Taliban Releases Propaganda Video of Captured U.S. Soldier

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The identity of the soldier captured earlier this month by the Taliban has been released, following a new propaganda video:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon Sunday identified the soldier captured in Afghanistan on July 3 as 23-year-old private Bowe Bergdahl of Ketchum, Idaho.

The U.S. Defense Department said in a statement that Bergdahl was a member of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

His status was changed two weeks ago from “whereabouts unknown” to “missing-captured.”

The Jawa Report has the unsettling video posted up.

It’s against international law to use and humiliate captured soldiers for propaganda purposes. Carol Bengle Gilbert:

One of the major issues the Bowe Bergdahl video raises is whether his statements express his genuine sentiments or whether he is being used for propaganda purposes by his Taliban captors.

Bowe Bergdahl was asked at one point during the video where he has a message for his people. Bowe Bergdahl replied:

“To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it’s like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home. Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country.

Please bring us home. It is America and American people who have that power.”

During this speech, Bowe Bergdahl looked into the camera, unlike his demeanor when spoke of missing his family with eyes downcast. Was Bowe Bergdahl trying to tell the U.S. government something? During his speech, Bowe Bergdahl’s fingers on both hands were alternately moving in and out.
Bowe Bergdahl Video Call for Troop Withdrawal: Propaganda or Genuine Sentiment?
Was this a signal or mere nerves? Bergdahl did express fear that he would never make it home to see his loved ones earlier in the video. And in one close up shot, worry lines were visible on his forehead.

In one scene, when the camera zoomed out, there appeared to be a pen and paper off to Bowe Bergdahl’s left side. Did this paper contain a script for him?

It’s hard to know what the Bowe Bergdahl video really means. The video and audio tracks appear to be misaligned, raising additional questions of interpretation.

CJ writes:

Greyhawk has been doing a great job covering the story of the Soldier who was kidnapped in Afghanistan. I’d like to take a moment to quickly convey to readers what he may be going through and how you should interpret any news coming out of his capture. The first thing you should know is that regardless of HOW or WHY he left the base, the military is 100% dedicated to getting him back alive. We never leave a brother behind if there is ever hope. Part of our creed reads, “I will never leave a fallen comrade.” This includes captured troops.

There are different rules that kidnapped troops must live under depending upon the circumstances of their capture. As we know, those rules change drastically when the captors are not a state entity. In other words, it’s one thing to be a prisoner of North Korea, or Iran, or any other nation. It’s an entirely different thing to be the prisoner of a terrorist organization. One must conduct themselves differently.

In any capture situation, the goal is simple to stay alive. Terrorists have no compassion for human life. They are soulless human being devoid of any sense of humanity or respect. When you become a liability, it is easier to kill you than continue to hold out and negotiate. There is no such thing as diplomacy with terrorist organization, regardless of what the current administration thinks.


~~~

I can’t/won’t go into a lot of details, but I’ve been through the SERE course and can tell you that unless you’ve been through the training AT LEAST the training. Even that, though, doesn’t mean a darn thing unless you’ve been a prisoner to a hostile force. ALL Soldiers are trained on what information to give if they are captured by a foreign government. Only select troops are trained on being captured by non-state forces.

Until the truth comes out, I urge everyone not to judge anything this Soldier says as anything other than coerced and/or under duress. There comes a point where you will verbally give away your first born child if it means extending your life by one more day in order to buy some time for those looking for you. Most troops will not be held accountable for the things they say or do in captivity. Naturally, those that faulted McCain for his words in captivity simply don’t understand this concept and will probably fault this guy in the future for everything he says. Liberals are like that. They’re all about…never mind. I can’t go there. Gotta watch my blood pressure.

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It seems to me that the networks broadcasting the Taliban propaganda video are facilitating the soldier’s captors as they violate rights accorded to him under international law.

I once had a conversation with a CNN producer about his network’s decision to show the body of an American serviceman being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. When asked if CNN would show footage of one of his coworkers’ body being dragged through the dirt and filth, he honestly admitted that he would not allow that.

I just stared at him at that point but I was tempted to ask him about personnel from other networks.

I want to be the first to welcome the American mainstream media as newest members of the Taliban! You idiots are playing right in to the terrorists hands, free propaganda. Show some common sense. Report the story, but keep the video off the air.

Hold your comments, Please.

@Old Trooper:

If your intent is to ask others to refrain from discussing a sensitive story because there are so many unknowns, particularly with regard to the disposition of the soldier, I can agree. The only comments posted at this point are remarks regarding the media.

Having read a number of your comments in past threads I think I can guess at your actual intent but I would suggest that you elaborate on the reason why you feel it is your place to act in any capacity as a moderator here, let alone to stifle others from stating their views on this or any other issue.

For my part I would hope that anyone that chooses to examine this situation would do so with a great deal of caution due to its sensitive nature and the lack of information available.