The Haqqani terrorist group kept Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in relatively good health the past five years because it was always its goal to trade him, U.S. officials said Tuesday. But the last “proof-of-life” video the Haqqani network recorded showed Sgt. Bergdahl looking haggard and perhaps bruised. One U.S. official said intelligence analysts believe the soldier may have been made to look ill as a ploy to convince Washington he was in failing health and needed to be freed promptly. The video was produced in December and obtained by U.S. military in January. PHOTOS: Inside the U.S. Navy SEALs: See Americas elite warriors unleashed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel cited Sgt. Bergdahl’s health as a prime factor in trading five senior Taliban commanders for his release. Before that, officials said Sgt. Bergdahl was fed, clothed in local garb and allowed to exercise, and he wrote at least one letter home to Hailey, Idaho. The U.S.-designated terrorist group wanted the release of senior Taliban fighters who one day could help bring down the new democracy in Afghanistan, so the sergeant’s health was important, a U.S. official said. The official and other sources for this report requested anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters freely. A video made available in December 2009 by IntelCenter purportedly shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured months earlier in eastern Afghanistan. The man identifies himself as Sgt. Bergdahl, born in Sun Valley, Idaho, and gives his rank, birth date, blood type, unit and mothers maiden name before beginning a lengthy verbal attack on the U.S. conduct of the war in Afghanistan and its relations with Muslims. (IntelCenter via Associated Press) Enlarge Photo A video made available in December 2009 by IntelCenter purportedly shows Sgt. ... more > The details of Sgt. Bergdahl’s day-to-day existence are sketchy, but U.S. authorities believe he was moved among various compounds in Pakistan controlled by the Haqqani network, a family-led band of terrorists that operates with near impunity as its operatives cross into Afghanistan to conduct attacks and kill Americans. Sgt. Bergdahl, 28, is in a military hospital in Germany, where he is undergoing a step-by-step reintegration program that will lead to a detailed debriefing of how he was captured and treated and what he saw in captivity. Some tidbits relayed to the U.S. command in Afghanistan came from sources with shaky reliability. Still, when Navy SEALs took possession of him Saturday, Sgt. Bergdahl was walking and talking and did not seem to have serious medical problems. PHOTOS: Awesome rifles: The best and the baddest “He was in fair condition physically when we received him, so it appears he was cared for somewhat adequately,” a Pentagon official said. “But he needs to be debriefed for us to really get a sense of that. All the information during his captivity came from sources with questionable reliability, but they also indicated he wasn’t abused.” A former special operations official said, “There was no more concern today about his health as a prisoner of terrorists than there was last year. They could kill him at any moment, then or now.” A third source, an adviser to U.S. Special Operations Command, said, “In all the intelligence reports I saw, there was no indication he was mistreated to the level of abuse.” Previous publicly released videos showed Sgt. Bergdahl declaring himself “physical fit” and doing leg squats. In another, he pleaded, “Get me to be released.” He also said, “I’m scared. I want to be able to go home.” Another proof-of-life item emerged last June, when his parents in Idaho received their son’s handwritten letter via the International Committee of the Red Cross. “He was scripted and redacted, but he was no doubt alive and his faculties fully functioning as of two months ago,” Robert Bergdahl told a family friend, according to CBS-TV affiliate KBOI. “They are being very careful with him. He is still highly valued at high levels.” Story Continues → View Entire Story ‹‹ previous12next ›› by TaboolaSponsored ContentFrom the Web Warren Buffett Reveals How Anyone With $40 Can Beco… The Motley Fool Billionaires Dump Stocks, Prepare for Collapse (Shocking) Newsmax 17 Gay Celebs Who Pretend To Be Straight POPnHOP 30 Candid Met Gala Snaps You Havent Seen (But Need To!) Refinery29 Read more: washingtontimes/news/2014/jun/3/taliban-used-haggard-look-of-pow-bergdahl-in-last-/#ixzz33i58OKVM Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 21:54:40 +0000
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