By Rob Janicki
Before getting into
the story of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, it should be noted that the
arbitrary act of exchanging five enemy POW's by the Obama administration for
Sgt. Berghda
Let's set that legal issue
aside for the moment and return to a quick description of the details and
background of an American being 'captured' by enemy Islamist Taliban terrorists
in Afghanistan.
The
return of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, Taliban captive for almost five years, is
raising more questions than it is answering. The White House, in the form
of President Obama, says America does not leave its own on the battlefield,
meaning that we, as a country, will not forget an American soldier captured by
the enemy. It gives the instant situation an aura of an heroic act by our
government to save an America patriot captured by the enemy in the war against
Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan.
But, is that the real narrative of what has transpired?
But behind the scenes ... is a darker and more complicated story about a young soldier who allegedly abandoned his post after growing disillusioned with America's wars and the potentially illegal deal struck by the White House to free him.
This doesn't sound like the stuff heroic tales are built upon to later become legends. Now we are finding out that all was not well in Sgt. Bergdahl's understanding of the world and his role in it as a U.S. soldier.
He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 full of idealistic conviction that he and his comrades could push back the Taliban and improve life in the long-subjugated country.
But hopefulness soon gave way to despair after his unit began to take casualties and he saw how US troops treated the Afghans they were supposed to be saving.
Here's what is known about the last three days before Sgt. Bergdahl disappeared and was supposedly captured by the Taliban.
"These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid," he wrote in an email to his parents on June 27, 2009.
Three days later, according to Rolling Stone, the 23-year-old soldier simply walked off his base in Patika province, carrying a knife, his diary and a small camera.
But, is that the real narrative of what has transpired?
But behind the scenes ... is a darker and more complicated story about a young soldier who allegedly abandoned his post after growing disillusioned with America's wars and the potentially illegal deal struck by the White House to free him.
This doesn't sound like the stuff heroic tales are built upon to later become legends. Now we are finding out that all was not well in Sgt. Bergdahl's understanding of the world and his role in it as a U.S. soldier.
He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 full of idealistic conviction that he and his comrades could push back the Taliban and improve life in the long-subjugated country.
But hopefulness soon gave way to despair after his unit began to take casualties and he saw how US troops treated the Afghans they were supposed to be saving.
Here's what is known about the last three days before Sgt. Bergdahl disappeared and was supposedly captured by the Taliban.
"These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid," he wrote in an email to his parents on June 27, 2009.
Three days later, according to Rolling Stone, the 23-year-old soldier simply walked off his base in Patika province, carrying a knife, his diary and a small camera.
Right now we are
operating on a number of details surrounding the capture and now release of
Sgt. Berhdahl by the Taliban. Much more needs to be determined in a world
of demonstrable evidence before America or anyone really makes any hard
and fast characterizations about what we are seeing in the return of Sgt.
Bergdahl.
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