Bowe Bergdahl’s Shocking Treatment In Captivity Revealed
While those trashing Bowe Bergdahl on the right pretend he was palsy walsy with the Taliban, shocking details of his captivity are being revealed.
Bergdahl has told medical officials that his captors locked him in a metal cage in total darkness for weeks at a time as punishment for trying to escape, and while military doctors say he now is physically able to travel he is not yet emotionally ready for the pressures of reuniting with his family, according to American officials who have been briefed on his condition.
Sergeant Bergdahl, who was released last Saturday to American commandos in Afghanistan in exchange for five Taliban detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, remains in a military hospital in Germany without access to news media — and thus is oblivious to the raging criticism from some in Congress about the prisoner swap and even from members of his former platoon who say he deserted them. He has received a letter from his sister but has not yet responded, and objects when hospital staff address him as sergeant instead of private first class, his rank when he was captured nearly five years ago after walking off a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan, the official said…
This week, the doctors have been treating Sergeant Bergdahl for possible abuse at the hands of his captors, first the Taliban and later the Haqqani network, a Taliban-aligned militant group that held him at one or more locations in the mountainous tribal areas of neighboring Pakistan, American intelligence officials have said.
Shades June 8th, 2014 at 9:30 am
I don’t know how this will end but I’ll say now, if the investigation finds him guilty of desertion, then he should be punished. I wonder how many RWNJs are willing to apologize if the investigation absolves Bergdahl.
M D Reese June 8th, 2014 at 11:40 am
I’ll place my bet now–none. They’ll just stop talking about him and move on to the next shiny bauble.
Douglas Day June 9th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
An old advertising exec once told me, “You can’t make a purse out of a sow’s ear, and you can’t polish a turd.”
Sooner or later these old John Birch Society farts will dry up and blow away. Until then, they’re content to sit in the Laz-y-boy and troll, dreaming that they are John Wayne in The Green Beret, fat and blurry with age and drink, but still able to kick some VC butt.). Some of ’em get actual pennies a hit to do this, I hear.
No analytical abilities, no independent reasoning, blind faith in authority figures, ethnocentrism–a damned good fan base for some old-fashioned proto-populist totalitarian strongman dictator. Not the imaginary kind they project onto the Socialist Nigrah in the White House, but sho’ nuff Mussolini fascism.
The folkloric “Nobama” is just the latest in a long, long line of iconic Black Boogeymen dreamed of by feverish former-recipients of White solidarity and privilege. We must protect our White womanhood from the Black Beast!
Read up on what happened the LAST time the radical right had so much power, between 1888-1915. The rise of Jim Crow, the heyday of the lynching fervor, so-called “Scientific Racism,” eugenicism. (I highly recommend “The Crucible of Race,” by Joel Williamson.)
John Tarter June 8th, 2014 at 12:18 pm
Well, if his closest comrades testify an exoneration is not very likely. But we will probably never know as the C-I-C Barack Obama will probably issue a no prosecute order to the Army and that will be that. Another cover-up and not holding anyone accountable for their actions is a highly likely scenario from the Obama Administration.
Mohammed Peter Goldstein June 8th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Let’s remember that an investigation was completed years ago. The ones trying to throw him under the bus now were the only ones who had input into that. Berdahl had zero input. His status was still listed as captured, not deserter.
Now if there is a followup investigation, all Bergdahl has to do is exercise his right under the Fifth Amendment and there will be no change.
That being said, let’s drop the debate of whether he was a deserter or victim for just a second.
Why do you suppose that the leadership of his unit, the very ones throwing their soldier to the wolves now, had no clue that one of their sentries went missing from guard duty until the next morning when he didn’t show up for detail? No hourly or semi-hourly checks?
Had his leadership been doing their jobs, they’d know within 30 to 60 minutes of his disappearance. How far d you think a six foot something goober could move on a half illuminated terrain in that amount of time?
This whole thing stinks of Jason Rother smear job.
William June 8th, 2014 at 10:11 pm
Finally. An enlightened response from somebody that actually knows how the chain of command works, and the responsibility doctrine.
Thank You.
JohannIvan June 9th, 2014 at 1:05 am
You mean like Obama not going after the Bush Regime for lying us into invading Iraq & the Democrats protecting Bush admin officials by refusing to investigate? That kind of cover-up?
Jake June 8th, 2014 at 11:08 am
I don’t care what Fox News says – the Democratic Party belief that we leave no soldier behind is a bedrock principle of American values. The Republican Party policy that we abandon them just stinks.
Byte187 June 8th, 2014 at 2:39 pm
Standard liberal tactic. When you can’t win the argument, redefine the argument. Nobody — I repeat, nobody — is arguing that Bergdhal, should be left behind. The argument is not “Bring him home, or don’t bring him home.” The argument is: at what cost do you bring one soldier home? Everybody agrees, we bring all Americans home. Where we disagree is, Obama’s willingness to release five high-level Taliban terrorists. The cost of that trade could be tremendous. There are many different plausible ways to “rescue” a captured American soldier. A terrorist release like this one, is not the only option, it’s not even close to being the best option. So, stop with the “democrats leave nobody behind, republicans abandon everybody” BS. Redefining the argument isn’t working for you.
If you really want to find out who abandons Americans, pay attention to Trey Gowdy’s Benghazi investigation.
William June 8th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
There are many different plausible ways to “rescue” a captured American soldier.
OK Rambo enlighten us.
JeffreyPtr June 8th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
There is another belief, that you don’t negotiate with terrorists. There are also questions about Bergdhal’s conduct.
Garth Van Fosson June 10th, 2014 at 8:50 am
Is this something new? It sure was not in effect at Benghazi.
John Tarter June 8th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Oh poor baby! If he hadn’t deserted his comrades (as they all said he did) then this wouldn’t have happened. I shed no tears for what happens to those who cut and run from their military duties.
TiredOfThemAll June 8th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
After all, who needs due process and the Uniform Code of Military Conduct when we have Fox News and the Court of Public Opinion.
Byte187 June 8th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
I bet you made that same argument for George Zimmerman too. Am I right?
Bunya June 8th, 2014 at 7:49 pm
” I shed no tears for what happens to those who cut and run from their military duties” … says the cowardly armchair general who has absolutely no idea what this soldier went through other than what he’s heard on Fox “news”.
William June 8th, 2014 at 10:08 pm
I shed no tears for what happens to those who cut and run from their military duties.
Says the chickenhawk that never got an opportunity to run because he didn’t have the nuggets to put on a uniform.
shan June 9th, 2014 at 2:52 am
because you where there and know exactly what happened? because your psychic? get over yourself you dont know what happened
fancypants June 8th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
I knew we should have flown 2 choppers, one to p/u bergdahl and the next to drop a daisy cutter on the way out.
Shootist June 8th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Not shocking at all, he was in fact being held captive by medieval barbarians.