Good Breaking News: Sergeant Bergdahl has been Freed - Updated

Adam L. Silverman, PhD*

A bit of good news out of Afghanistan on a Saturday afternoon. Sergeant Bowl Bergdahl, pictured above, has been released by the Taliban that have been holding him for several years. He's now back in US control. This was accomplished by agreeing to exchange him for five detainees being held at Guantanamo. They will be released to the Qataris who have agreed to supervise them.

UPDATED

In comments COL Lang asked who was SGT Bergdahl exchanged for. According to the news reports he was exchanged for five Taliban being held at Guantanamo. According to CNN, based on confirmation from (unnamed) Administration officials, the five Taliban are:

 

Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa

 

Former Afghan minister of interior during Taliban rule, governor of Herat and a military commander. Alleged to have been "directly associated" with Osama bin Laden. According to a detainee assessment, Khairkhwa was probably associated with al Qaeda's now-deceased leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi. He is also described as one of the "major opium drug lords in western Afghanistan" and a "friend of current Afghan President Hamid Karzai." He was arrested February 2002 in Pakistan and was transferred to Guantanamo in May 2002. During questioning, Khairkhwa denied all knowledge of extremist activities.

 

Mullah Mohammad Fazl

 

Deputy minister of defense under the Taliban, senior military commander who was chief of staff of the Afghan army and commander of the Taliban's 10th Division. Wanted by the U.N. in connection with the massacre of thousands of Afghan Shiites during the Taliban rule. "When asked about the murders, detainee did not express any regret," according to the detainee assessment. Alleged to have been associated with several militant Islamist groups, including al Qaeda. Surrendered in November 2001 to Northern Alliance (opponents of the Taliban). Transferred to U.S. custody in December 2001 and one of the first arrivals at Guantanamo. Assessed as having high intelligence value.

 

Mullah Norullah Nori

 

Senior Taliban commander during hostilities with U.S. and allies in Mazar-e Sharif in late 2001. Taliban governor of two provinces and also implicated, according to detainee assessment, in the murder of Afghan Shiites. Nori claimed during interrogation that "he never received any weapons or military training." Surrendered in November 2001 to Northern Alliance and transferred to U.S. custody a month later. According to 2008 detainee assessment, Nori "continues to deny his role, importance and level of access to Taliban officials." Same assessment characterized him as high risk and of high intelligence value.

 

Abdul Haq Wasiq

 

Formerly deputy director of Taliban intelligence. An administrative review in 2007 cited a source as saying that Wasiq was also "an al Qaeda intelligence member" and had links with members of another militant Islamist group, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin. Wasiq claimed, according to the review, that he was arrested while trying to help the United States locate senior Taliban figures. He denied any links to militant groups.

 

Mohammad Nabi Omari

 

According to the first administrative review of Omari in 2004, he was a member of the Taliban and associated with both al Qaeda and another militant group Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin. He was the Taliban's chief of communications and helped al Qaeda members to escape from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Omari acknowledged during hearings that he had worked for the Taliban but denied connections with militant groups. He also said that he had worked with a U.S. operative named Mark to try to track down Mullah Omar.

 

 

*Adam L. Silverman is the Cultural Advisor at the US Army War College. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Army War College and/or the US Army.

Comments

[turcopolier]

All

Who was exchanged for him? pl

[Laura Wilson]

Can the Qatari's be trusted to "supervise?" What does that mean exactly?

I was kind of troubled that the 5 guys exchanged seemed to have been pretty high up the Taliban food chain. I wish we had tried them in civilian courts years ago and shown them what American justice looks like.

Colonel--what is the history for this kind of an exchange?

[Richard Armstrong]

COL,

On 31 May 2014 the US government was reported to have swapped 5 detainees - Abdul Haq Wasiq, Mullah Norullah Nori, Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mohammed Nabi and Mohammed Fazi in return for captured US soldier Sergeant Bowe.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/31/us-pays-high-price-for-last-pow-in-afghanistan.html

[The Twisted Genius]

It is good news and a clear sign that we are leaving Afghanistan to the Afghanis, including the Taliban. A clearer sign than all the proclamations coming out of Washington.

[Bobo]

Yes this is good news, a good day and a wonderful outcome for Bergdahl, his family, friends, fellow servicemen and the America people. An American POW is enroute home. We should celebrate.

The cost of this return will be debated for days to come. Whether the USA negotiated with the Enemy (Taliban) or Terrorists it will be painted in many ways but it stinks to the high heavens and five scumbags will have to be dealt with again. The real question in my mind is what happens at the end of 2014 when the US pulls out except for a small force, if permitted. What do we do with the individuals in Gitmo. We call them detainees but in reality they are POWs unless criminally prosecuted and found guilty.

Bergdahl's capture will also be debated and that is a cross he will have to bear over time. This is an American Soldier brought home from captivity. We not only bring home hero's but also screw ups, misfits, CO's, etc., etc. as they are Americans. I celebrate the return of Sgt. Bergdahl.

[Eliot]

How was he captured? Was he indeed AWOL?

I appreciate that we're leaving but it seems like a steep price.

- Eliot

[turcopolier]

RA

Thanks, but not a name I was looking for. pl

[Tyler]

Bergdahl was from my old unit, the 1/501st. He showed up well after "my time" there. My understanding from people on the ground was that he was an odd cat and there were some questions about what exactly happened with him that got swept under the rug due to OER considerations.

Regardless, five years in Afghanistan ain't Disneyland. Hopefully he'll readjust and recover.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I do not find the news of release of Mullah Mohammad Fazl good in any sense.

[herb]

We could have used this as an excuse to release the dozens of nobodies that we will never be able to prosecute either because they didn't do anything wrong, or no usable evidence exists they did anything wrong. But since they aren't of any value to anybody, we are stuck with them.

Our rationale for holding people at Gitmo is they are too dangerous to release, and then we release people who are quite obviously important figures and have proven very dangerous indeed.

Gitmo is a stain on our history.

[jonst]

Is there any doubt here, with the exception, perhaps, of one prisoners, that these dudes were/are POW? Just curious.

[Babak Makkinejad]

They are not "nobodies"; they are thugs and criminals with blood on their hands.

[Richard Armstrong]

Mr. Makkinejad,

I agree with you, however those Taliban that are in Guantanamo or released from Guantanamo didn't become a threat to American interests until America decided to stay in Afghanistan and play at nation building.

Originally the Taliban were a problem for the United States because they refused to give up bin Laden claiming their culture prevented giving a guest up to belligerents.

Had the United States pulled out of Afghanistan after losing bin Laden in the mountains I don't think the Taliban would have amounted to a hill of beans to American interests.

I believe that our scheduled pull out of Afghanistan leaving Hamid Karzai on his own demonstrates how little America now considers the Taliban to be a threat to American interests and how little America considers Afghanistan to be an American interest.

[zanzibar]

Bob Bergdahl interview:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/may/31/bowe-bergdahls-father-bob-interview-video

[Laura Wilson]

We could have tried them in our courts…we have good courts and a decent legal system and a crappy Congress. The last 13 years have been a stain on our history.

[Charile Wilson]

A better swap would be to send this guy to Gitmo. He let us down, just like McCain.

[Fred]

Well there went 11 minutes of my life. Bob didn't let his son know that the army existed to inflict violence and destruction in the service of the state? Thanks dad! Why the heck did his son enlist? The Guardian finally gets around to Bob's comments that there were others in harms way along with his son. How many of them wound up dead trying to get Bergdahl back? Well, the Guardian couldn't ask that, why that wouldn't be quite so anti-war anti-American now would it.

Next up the million dollar book deal, to be followed by the movie.

[herb]

I should have been more clear. I do believe these individuals and many others at Guantanamo are murderers, terrorist leaders, and/or associates. That is why they have value in trade. I was referring to the actual "nobodies" who we have cleared and "can't release". They have no trade value, so they will rot. The big fish swim free, the little fish remain behind as propaganda fodder for our enemies.

[optimax]

Six men died looking for Bergdahl.

[SAC Brat]

A dumb question from the dumb guy in the back of the classroom.

As long as the US does not issue a visa or the FBI does not interact with them, what threat are the Club Gitmo folks to the US? Were any of the September 11 2001 attackers or others able to reach the US without approved paperwork? (Ok, the Underwear bomber had someone grease him through in Amsterdam.)

Sorry to be obtuse, but I see so many medicine shows on tv nowadays. It is hard to believe anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_show

[Imagine]

These guys are clearly POWs.

I wouldn't treat a dog the way W.Bush and America have treated these prisoners. Sen. Feinstein rightly called Gitmo an "abomination".

The 6th Amendment does not say anything about applying only to citizens. It sets forth how decent people conduct trials and imprisonment.

America is acting clearly against the Geneva Convention. "The wheels of God's justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine." The reason we have laws/SOPs/the 6th Amendment is not to protect them but to protect us. This includes the next time that Americans get caught as POWs; to keep us from turning into slime that believe in the rule of tyranny, trumping the rule of law; and to keep the rest of the world from eventually rising up en masse against America as World Tyrant. All things that we all want.

Gitmo stands as a flaming beacon of injustice--Bush & Cheney are thus still inspiring more hatred towards America than Bin Laden ever did. What can be done to make this situation better?

[Fred]

Imagine,

"What can be done to make this situation better? "

You could try getting Obama - the professor of constitutional law - to order the AG to charge Bush, Cheney or any of the other prior administration's officials. Of course he should include himself and the AG for thier own constitutional violations.

[Wunduk]

Maybe not wrong to think that the release led to greater freedom of action against international terorrist in Pakistan.

After the killings of Sangin Zadran, Nasiruddin Haqqani and Ahmed Jan Wazir of the HQN in November 2013, suddenly a pause had set in.

Now in June 2014 drone strikes resume.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/720434/three-killed-in-drone-strike-in-north-waziristan-2/

[Barry]

Please note that these guys have been in Gitmo for a decade. They are out of date in both what's going on, and all personal ties. In addition, from what I've heard, anybody who's been held by the USA for any length of time is suspect by the Taliban and others.

[Barry]

"Whether the USA negotiated with the Enemy (Taliban) or Terrorists it will be painted in many ways..."

Do you not understand that the government of the USA (a) negotiates with 'the Enemy' whenever it seems helpful and (b) negotiates with 'Terrorists'? Heck, the US government has given weapons to people declared to be terrorists.