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Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Was Exchanged for Detainees at Guantánamo Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Was Exchanged for Detainees at Guantánamo
(about 1 hour later)
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban released a video on Wednesday showing its fighters handing over Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to American troops, providing a direct look at a moment in the Afghan war that has prompted relief in some quarters but has drawn sharp criticism in Afghanistan and Washington.
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban released a video on Wednesday showing its fighters handing Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to American troops, providing a direct look at a moment in the Afghan war that has provoked relief in some quarters and sharp criticism in Afghanistan and Washington. Sergeant Bergdahl is seen in the video wearing traditional Afghan robes, and his face and head appear to have been recently shaved. For much of the video, he is seen waiting in a silver and red pickup truck surrounded by Taliban fighters armed with assault rifles and at least one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, standard armaments for the insurgents. The faces of many of the Taliban fighters are covered by scarves.
Sergeant Bergdahl is seen in the video clad in traditional Afghan robes, and his face and head appear to have been recently shaven. For much of the video, he is seen waiting in a silver and red pickup truck surrounded by Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles and at least one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, standard armaments for the insurgents. Many of the Taliban in the video have their faces covered by scarves. As an American Blackhawk helicopter approaches, one of the insurgents is heard telling Sergeant Bergdahl: “Don’t come back to Afghanistan. If you do, you won’t make it out alive next time.” Other insurgents standing nearby laugh at the warning.
As the American helicopter approaches, one of the insurgents can be heard telling Sergeant Bergdahl: “Don’t come back to Afghanistan. If you do, you won’t make it out alive next time.” Other insurgents standing nearby laugh at the warning. Then the helicopter lands and Sergeant Bergdahl is handed over to Americans wearing civilian clothes. The Americans quickly lead him away, patting him down and casually dropping a plastic shopping bag he was holding. They board the helicopter and fly off.
But much of the audio consists of an interview with one of the Taliban fighters who was described as having taken part in the handover. He talks about the arrangements that were made with the Americans, and then narrates how the American forces arrived by helicopter, covered by bombers circling in the sky above. At times, the camera shifts from the Taliban fighters and Sergeant Bergdahl to show airplanes flying above them. Much of the video clip’s audio track consists of an interview with one of the Taliban fighters who is described as having taken part in the handover. He talks about the arrangements that were made with the Americans, and then narrates how the American forces arrived by helicopter, with warplanes circling in the sky above. At times, the camera shifts from the Taliban fighters and Sergeant Bergdahl to show aircraft overhead. If the Taliban fighter’s account is accurate, the video adds new details to what had been reported about the transfer, which took place on Saturday in the eastern province of Khost.
Providing the Taliban fighter’s account is accurate, the video adds new details to what is known about the transfer, which took place on Saturday in the eastern province of Khost shortly before five Taliban prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, were handed over to officials from Qatar, which mediated the prisoner swap. The five Taliban have since been taken to Qatar, where the insurgents have a political office and the former prisoners are to remain for one year under the terms of the deal with the United States. Shortly after the handover, five Taliban prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, were handed over to officials from Qatar, which mediated the prisoner swap. The five Taliban prisoners have since been taken to Qatar, where the insurgents have a political office; under the terms of the exchange agreement, the five must remain in Qatar for one year.
American officials said they were aware of the video and were reviewing it. “We have no reason to doubt the video’s authenticity,” said Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman. “Regardless, we know the transfer was peaceful and successful, and our focus remains on getting Sgt. Bergdahl the care he needs.” American officials said they were aware of the video and were reviewing it. “We have no reason to doubt the video’s authenticity,” said Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman. “Regardless, we know the transfer was peaceful and successful, and our focus remains on getting Sergeant Bergdahl the care he needs.”
Hours after the video was released, the Taliban website was overwhelmed by the number of attempted views, and the page hosting the video crashed, said Zabiullah Mujahid a spokesman for the insurgents. The Taliban was working to restore the page, but the video by then had been posted on YouTube. But the military is likely to be unhappy with at least one aspect of the video: The face of one of the Special Operations troops sent to pick up Sergeant Bergdahl can be seen. The image is shot from a distance and is not easy to make out. Even so, Special Operations troops usually work in secrecy and anonymity, and the military goes to great lengths to keep their faces out of the public eye, often prohibiting journalists from photographing them.
The video opens with a narrator reading verses from the Quran. Then the narrator, speaking in Pashto, one of Afghanistan’s two main languages, encourages Muslims to “fight these infidels.” Hours after the video was released, the Taliban website where it was posted was overwhelmed with traffic and crashed, according to d Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgents. The video has also been uploaded to YouTube.
The narrator quickly shifts to explaining the deal under which Sergeant Bergdahl was traded for the five Taliban leaders imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay. Getting the five men back was “blissful news” and an “historic achievement,” the narrator says. The video opens with a narrator reading verses from the Quran. Then, speaking in Pashto, one of Afghanistan’s two main languages, the narrator encourages Muslims to “fight these infidels.”
The release “has been broadcast around the country and whole universe, and filled up the eyes of all Muslims with tears of happiness.” The narrator quickly shifts to explaining the agreement to exchange Sergeant Bergdahl for the five detainees at Guantánamo Bay. For the Taliban, getting the five men back was “blissful news” and an “historic achievement,” the narrator says, which “filled up the eyes of all Muslims with tears of happiness.”
Then the footage of the actual handover of Sergeant Bergdahl begins. A new voice, said to be of one of the Taliban who took part in the exchange, starts giving details about the exchange he had with an American, presumably the commander of the team, as the two worked out the last-minute logistics of the fraught encounter, which appears to have been the first of its kind in the 13-year war in Afghanistan. Then the footage of the actual handover of Sergeant Bergdahl begins, and a different voice is heard, that of the Taliban insurgent who was said to have taken part. He describes an exchange he had with an American, presumably the commander of the team, as the two worked out last-minute logistical details of the encounter, apparently the first U.S.-Taliban prisoner exchange in the 13-year war in Afghanistan.
The handover took place in the Batai area of Khost Province, the insurgent says; American officials have previously said only that it was done in Khost, a mountainous province along the border with Pakistan that has been the scene of much fighting throughout the war. The insurgent gives a more specific location for the handover — the Batai area of Khost Province — than American officials, who have said only that it took place in Khost, a mountainous province along the border with Pakistan that has been the scene of fighting throughout the war.
There was some talk of where precisely to meet, according to the Taliban fighter, and the Taliban agreed to the American suggestion that the two sides link up 500 meters from the house of a well-known resident of the area. There was also some last-minute confusion. The Americans initially wanted the Taliban to hold something green as they approached with Sergeant Bergdahl, but the insurgents did not have any green cloths and the two sides quickly decided a white sheet would suffice.There was some talk of where precisely to meet, according to the Taliban fighter, and the Taliban agreed to the American suggestion that the two sides link up 500 meters from the house of a well-known resident of the area. There was also some last-minute confusion. The Americans initially wanted the Taliban to hold something green as they approached with Sergeant Bergdahl, but the insurgents did not have any green cloths and the two sides quickly decided a white sheet would suffice.
The Americans then said three of them would jump from the helicopters, and that two Taliban should walk forward with Sergeant Bergdahl.The Americans then said three of them would jump from the helicopters, and that two Taliban should walk forward with Sergeant Bergdahl.
The helicopters landed about 40 feet to 50 feet from where the Taliban were positioned, the insurgent said.
When Sergeant Bergdahl “saw his American helicopter, he was very happy and wanted to rush toward them,” the Taliban member said in the video.When Sergeant Bergdahl “saw his American helicopter, he was very happy and wanted to rush toward them,” the Taliban member said in the video.
He then expressed dismay with the Americans, who rushed through the encounter and did not stop to talk or exchange polite greetings, as is customary in Afghanistan, even during hostage releases. He complained that they had managed to shake hands with only two of the Americans, and that one of them had hastily shoved his left hand forward, considered a particularly rude gesture in Afghanistan.He then expressed dismay with the Americans, who rushed through the encounter and did not stop to talk or exchange polite greetings, as is customary in Afghanistan, even during hostage releases. He complained that they had managed to shake hands with only two of the Americans, and that one of them had hastily shoved his left hand forward, considered a particularly rude gesture in Afghanistan.
“We wanted to convey some messages to them via the interpreter but they didn’t spend much time with us,” said the Taliban fighter, speculating that perhaps the Americans were too frightened to linger. “We wanted to convey some messages to them via the interpreter, but they didn’t spend much time with us,” said the Taliban fighter, speculating that perhaps the Americans were too frightened to linger. “They even didn’t let us to shake hands with the soldier and say goodbye, and they behaved in a very simple way,” the fighter said.
“They even didn’t let us to shake hands with the soldier and say goodbye, and they behaved in a very simple way,” the fighter said. The video ends with the same warning that was delivered to Sergeant Bergdahl moments before his release. The words that appear on the screen contain a misspelling, but the message seems clear. “Don come back to Afghanistan,” it says.
The video ends with the same warning delivered to Sergeant Bergdahl moments before his release. The words that flash up on the screen contain a misspelling, but the message appears clear. “Don come back to Afghanistan,” it says.