It was set to be the greatest party Hailey, a community of 8,000 people in Idaho, had ever seen: a long-awaited celebration fit to honour an American soldier who had been held in captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan for five years.
However, it has been cancelled, amid allegations Sgt Bowe Bergdahl had deserted his post and fears about the security implications of protesters and supporters who had promised to turn up.
Organisers of the event, which was scheduled for June 28th, said they could not cope with the vastly increased number of people expected to descend on the town amid political fallout from US president Barack Obama’s decision to swap five senior Taliban figures to secure Bergdahl’s release.
In a statement, local authorities said they were struggling to cope with the media attention the event – originally planned as an annual “Bring Bowe Back” rally calling for Bergdahl’s release – had generated since he was released last Saturday. “In the interest of public safety, the event will be cancelled,” they said.
Authorities said they had received large numbers of messages of protest and complaint. Police chief Jeff Gunter said he had received a phone call from a police chief in Tennessee, who said: “What the hell’s your problem for supporting this deserter?”
Yellow ribbons Questions have been raised about Bergdahl’s capture in 2009, with suggestions that he left his post in Paktika province without authorisation. Signs of celebration – yellow ribbons tied to lamp
posts and trees, and banners in shop windows declaring “Bowe is free at last” – were still in evidence in Hailey. The owner of Zaney’s River Street Coffee House, where Bergdahl worked as a barista before enlisting, said the welcome rally may have been premature. “The family needs time to heal,” said Sue Martin. “I’m not unhappy it’s been cancelled.”
The soldier’s parents, Jani and Bob Bergdahl, who were scheduled to speak at the homecoming event, made no comment about the decision to cancel the celebration.
Joel Robinson, a volunteer chaplain with an organisation that supported the Bergdahl family, said he was disappointed but said he understood the decision considering the “high level of uncertainty”. He said he had “no preconceived notion of guilt or innocence” about Bergdahl.
The US army has confirmed it will launch a review into the capture of Bergdahl in June 2009. The US military’s top- ranking officer, Gen Martin Dempsey, said the 28-year-old was “innocent until proven guilty” but the army would not ignore misconduct.
“When he is able to provide the facts, we’ll learn what happened,” he said. – (Guardian service)