Afghan War's Only American POW Freed in Prisoner Swap with Taliban
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the only American POW of the Afghan War, was freed after five years of captivity in a prisoner swap with the Taliban, the Obama Administration reported this afternoon. In exchange for his release, five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, were transferred to Qatar.
President Obama's full statement on the POW, who had been missing since 2009, is here:
According to the New York Times:
Sergeant Bergdahl is believed to have been held by the militant Haqqani network in the tribal area of Pakistan's northwest frontier, on the Afghan border. He was captured in Paktika Province in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.
The last video of Bergdahl showing him alive was in January of this year. A report on Defense One reveals a more detailed version of the release:
According to the official, once aboard a U.S. helicopter, Bergdahl wrote on a paper plate with a pen "SF?" — meaning special operations forces — and the U.S. service members on board said back, loudly, "'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.' And at that point, Sgt. Bergdahl broke down."
The official also remarked that Bergdahl is in good condition and able to walk.
