Parents of Bowe Bergdahl claim there are secret talks for a swap with the Taliban

This image provided by IntelCenter Wednesday Dec. 8, 2010, shows a framegrab from a new video released by the Taliban containing footage of a man believed to be Spc. Bowe Bergdahl, / AP Photo/IntelCenter

(AP) WASHINGTON - Frustrated by what they said are stalled efforts to free a U.S. soldier taken prisoner three years ago in Afghanistan, the man's parents have gone public with previously secret U.S. attempts to trade him for Taliban prisoners in U.S. hands.

Bob Bergdahl and his wife, Jani Bergdahl, said in interviews that they are concerned the U.S. government hasn't done enough to secure the release of their son, 26-year-old Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

"There is a dynamic here that has to change," Bob Bergdahl said in an interview with the Idaho Mountain Express. "Everybody is frustrated with how slowly the process has evolved."

Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, was captured in June 2009 and is believed held by the Haqqani network, an insurgent group affiliated with the Taliban, probably somewhere in Pakistan. He is the subject of a proposed prisoner swap in which the Obama administration would allow the transfer of up to five Taliban prisoners long held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Those prisoners would most likely go to Qatar, where they would be under some form of loose house arrest or supervision, while Bergdahl would be returned to the U.S. military.

Captured soldier's dad seeks help via YouTube
Video May Show U.S. Soldier on Day of Capture

The proposed deal has been in limbo for months and faces serious opposition in Congress if it ever gets off the ground. The Taliban walked away from talks in March, saying the U.S. had reneged on several promises. The Obama administration is trying several gambits to restart talks, including proposing looser terms for the detention or monitoring of the Guantanamo prisoners upon their release, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are sensitive and elements of the U.S. engagement with the Taliban are classified.

The Associated Press has periodically reported on Bergdahl's case since his capture. But the news agency had agreed since last year not to report on the proposed prisoner swap and ongoing negotiations at the request of the Pentagon and White House, on the grounds that public discussion would endanger Bergdahl's life.

With public discussion of the deal Wednesday by Bergdahl's parents, the AP and other news organizations reported the proposed swap.

Bob Bergdahl told the Idaho newspaper that swapping Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo for his son represents a "win-win" for the United States. He said in addition to his son's safe return, the United States could foster good will with the Afghan people.

The imprisonment of suspected militants at Guantanamo is a longstanding irritant in U.S. relations with Muslim nations including Afghanistan, which has long demanded the release of its citizens held since shortly after the U.S. invasion that toppled the Taliban government in Kabul in 2001.

A senior U.S. military official said the Pentagon believes Bergdahl to be alive, in relatively good health and in captivity somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because efforts to free Bergdahl remain sensitive.

Bob Bergdahl said he and his wife are hoping for a peaceful resolution, preferably one that doesn't put other American soldiers in danger.

"We don't want to see Americans killed," he told the Idaho paper.

Even so, he said the time for a change in strategy has come, and that he hopes renewed public attention to their son's plight would help secure his release.

"I'm pushing it hard," Bob Bergdahl said.

Marine Col. David Lapan, spokesman for Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the military has a "collaborative" relationship with Bergdahl's family, which is given quarterly updates from Washington. He said the family is not advised on whether to discuss the case with the news media.

"Our message to them is: We are working hard to obtain Sgt. Bergdahl's release, to bring him back into U.S. hands," Lapan said.

Asked about the family's complaint that the U.S. government has not done enough, Lapan said: "It's perfectly understandable that parents whose son has been kept in captivity for several years now are frustrated. We certainly understand that. That's why we do everything thing we can to try to keep them updated, to the extent we can."

He added: "If they are angry and/or frustrated, that is certainly understandable. I would say that our leaders are frustrated as well."

Bowe Bergdahl disappeared June 30, 2009, while deployed with his U.S. Army unit. He's spent three birthdays in captivity.

To solicit support for further action, Bob Bergdahl plans to speak at an annual demonstration to recognize prisoners of war over Memorial Day weekend in Washington. The event, organized by the nonprofit POW support group Rolling Thunder, typically attracts more than 100,000 motorcyclists to the nation's capital.

"With all that's going on, we really need a diplomatic path to get this resolved," Bob Bergdahl said.

[forumcomments]

The FBI just put out a reward worth millions for a retired agent captured years ago on an Iranian island.

Why can't our gov put out a reward for this soldier and the aid worker captured in Pakistan?

[mavector]

Amazing! First, the headline is incorrect! There are no negotiations currently, as you will see if you actually read the article. Bowe's parents are speaking of the past. And, as a person who has spoken to some of the search team members and I have also seen the Army's transcript of events surrounding his capture, those of you who make the statements not based in fact should be ashamed. You have no basis in fact, if you think you do, prove it. There is video of Bowe being taken off base by two locals, the captors bragged in radio traffic how they took him. This young man deserves to be honored - some of the comments above remind me of statements made by WWII and Korean POW"s who returned. They did not speak of their time as a POW because IGNORANT people would call them cowards for allowing themselves to be captured. Bob and Jani Bergdahl do not whine, they have been very quiet until now, it has become apparent that most Americans do not know Sgt Bowe Bergdahl is a POW in Afghanistan. It is time to educate America and have this soldier brought home. It is time to bring All our soldiers home, past time...

[Bringbowehome]

I am in the receipt of a letter from the Department of Defense that clearly states: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was CAPTURED!!! And they are doing everything they can to bring him home !!! So Smoke on that Yee Nah Sayer's!!!! Here is How American's can get involved:
May 8, 2012 marks 149 weeks of captivity for Sergeant Bowe Robert Bergdahl. In only 53 days, he will have been held captive by the Taliban allied Haqqani network for 3 years. In less than 3 years, December 2014, the United States plans to leave just 20,000 troops in Afghanistan. Right now, the US has very little influence on the Haqqani network and it will certainly have less with the draw down. THESE ARE URGENT TIMES. You know how fast time flies- the end of 2014 will be here sooner than we can imagine. We MUST get Bowe back home before December 2014. We have to work every single day to tell at least one new person Bowe's story. We all need to recruit people to write their Members of Congress on Bowe's behalf. Bowe needs YOU to speak out for him. In case you missed them, here are a few links for some of this week's posts that contain some information that might be of interest to you:

ABOUT THE HAQQANI NETWORK: "It is Afghanistan's deadliest insurgent group. Labeled the "Sopranos of the Afghanistan war," the Haqqani crime family has built itself from what was once a rebel force bent on removing the Russians in the 1980s into a Mafia-like organization dealing in smuggling, extortion, and assassination."
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/337535/20120504/haqqani-afghanistan.htm?cid=2

SECRET PRISONER NEGOTIATIONS: "The United States has for several years been secretly releasing high-level detainees from a military prison in Afghanistan as part of negotiations with insurgent groups, a bold effort to quell violence but one that U.S. officials acknowledge poses substantial risks."
https://www.facebook.com/supportbowe/posts/323073364430609

WHY NO REWARD IN PLACE FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE LOCATION AND RESCUE OF BOWE BERGDAHL?: "Having a reward would demonstrate that the government is willing to publicly support Bowe beyond the same old song and dance that many of us get in response to our efforts to communicate with our elected officials. In America, we measure commitment by what is being done."
http://supportbowe.org/2012/05/06/why-no-reward-for-bowe_bergdhal/

AN URGENT VIDEO PLEA TO BRING ATTENTION THE THE PLIGHT OF BOWE BERGDAHL on the LocknLoad Channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaEH7ZYASkw

CAN YOU HELP US? We're still calling out to those Bowe Supporters who can to help us with our BOWE TUESDAY Twitter posts. More info: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=281340658621607&set=a.196725307083143.51330.186446128111061&type=1

If you're new to BOWE TUESDAY, you can learn about why we began joining together every Tuesday to create a special day of the week just for Bowe: http://supportbowe.org/the-story-of-bowe-tuesday/
— with Lauren Martin Eckenrode and 5 others at U.S.A. - The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

[forumcomments]

The was a reward offered by the FBI for a retired agent in a similar situation.

[forumcomments]

It is disgraceful to see those who assume this guy left his base on his own free will. The press at the time had conflicting reports. A report I read stated he was escorted out by afghan soldiers. In a video from at least a year ago he looked distressed and said he was being converted to Islam. He also said he just wanted to go home. Even in the picture associated with this article he has a noticeable bruise on his face.

[colinthornsberry]

Thank you for reporting on SGT Bergdahl. I've always felt SGT Berdahl has been ignored largely by the media, and at times it would seem our government, and I can only surmise that this is because his story doesn't interest people or can't be manipulated to further some political agenda. While almost everybody's heard of Pat Tillman, or Jessica Lynch, or even protestor Cindy Sheehan and her deceased son Casey, nobody is talking about Bowe Bergdahl. Had it not been for the social media and a friend sharing his story, I probably would not have heard of him either. But yet here he is, living in captivity, in either reportedly Pakistan or Afghanistan and there seems no sense of urgency of getting the man back home. If we can get Osama Bin Laden, how come we cannot get this man home who has now been held captive for over 3 years? Could it be that he isn't known because there is no cool story to sell? Is he too ordinary that the press won't focus on him? Had he gotten the media attention that the others received, would he have been brought home? One has to ask these questions because Jessica Lynch was retrieved relatively quickly compared to what's going on with Bowe Berdahl. Unlike Cindy Sheehan or Pat Tilman's family and their outrage, SGT Berdahl's family has largely shied away from media attention. As his father has stated, they are quiet in public but loud behind the scenes. Regardless of whether you agree with the war or not, this man Bowe Robert Bergdahl is somebody's son. He's young, at 26, and deserves at least the chance of a full, fruitful and prosperous life: the pursuit of happiness we are all entitled to. He would be a hero and remembered in many countries until he is released, but here he is largely forgotten. Like the POWs before him, to some extent he and his family alone are fighting this battle. Prayers help, thoughts are sweet but will mere thoughts bring Bowe home? It is doubtful. This is an election year, so they tell me, and our leaders need to continue to be pressured until this young soldier is released. Bowe could be your son, or your husband, or your brother or your best friend. Tell them about Bowe Bergdahl so he is not forgotten. Are we too busy to be bothered with another casualty of war? Silence is not Golden. It's not a luxury when the options are life or death. If you want to do something that can make a difference, cost you little to no money, forward the story of SGT Bowe Berghal to your friends, family, Senators and congress-persons. Ask them why they aren't doing more to get Bowe Bergdahl released. Wall Street, Chrysler, and General Motors got bailed out. Where the hell is Bowe Bergdahl's bailout? This man needs our attention and our help! Thank you!

[stormerF69]

We could trade them some illegals for him,seems we have an abundance of them here.

[BM4L]

Um... Does anyone else remember that this is the guy who walked off of his base with a knife and a compass to go join the Taliban? Why exactly would we WANT him back, let alone trade prisoners for him? Do you realize what he has already cost the American taxpayer? The initial search and rescue operation alone ran into the millions of dollars. I say good riddance to bad luggage.

[DNWR2002]

You sir are a tool
1. He has been promoted three times since his capture, military members are not promoted as "deserters". You're little theory has not been proven.
2. You have no soul, you are not a patriot, and you should move to another country.

P.S. I was in the military and have been deployed to combat zones, people do not simply "walk off" base.

[mavector]

And where is your proof for these allegations?

[mrmouth]

Well by all means, talk about it. Secret negotiations to free this guy should probably not be outed by the parents.