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| Afghanistan |
| Bowe Bergdahl, Army Sergeant Held by Taliban Since 2009, Is Released |
| 2014-06-01 |
| [NBCNEWS] The family of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl said they were overjoyed when President Barack Obama personally called them Saturday and gave them the news they were hoping desperately to hear: Their son, captured by the Taliban in 2009, was finally coming home. "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son," Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, said in a statement. "We want to thank Bowe's many supporters in Idaho, around the nation and around the world. We thank the Amir of Qatar for his efforts," they continued. "And of course, we want to take this opportunity to thank all those in the many U.S. Government agencies who never gave up. Today, we are ecstatic!" Bergdahl, 28, was rescued in Afghanistan at 10:30 a.m. ET -- in exchange for five prisoners who were held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center -- and is back in the hands of the U.S. military, the officials said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #28 it does not get more GOP than IDAHO, face the facts much? Dear 746, every state has its eccentrics. In some they are liberal, in others conservative, in others still they're libertarian, and on occasion they're simply delusional. I suspect this particular family falls into that last category. It being God's own backyard doesn't protect you from people like that, regardless of the general politics of the place. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2014-06-01 23:54 |
| #27 We need this actual tweet or EMail or whatever it is posted anyplace we can... |
| Posted by: BigEdLB 2014-06-01 23:06 |
| #26 It doesn't get much bluer than the Peoples Republic of Washington [state] here either. Yet there are a number of conservatives here still. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2014-06-01 23:05 |
| #25 Papa Bergdahl is calling for more Guantanomo releases... Methinks something smells to high heaven here, and I hope some rogue CIA types dispatch those 5 'gentlemen' that the alleged president sent to Qatar For Islamic sympathizer al-Bergdahl, Jr... |
| Posted by: BigEdLB 2014-06-01 23:04 |
| #24 Well, judging by the father's tweet, and the background story. apparently not all of them are. But go ahead and keep saying that. I'll smile and nod my head. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-06-01 23:00 |
| #23 it does not get more GOP than IDAHO, face the facts much? |
| Posted by: 746 2014-06-01 22:55 |
| #22 been to idaho much? i live in Hailey |
| Posted by: 746 2014-06-01 22:48 |
| #21 oh, copy that... |
| Posted by: 746 2014-06-01 22:46 |
| #20 One of a few things we agree upon, meneer. Posted by Pappy I suspected the OPSEC clean-up was your work. I thought I heard an old Senior Chief screaming 'WTF' through my laptop right after I posted the warning. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-06-01 20:26 |
| #19 I remember reading posts like the one mention at This Aint Hell and the shady disappearance within days after his disappearance. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-06-01 19:15 |
| #18 FLASHBACK: Bowe Bergdahl Sent Parents Email Saying He Was “Ashamed To Even Be An American” Before Walking Off Army Base… |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2014-06-01 18:43 |
| #17 Thanks MODS. When I see LLVI's posted on the UNCLAS, I start twitching a bit. Old habits, etc.... One of a few things we agree upon, meneer. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-06-01 18:01 |
| #16 Bowe Bergdahl: a darker story behind the release of America's last prisoner of war |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2014-06-01 17:44 |
| #15 Thanks MODS. When I see LLVI's posted on the UNCLAS, I start twitching a bit. Old habits, etc.... |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-06-01 17:41 |
| #14 The fact they did not perform one of their ritual executions of Bergdahl and post it on the internet was a red flag for me from the beginning. Every other soldier they captured, they eviscerated like a pig and beheaded (not that the press will ever admit their precious Taliban would do such a thing). |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2014-06-01 16:31 |
| #13 they live in Idaho dude, does it get more GOP than that? Paint with a broad brush much? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-06-01 15:59 |
| #12 how come? Aside from the fact that it contained unit information, call signs, deployments, procedures, and that logbooks are classified (FOUO - at a miniumum) - and that Rantburg has this thing about publishing stuff like that - no particular reason. |
| Posted by: 746 2014-06-01 15:20 |
| #11 Just for the record, the link at newc's #10 should be deleted. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-06-01 13:55 |
| #10 [Removed by Moderator] |
| Posted by: newc 2014-06-01 13:36 |
| #9 they live in Idaho dude, does it get more GOP than that? |
| Posted by: 746 2014-06-01 13:18 |
| #8 If even 10% of that is true it's time to call down the clans on his ass. I dunno, gawd damn, I just don't know. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-06-01 12:49 |
| #7 UNCONFIRMED REPORTING - from a commenter on the blog 'This Ain't Hell.' I WAS THERE. I'm sick of all the lies. Here is the TRUTH, from someone on the ground. We were at OP Mest, Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It was a small outpost where B Co 1-501st INF (Airbone) ran operations out of, just an Infantry platoon and ANA counterparts there. The place was an Afghan graveyard. Bergdahl had been acting a little strange, telling people he wanted to "walk the earth" and kept a little journal talking about how he was meant for better things. No one thought anything about it. He was a little “out there”. Next morning he's gone. We search everywhere, and can't find him. He left his weapon, his kit, and other sensitive items. He only took some water, a compass and a knife. We find some afghan kids shortly after who saw an american walking north asking about where the taliban are. We get hits on our voice intercepter that Taliban has him, and we were close. We come to realize that the kid deserted his post, snuck out of camp and sought out Taliban… to join them. We were in a defensive position at OP Mest, where your focus is to keep people out. He knew where the blind spots were to slip out and that's what he did. It was supposed to be a 4-day mission but turned into several months of active searching. Everyone was spun up to find this guy. News outlets all over the country were putting out false information. It was hard to see, especially when we knew the truth about what happened and we lost good men trying to find him. PFC Matthew Michael Martinek, Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss, SSG Clayton Bowen, PFC Morris Walker, SSG Michael Murphrey, 2LT Darryn Andrews, were all KIA from our unit who died looking for Bergdahl. Many others from various units were wounded or killed while actively looking for Bergdahl. Fighting Increased. IEDs and enemy ambushes increased. The Taliban knew that we were looking for him in high numbers and our movements were predictable. Because of Bergdahl, more men were out in danger, and more attacks on friendly camps and positions were conducted while we were out looking for him. His actions impacted the region more than anyone wants to admit. There is also no way to know what he told the Taliban: Our movements, locations, tactics, weak points on vehicles and other things for the enemy to exploit are just a few possibilities. The Government knows full well that he deserted. It looks bad and is a good propaganda piece for the Taliban. They refuse to acknowledge it. Hell they even promoted him to Sergeant which makes me sick. I feel for his family who only want their son/brother back. They don’t know the truth, or refuse to acknowledge it as well. What he did affected his family and his whole town back home, who don’t know the truth. Either way what matters is that good men died because of him. He has been lying on all those Taliban videos about everything since his “capture”. If he ever returns, he should be tried under the UCMJ for being a deserter and judged for what he did. Bergdahl is not a hero, he is not a soldier or an Infantryman. He failed his brothers. Now, sons and daughters are growing up without their fathers who died for him and he will have to face that truth someday. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-06-01 11:47 |
| #6 I hope our government implanted chips into these Mulahs, so a visit from a few drones can be made at a later date. |
| Posted by: bbrewer126 2014-06-01 11:26 |
| #5 Keep an eye on this family. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-06-01 10:48 |
| #4 The Taliban gave Bergdahl a muzzie turban as a going away present. He'll now have a present to give dear old dad for Fathers Day. |
| Posted by: Mugsy Glink 2014-06-01 10:47 |
| #3 Dad appears to be a muzzie symp as well: Father of American Soldier Freed From Taliban Deletes a Very Disturbing Tweet |
| Posted by: Frank G 2014-06-01 10:21 |
| #2 all five of the to-be-released Taliban are dangerous terrorists and two of them have been identified by the UN as wanted for war crimes against Shia in Afghanistan |
| Posted by: lord garth 2014-06-01 06:17 |
| #1 This thing has stunk from day one. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2014-06-01 01:05 |