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| Afghanistan |
| Soldier held in Afghanistan is 23-year-old Idahoan |
| 2009-07-19 |
| A soldier from Idaho who disappeared from his base in Afghanistan has been captured, the Pentagon confirmed Sunday, a day after he was seen in a Taliban video posted online. The Defense Department released the name of Pfc. Bowe (pronounced BOW) R. Bergdahl, 23, who was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment. The private was last seen walking away from his base near the border with Pakistan in an area known to be a Taliban stronghold. Bergdahl is a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. On July 2, the U.S. military said an American soldier had disappeared after walking off his base in eastern Afghanistan with three Afghan counterparts and was believed to have been taken prisoner. 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. But Afghan Police Gen. Nabi Mullakheil said the soldier went missing in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan from an American base. The region is known to be Taliban-infested. Afghans in contact with the Taliban told the AP that the soldier was held by a Taliban group led by a commander called Maulvi Sangin*, who operates in the area where the American went missing. They said the fighters initially planned to smuggle the soldier across the border into Pakistan but ruled that out because of U.S. missile strikes and Pakistani bombing attacks against militant targets in the area. Instead, they decided to move him north into Taliban-controlled areas of Ghazni province. The Afghans spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of arrest or reprisal. It was impossible to independently confirm their information. A brigade commander for the Afghan national army in southeastern Afghanistan, Gen. Asrar Ahmad Khan, said Afghan and coalition forces have been working together for 15 days searching for the missing soldier. A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said the militants holding the soldier haven't yet set any conditions for his release. *Maulvi Sangin: Tribal Clan: Safi, Age: 34 Maulvi Sangin son of Salim, Sangin is completely illiterate and has spent sometime in Saudi Arab He is remained a smuggler and has a low family background. He joined jihadi type of activities after coming from Saudi Arab.. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #5 Bergdahl is a Swedish name. |
| Posted by: lotp 2009-07-19 21:51 |
| #4 I think Bergdahl is of Afghan descent and might have got a little too chummy with his peeps |
| Posted by: Large Jeagum5875 2009-07-19 21:15 |
| #3 The one and only way to get leverage is to get this guy's wife and kids and brothers, sisters and parents. Start sending body parts. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-19 15:03 |
| #2 This comes under SOCOM rules. If we can snatch him back, we will. If they hurt him, they are all dead men. And any informer whose information pans out will be farting through silk. Officially, the reward is $25k. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-07-19 14:36 |
| #1 Did this kid walk off to buy hashish? I have to wonder... |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2009-07-19 14:09 |