American P.O.W. Freed After 5 Years
5 Taliban Prisoners to Be Released From Guantánamo
By ERIC SCHMITT
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the lone American prisoner of war from the Afghan
conflict, captured by insurgents nearly five years ago, has been
released to American forces in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held
at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility, Obama administration
officials said Saturday.
- An Unlikely Journey to Life as a Taliban Prisoner (May 13, 2012)
IntelCenter, via Associated Press
Sergeant Bergdahl, left, shown in a frame grab from an undated video released by the Taliban.
WASHINGTON
— The lone American prisoner of war from the Afghan conflict, captured
by insurgents nearly five years ago, has been released to American
forces in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay,
Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.
The
soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, was handed over to American Special
Operations forces inside Afghanistan about 10:30 a.m. Saturday by a
group of 18 Taliban, officials said. They said Sergeant Bergdahl was in
good condition and able to walk.
The
five Taliban prisoners at Guantánamo were being transferred to the
custody of officials from Qatar, who will accompany them back to that
Persian Gulf state, where they will be subject to security restrictions,
including a one-year travel ban. Qatari officials acted as
intermediaries as the swap was negotiated.
The
sergeant’s parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, said in a statement: “We
were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give
us the news that Bowe is finally coming home! We cannot wait to wrap
our arms around our only son.”
One
Defense Department official said that once Sergeant Bergdahl was safely
aboard an American military helicopter, he wrote on a paper plate with a
pen — because it was so loud — “S.F.?” seeking to find out if his
rescuers were American Special Forces.
One
soldier yelled back, “Yes, we’ve been looking for you for a long time,”
at which point, the official said, Sergeant Bergdahl broke down crying.
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