Sgt Bergdahl - POW - Deserter? Traitor? Hero?

[LovelyLadyLux]

The USA just traded 5 Afghani prisoners to get their one and only POW, Sgt Bergdahl, from the Afghan war returned to them. I remember quite well when this man when missing. Initially nobody knew what happened but it seemed that he got up in the middle of the night went walkabout and was subsequently snatched by Afghani. There were searched conducted and then messages came forward indicating he was captured. Periodically he would be filmed and messages would be sent to the USA by his captors. Now ultimately the USA has negotiated to trade him for 5 Afghans.

Quite an interesting debate starting as some see him as a deserter. Some families lost sons in the search for this man and definitely are not seeing him as a hero as Secretary of Defense Susan Rice portrayed him on the Sunday morning talk shows. (I didn't see them nor have I heard exactly what she said).

So - never having fought in a war - if you have a comrade in arms who gets up in the middle of the night and for whatever reason goes out of bounds of the military encampment and gets himself captured - How should he be viewed? Is this an act of desertion? Stupidity? Should he have been traded in exchange for 5 Afghan prisoners?

As an aside apparently Sgt Bergdahl is now having difficulty speaking and understanding English. I speak 2 languages and while I occasionally stumble over a word (more often than not I "forget" a word I'm searching in my old brain for) does one/can one in a couple of years totally forget a language you're born into? Being a native English speaker could you ever forget your own language?

[Horus]

Being a native English speaker could you ever forget your own language?

I would be very sceptical of that, even speaking other languages you tend to think in your native tongue so even talking to yourself or just thinking you would be doing it in your own language. As far as I am concerned when you are speaking another language all you are doing is making a very quick mental conversion of what you are about to say into another language, the quicker you are at doing this conversion the more 'fluent' you are in that other language.

As for his walkabout as I don't know enough about the background it is hard to say if he was just careless or adventurous or about to abscond, either way his foolishness costs others their lives.

[Grandad]

I remember having a German lecturer at college and we asked him what language he 'thought' in. He said it was around twenty years before he was consciously thinking in English.....

There do seem to be questions about this guy? And to release five of the highest risk Taliban Commander prisoners from Guantanamo Bay detention camp in exchange for his release seems like a deal that the Taliban will see as a victory. Especially after Obama has decreed NOT to negotiate with terrorists.

I have not read any details of Sgt Bergdahls background but I get an impression particularly from his father, that the family could be religious and, if so, this could have a bearing on his behaviour now and at the time of his capture. But I am only surmising.

[LovelyLadyLux]

As for Bergdahl - prior to his going 'walkabout' he wrote missives back to his parents elaborating how much he hated the American way of life. He then shipped all of his personal stuff home and while on Guard duty just walked off. His fellow soldiers then and now viewed him as a deserter and SIX of them were killed whilst out and about searching for him. There is a very strong feeling being spoken about loudly now by his fellow men in arms that he was nothing but a deserter.

His father, from Idaho, appeared with President Obama in full Islamic beard, addressed the US Press Core in Pashtu, thanked Allah (in front of the Pres) and expressed his thanks for getting his son back. (To note - his son text'd or emailed his father about his thoughts on the USA and his father told him to 'go with your conscience').

The USA negotiated with Al Quaeda for the return of 1 possible deserter and in exchange released FIVE TOP Al Quaeda leaders who they had in Gitmo. The five who were released were in the top echealon of the ranks!

Lots of outcry in the USA. The fear is that now that there HAS BEEN a swap of 1 American for 5 Al Quaeda terrorists that this will add impetus to start kidnapping any US serviceman or civilian and holding them for an exchange or swap.

What makes it worse is that President Obama's Administration is to notify Congress that there are negotiations happening and definitely prior to the release of anybody from Gitmo and neither of these happened. Apparently the Pres decided on his own to do the release (some discussion that he named who was to be released) and negotiation.

The families of the 6 who died searching for this alleged deserter are really up in arms as are Bergdahl's fellow soldiers.

**That the dad is from Idaho is an indication he could be very counter culture. Apparently Idaho is a bit of a haven for those who carry "different" beliefs and there is a very direct concern that the dad is very sympathetic to Al Quaeda.

[Horus]

All I can say is it's a good job that Obama cannot stand for another term.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Unfortunately he still have a couple more years to go. Touted as one of the worst Presidents ever.

I can only feel for the moms who lost sons who were sent out to search for a soldier who abandoned his post and went walking into the night.

The investigation is now on so answers will be forthcoming ONCE Sgt Bergdahl learns to speak ENGLISH again!!!

Don't understand this 'forgetting' of English. Kids ok. That a kid or even teenager might not remember is to be expected but an adult? Even I will admit to not being totally fluent in French anymore given I probably haven't engaged in a lengthy conversation for years - BUT - whilst I search MY brain for words I can't recall (WAIT! I'm doing that in ENGLISH now - ahh the vagaries of old age) I CAN understand for the most part what is being said to me and can formulate a response.

Going to be interesting to follow how this one develops and I hope there are no repercussions of people abroad in positions of power being grabbed by terrorists in the hopes of starting negotiations for prisoners.

Should there EVER be negotiations with terrorists?

[Grandad]

It was the fathers whiskers that set me thinking LLL, but my thoughts were more towards Amish? What you have said seems to make more worrying sense.

[LovelyLadyLux]

The information is just starting to trickle out now BUT the Dad arrived with the Pres to make a speech and started it in Pashtu the Afghani language coupled with his appearance has set alarm bells ringing - so now the investigation or look see at the dad`s background will start. The dad lives no where near Amish country.

It is all really quite alarming and personally I`m highly suspect of President Obama`s motives. Muslim father, quite confident about is ``abilities`` in the Muslim world, bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia and on and on and on........has all been interesting to watch over the past 6 years.

[Horus]

It does make you wonder

[Grandad]

It does seem to be turning rather sour, and understandably so. Six US soldiers killed in the search for Bergdahl, 5 very senior terrorists released in echange for Bergdahl, questions about Obamas motives after declaring 'no deals with terrorists', and now the Welcome Home rally for Bergdahl has been cancelled.

Lots of questions and so far no answers....

[LovelyLadyLux]

This entire matter here (and I'm saying "here" meaning in the North American USA sense) is really heating up. Lots of angry out cry such that Bergdahl's home town had to cancel the celebration they planned.

To release 5 high level detainees who were in the upper echelons of Al Quaeda is ridiculous. There is now a growing concern that money was also given but Obama's Administration isn't commenting. Many of the serious commentators have long said the Obama Administration has no idea what it is doing, it is beset by scandal after scandal and inept actions.

Another interesting tidbit of this entire fiasco is that Bergdahl was never categorized by the US Military as a POW. He was a Private (or I think they call the Specialists) when he walked away and was awarded 2 promotions to Sergeant!! His fellow military guys are outraged and are now all talking that this guy was nothing but a deserter.

What bothers me most is that the swap of this many high ranking terrorists has now put all the rest of us at risk for being grabbed and held for ransom. It is a very dangerous precident that has been started and if anyone thinks these 5 won't go right back to planning and plotting - well - of course they're going to!

IMO there needs to be a full investigation and if it is determined Bergdahl was a deserter then he heads to Levenworth Prison. As for the releasing of terrorists - OMG NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

[Grandad]

And here is an extreme thought. What if Bergdahl has in fact been radicalised with a mission to set up a cell in the US? Sounds extreme I know but who can you trust these days?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Just home and have the evening news on. Seems the Bergdahl situation is really escalating. They're calling it a "Fire Storm." Obama, when pressed on this, is minimizing it all saying that it is only "Democratic Party Haters" who are stirring up trouble.....OMG!! This man Pres O doesn't seem to know anything about anything!! His Administration announced on TV that Bergdahl "served with honour and distinction"!!!! Talk about ANGER over that statement. Going to get bad.

The News just showed a poll and there is apparently a 58% disapproval rating re: Obama. AND there is also evidence that Bergdahl has possibly/probably collaborated with the Taliban, maybe provided info to them.

Disapproval re: Obama is really festering in the US and am thinking soon it is going to start to overflow big time. Too many poor decisions, no leadership, too many scandals.

[Horus]

LLL, you probably get a feeling as to how most of us feel about our present leader mr Cameroon and his partner in crime Nick Clogg! They (the Conservatives) received another good hiding in the Newark bye elections yesterday when UKIP came a good second , but the Conservatives still crow about winning a pefectly safe seat for them even though it was with a much reduced majority, they never seem to learn.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@H - I was actually thinking that when you mentioned a ground swell of discontent starting there. In the USA there is a huge ground swell of discontent starting and gaining momentum and seems just one incident after another happening in the country with the Obama Administration continually blaming everybody else in the world for causing them difficulties. They're NOT listening to the people and it IS going to come back and bite them hard!!

This Bergdahl matter is big. Last night they had a forum of about 6 of his comrades in arms talking even though they'd been given gag orders. Military members are angry and this Bergdahl matter is coming in conjunction with the Vetrans Administration scandal where the VA was creating false lists of patients and actually had quite a few Vets die because they were not seeing them in any sort of timely manner THEN covering it up. Just one scandal after another.