Page 556 - Captivity News Today

Bergdahls capture by the taliban, we obviously have not been interrogating sergeant bergdahl. hes recovering from five years of captivity. with the taliban. but let me just make a very simple point here, and that is regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an american soldier back if hes held in captivity, period. full stop. we dont condition that. and thats what every mom and dad who sees a son or daughter sent over into a war theater should...

>> sergeant bergdahl was held by a group your administration declared a foreign terrorist organization as recently as 2012. in reality, can it be said that you were negotiating with terrorists? >> anderson, sergeant bergdahl was held as a prisoner in an armed conflict, one thats been going on for more than a dozen years, has a general principle of going back all the way to our founding the united states military does not leave its men and women in uniform behind when they are held by the enemy i...

Afghans may put them on trial. >> colonel wilkerson, someone who spent a career and life in the military, what do you make of the spectacle of an american soldier being essentially tried in absentia for desertion via cable news and websites? >> this is no surprise to me. ive learned that both political parties, particularly my own and people like john mccain and ted cruz, and others, will take advantage of almost any situation to score points against the current administration. its reprehensible...

This case, the taliban war cabinet. as one afghan told me earlier today, the charles mansons of afghan society handed over for us. no one disputes and no one is arguing that sergeant bergdahl should have been brought home. but we are questioning the price we paid for him. >> all right. general, i want to get this in. we learned a 2009 investigation, pentagon investigation, into bergdahls disappearance concluded he left on his own accord because his weapon, night vision goggles, bulletproof vest ...

Right there, the handshake with the u.s. special forces. i guess we counted some 18 members of the taliban or those -- >> afghan militant fighters. >> -- militants around there involved in the handoff, enough to film it, by the way, quite skillfully. this shows you how attempt they are at media, and they just released this video, you know -- >> this is the picture thats remarkable to me, his last moments of captivity, really. theres a moment here where somebody leans in and is explaining somethi...

>> this robert bergdahl, the father, who is also engendering some controversy. hes learned to speak pashto, the language of the taliban and looks like a muslim. hes also somewhat sympathetic to islam, actually thanking allah in front of the president. >> sources are saying theyre baffled to allow the president to stand alongside sergeant bergdahls father. he said he was growing his beard because his son was in captivity. well, your sons out now. so if you really dont want to no longer look like ...

As a result of his nearly five years in captivity with the taliban, in the afghan, pakistan area. so those are the main issues. in addition to that there are concerns about his psychological position, analysis to help him re-integrate into society. it doesnt seem this is a matter of life or death according to the world were getting from the landstuhl medical officials in germany. >> jim, theres every reason to believe that we have no word that the special opses guys were also videoing this but t...

Reporting from washington. lets start with a new video showing the release of army sergeant bowe bergdahl after five years in captivity. its a rare view of the taliban and american special forces. our pentagon correspondent barbara starr takes us through the highlights. >> reporter: chanting "praise for their leader" 18 armed taliban militants seen standing in wait, perched on grassy hills in the valley, guns and rocket launchers at the ready. the narration says this meeting took place at 4:00 i...

>> i said i didnt like his presentation, thanking allah. lets get this discussion rolling. frank lynn reed, california, i have an honest question. why of it offensive for the sergeants father to use the word allah. because allah approved. jihad is driven by allah in the mind of these killers. god of islam is not offensive. within the context of the war on terror, citing allah was inappropriate. from florida, i have a question, if sergeant bergdahl is a deserter why was he promoted during the cap...

Saxby chambliss tells cnn both he and chairwoman dianne feinstein were never notified about this decision, even though he says the law and courtesy insists they should have been. >> theres a list down there of a very few of us that do receive these advanced phone calls. and its hard for me to believe that both dianne and i, both of whom had objected vigorously in writing as far back as three years ago to the president as well as to secretary clinton about the release of these prisoners, that we ...