US

Bowe Bergdahl to return to active duty, say US army officials

Move follows week of therapy and debriefings for former Taliban captive

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl sits in a vehicle guarded by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan in this file image taken from video, which was obtained from the Voice Of Jihad website, and which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting. Photograph: AP Photo/Voice Of Jihad Website via AP video

Mon Jul 14 2014 - 21:10

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, the US soldier held captive by the Taliban for five years before his release six weeks ago, is being assigned to a Texas base for active duty, army officials said yesterday.

Sgt Bergdahl is returning to active duty after weeks of therapy and debriefings. An investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance is “still ongoing,” army officials said.

Sgt Bergdahl will be assigned to the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. US officials negotiated a prisoner swap to free him at the end of May, releasing five Taliban detainees to secure his freedom. The Qatari government was an intermediary for negotiations between the Afghan Taliban and the US.

The trade sparked controversy about the appropriateness of prisoner swaps with the Taliban and terrorist groups, and speculation about how Sgt Bergdahl went missing.

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Sgt Bergdahl is scheduled to meet Maj Gen Kenneth Dahl to discuss his disappearance from his post in Afghanistan in 2009, the New York Times reported.

– (Guardian service)

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