By Robert Laurie ——Bio and Archives--June 2, 2014
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With his customary zeal, he'd been preparing for the deployment by learning how to speak Pashto and reading Russian military manuals. Almost as soon as he joined his fellow soldiers, he began to gravitate away from his unit. "He spent more time with the Afghans than he did with his platoon," Fry says. His father, recalling that time, would later describe his son to military investigators as "psychologically isolated."Bergdahl's outfit was plagued with discipline problems, and they were exacerbated in the combat zone. He began to despise the military and his mission. Then, an IED near Bergdahl's outpost took the life of a well known, well liked, and highly admired soldier. Bergdahl's mood sank, and he sent his parents a final email which revealed his contempt for what he believed his own country had become.
"The future is too good to waste on lies," Bowe wrote. "And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be American. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting." "I am sorry for everything here," Bowe told his parents. "These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live."So, one night, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl deserted.
In the early-morning hours of June 30th, according to soldiers in the unit, Bowe approached his team leader not long after he got off guard duty and asked his superior a simple question: If I were to leave the base, would it cause problems if I took my sensitive equipment? Yes, his team leader responded – if you took your rifle and night-vision goggles, that would cause problems. Bowe returned to his barracks, a roughly built bunker of plywood and sandbags. He gathered up water, a knife, his digital camera and his diary. Then he slipped off the outpost.According to various reports Bergdahl was apparently trying to flee to Pakistan, with the eventual goal of reaching China. His platoon had no idea where he was. For all they knew, he could have been captured, killed, or simply wandered away. They'd spend the next week searching for him, despite the fact that he had already been taken prisoner by the Al Qaeda- affiliated Haqqani terrorism network. At 9:00 that morning, the acting platoon leader, Sgt. 1st Class Larry Hein, called in over the radio to report a missing soldier. According to sources in the battalion, this was the last thing Hein needed, given all the scrutiny the unit had been under. The men needed a break. Instead, they had to find a member of their platoon. "That was a shitty week for all of them," says one soldier in the unit. It would get worse. Those searching for the missing soldier would eventually suffer their own casualties. The New York Post is reporting that six men gave their lives in the fruitless search for Sgt. Bergdahl. This has led many of the men who served with him to condemn him as a traitor. The Obama administration would, it seems, like to keep that fact quiet. From CNN:
The sense of pride expressed by officials of the Obama administration at the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is not shared by many of those who served with him -- veterans and soldiers who call him a deserter whose "selfish act" ended up costing the lives of better men. "I was pissed off then and I am even more so now with everything going on," said former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009. "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him." ...Many of Bergdahl's fellow troops -- from the seven or so who knew him best in his squad, to the larger group that comprised the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division -- told CNN that they signed nondisclosure agreements agreeing to never share any information about Bergdahl's disappearance and the efforts to recapture him. Some were willing to dismiss that document in hopes that the truth would come out about a soldier who they now fear is being hailed as a hero, while the men who lost their lives looking for him are ignored.Now we learn that this is the man for whom the Obama Administration has reversed a 200 year old policy regarding a refusal to negotiate with terrorists. Five of the Taliban's worst are being released from the prison at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for his freedom. That's bad enough, as it incentivizes the capture and ransoming of American soldiers and civilians, but the exchange is also completely illegal. By law, Obama is required to notify Congress 30 days in advance of releasing Gitmo detainees. From the Washington Post:
Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred. The law requires the defense secretary to notify relevant congressional committees at least 30 days before making any transfers of prisoners, to explain the reason and to provide assurances that those released would not be in a position to reengage in activities that could threaten the United States or its interests.The White House even admits that it broke the letter of the law, but it's using used its tried and true "we don't care because the law stinks" defense as an explanation.
A senior administration official, agreeing to speak on the condition of anonymity to explain the timing of the congressional notification, acknowledged that the law was not followed. When he signed the law last year, Obama issued a signing statement contending that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers as commander in chief and that he therefore could override it. “Due to a near-term opportunity to save Sergeant Bergdahl’s life, we moved as quickly as possible,” the official said. “The administration determined that given these unique and exigent circumstances, such a transfer should go forward notwithstanding the notice requirement.”So, where does that leave us? We're all glad that one of our own - even one who appears to be so deeply misguided - is coming home. Whether or not Sgt. Bergdahl has committed any crimes will need to be determined. He has a long road ahead and he may still be forced to deal with the consequences of his decisions. That will happen in due course. As Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says, "Our first priority is assuring his well-being and his health and getting him reunited with his family. Other circumstances that may develop and questions, those will be dealt with later." The bigger problem is that the United States has now revealed to the world that it has retreated from its stance on negotiating with terrorist organizations. Capture an American, demand the release of a few Gitmo detainees, and (since our President would very much like to be rid of them anyway) you just may get your wish. This endangers the American public, its military, and its interests around the world. Moreover, we - once again - have evidence of a President who somehow believes that he wields the God-given power to ignore United States law when he feels it's too restrictive.
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