubling questions that have persisted since his alleged abduction.
Longtime readers will recall questions raised here about the circumstances of Bergdahl’s disappearance. Here’s a flashback from my July 20, 2009 blog post:
My prayers are with the family of Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier seen on the Taliban abduction video released this weekend. The Jawa Report has the full clip.
All Americans should hope and pray for his release from jihadi custody.
There’s one question I have, though, about strange details initially reported on the case — details which have been deleted from later wire dispatches. Read:
The circumstances of Bergdahl’s capture weren’t clear.
On July 2, two U.S. officials told the AP the soldier had “just walked off” his base with three Afghans after his shift. He had no body armor or weapon and they said they had no explanation for why he left. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
On July 6, the Taliban claimed on their Web site that five days earlier “a drunken American soldier had come out of his garrison” and was captured by mujahadeen.
In the video, Pfc. Bergdahl said he was lagging behind a patrol when he was captured.
Details of such incidents are routinely held very tightly by the military as it works to retrieve a missing or captured soldier without giving away any information to captors.
The question is: Which account is accurate?…
…Lt. Col. Ralph Peters had tough words about Pfc. Bergdahl’s reported desertion yesterday and has a warning for the media:
Partial transcript:
PETERS: On that video, he is collaborating with the enemy. Under duress or not, that’s really not relevant. He’s making accusations about the behavior of the military in Afghanistan that are unfounded, saying there are no rules. He’s lying about how he was captured, saying he lagged behind a patrol.
Julie, I’ll tell you, any 11 Bravo infantryman will tell you, that’s not how it works. In a war zone, any soldier is aware of where all his buddies are. If it’s a night patrol, you’re sure of where the guy in front of you and behind you is. So we know this private is a liar. We’re not sure if he’s a deserter. But the media needs to hit the pause button and NOT portray this guy as a hero…
The complete article is at MichelleMalkin.com
Related: The late Michael Hastings wrote this article in 2012 for Rolling Stone Magazine, America’s Last Prisoner of War. “Three years ago, a 23-year-old soldier walked off his base in Afghanistan and into the hands of the Taliban. Now he’s a crucial pawn in negotiations to end the war. Will the Pentagon leave a man behind?”
Five Hard Questions Surrounding Obama’s Decision to Free Gitmo Prisoners (video)
The Saturday release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, believed to have been in Taliban captivity since 2009, sparked all sorts of commentary, as observers questioned everything from the Obama administration’s tactics to the solider in question.
Here are some of the more important questions being asked…
Brad Thor: Negotiating With Terrorists: Inside the Capture and Release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
…For more than 200 years, the United States has had a policy of not trading prisoners for American hostages. That policy has been shredded and international travel to even cities like London, Paris, and Amsterdam will now pose an exceptional danger for Americans.
And as Americans, we must all ask: at what price was Sgt. Bergdahl’s freedom purchased?…
…For now, one thing is clear – it is open season on American civilians and American military personnel around-the-world.
Where President Obama failed to close Gitmo, America’s enemies may just do it for him. All they need to do is kidnap enough Americans, and they’ll have the place cleaned out in no time.
Update: Just one of many excellent related articles today at American Power: Taliban ‘IEDs Started Being Placed More Effectively’ After Bowe #Bergdahl Desertion
Update 2: The Gateway Pundit:
- Bergdahl Snuck Off Post to Join Taliban – At Least Six Americans Were Killed Trying to Find Him
- Another Disastrous Susan Rice Interview: Obama Did Not Negotiate With Terrorists for Bergdahl’s Release (Video)
