The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special forces by the Taliban Saturday evening, local time, in an area of eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. Officials said the exchange was not violent and the 28-year-old Bergdahl was in good condition and able to walk.
In a statement, President Barack Obama said Bergdahl's recovery "is a reminder of America's unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield."
The handover followed indirect negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, with the government of Qatar serving as the go-between. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghan detainees who were held at Guantanamo.
The two takeaways from this news? (1) Now we know the cover Barack Obama is going to use for his long-promised closing of Gitmo; and (2) we also know what the Taliban will be doing for the next two years until we give Afghanistan back to them: kidnapping every American national, military or civilian, that they can get their hands on.
Way to go, Barry. Looks like the Kabul CIA station chief your Regime betrayed this week is going to have a lot of company in jihadist captivity.
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