Tigers X - Number one Source to Talk Auburn Tigers Sports

Bergdahl

AUChizad

  • Female Pledge Trainer
  • ***
  • 19523
  • Auburn Basketball Hits Everything
Bergdahl
« on: June 02, 2014, 05:29:36 PM »
Fuck this shit...

http://nypost.com/2014/05/31/the-bizarre-tale-of-americas-last-known-pow/

Quote
Here's Everything You Need To Know About Bowe Bergdahl, The U.S. Captive Returning Home
By Paige Lavender

06/02/2014 2:00 pm
 
U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only known American prisoner of war in Afghanistan, is finally coming back to the United States.

Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special forces by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees who were being held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay. The negotiations were mediated by the government of Qatar.

For those who don't know his story or the controversy surrounding his return to the U.S., here's a little explainer.

Who is he?

The Taliban captured 23-year-old Bergdahl, who hails from Hailey, Idaho, on June 30, 2009. The U.S. had glimpses of Bergdahl throughout his time in captivity through a series of propaganda videos released by the Taliban, which showed Bergdahl's declining health.

Bergdahl, now 28, was taken to a military hospital in Germany for initial care after being handed over to U.S. forces this weekend.

The late Michael Hastings wrote an in-depth profile of Bergdahl for Rolling Stone in 2012, which you can read here.

How did the Taliban get him?

According to soldiers in his unit, Bergdahl walked away from his post while on guard duty with only a compass, a knife, water, a digital camera and a diary. He had previously stated his desire to walk from Afghanistan to Pakistan or India.

Hastings reported for Rolling Stone:

In the early-morning hours of June 30th, according to soldiers in the unit, Bowe approached his team leader not long after he got off guard duty and asked his superior a simple question: If I were to leave the base, would it cause problems if I took my sensitive equipment?
Yes, his team leader responded – if you took your rifle and night-vision goggles, that would cause problems.
Bowe returned to his barracks, a roughly built bunker of plywood and sandbags. He gathered up water, a knife, his digital camera and his diary. Then he slipped off the outpost.
At 9:00 on the morning Bergdahl left, the acting platoon leader, Sgt. 1st Class Larry Hein, called in over the radio to report a missing soldier, launching a massive search effort.


Why are people concerned about the trade?

The five detainees released to the Taliban in exchange for the release of Bergdahl -- Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa, Mullah Mohammad Fazl, Mullah Norullah Nori, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Mohammad Nabi Omari -- are all mid- to high-ranking Taliban militants who had been at Guatanamo Bay since it opened in 2002. (You can read descriptions of each at CNN.) They were flown to Qatar on Sunday and must stay there for a year.

Afghanistan's government protested the deal, as did several U.S. Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).

"These are the hardest of the hard core," McCain said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "These are the highest high-risk people, and others that we have released have gone back into the fight."

"It is disturbing that these individuals would have the ability to reenter the fight," he added.

Who's happy he's home?

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Bergdahl's return "a powerful reminder of the enduring, sacred commitment our nation makes to all those who serve in uniform."

"The United States government never forgot Sgt. Bergdahl, nor did we stop working to bring him back," Hagel said in a statement.

The White House has touted Bergdahl's recovery as "a reminder of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield."

"We also maintain an ironclad commitment to bring our prisoners of war home," President Barack Obama said on Saturday, shortly after news of Bergdahl's recovery was released. "That’s who we are as Americans."

Bergdahl's parents, Jani and Bob, appeared at the Saturday press conference with Obama, thanking those who helped with the recovery of their son.

Bob Bergdahl had learned some Pashto, the language spoken by the Taliban, and made a video that was posted in May 2011 asking for his son's freedom. According to the AP, he also grew a beard as a personal monument to his son's plight.

Bergdahl is shown in this video frame grab taken from a Taliban propaganda video released Saturday, July 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Militant Video)

Why isn't everyone excited about his release?

Some of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers are speaking out against the trade negotiated to bring him home, calling him a "deserter" for walking away from his base.

"I was pissed off then and I am even more so now with everything going on," former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon when he went missing, told CNN. "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him."

Nathan Bradley Bethea, who also served in Bergdahl's unit, wrote a piece for the Daily Beast describing how Bergdahl is just "a guy who walked off in the dead of night," and blamed Bergdahl for the loss of other soldiers who died while searching for him.

Former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), who served in the military but was relieved of his command after shooting his gun next to the head of an Iraqi detainee to try to scare him into giving information, argued on his website that Bergdahl was not "captured" by the Taliban and is no hero.

"His disappearance can only be classified as desertion and the media must not be so giddy about a good news story that they don’t tell the truth — which is apparent to many," West wrote. "The allegation of desertion is serious. It is grave because it occurred during a war, during combat operations."

Disgusting enough, except it's not ALL you need to know.

http://nypost.com/2014/05/31/the-bizarre-tale-of-americas-last-known-pow/
Quote
Bergdahl’s dream was to help Afghan villagers rebuild their lives and learn to defend themselves, his dad told the magazine.

“The whole ‘COIN’ thing,” Bob explained, referring to America’s strategy of counter-insurgency. “We were given a fictitious picture, an artificially created picture of what we were doing in ­Afghanistan,” the dad said.

Bowe Bergdahl would detail his disillusionment with the Afghanistan campaign in an email to his parents three days before he went missing.

“I am sorry for everything here,” he wrote. “These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid.”

Bergdahl also complained about fellow soldiers. The battalion commander was a “conceited old fool,” he said, and the only “decent” sergeants, planning to leave the platoon “as soon as they can,” told the privates — Bergdahl then among them — “to do the same.”

“I am ashamed to be an American. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools,” he concluded. “I am sorry for everything. The horror that is America is disgusting.”


Bob Bergdahl responded in an email: “OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!”

http://www.mideastfaces.com/articles/serious-questions-arise-amidst-american-soldier-swap-taliban/
Quote
Serious questions arise amidst American soldier swap with Taliban
Posted on June 1, 2014 by Lisa Daftari in Afghanistan

There’s much to celebrate as Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl goes back to his family in Idaho after nearly five years in captivity in Afghanistan.

Yet pivotal questions arise this morning as details surrounding the case surface, including Bergdahl’s leave from his army base and his father’s possible ties, at least via social media, to the Taliban.

It is still a mystery why Bergdahl, 28, voluntarily left his Army base five years ago, suggesting he deserted or went missing, according to a USA Today story.

“It’s not the modus operandi for Islamic terrorists to detain American troops when captured,” Allen West, former Congressional member and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, said.

“Our troops are brutally, ritually, and savagely murdered — to include American security contractors (remember the Fallujah bridge) — not held for five years,” West wrote on his website.

Perhaps even more suspicious is a Tweet, which was later deleted, on Bergdahl’s father’s Twitter account posted May 28:



ABalkhi is the Twitter handle of Abdulqahar Balkhi, a Taliban spokesman.

Bergdahl’s father posted this message while his son was still in captivity.

Both Bergdahl’s parents have been long advocating lawmakers and others in Washington for their son’s release, making use of social media platforms.

The extent of the relationship between Bergdahl’s father and the Taliban is not clear.

Ranking Republicans on the House and Senate armed services committees have expressed outrage at the exchange of five Guantanamo Bay terrorist for Bergdahl, saying it violates U.S. law requiring Congress to receive 30-day notice before Gitmo prisoners are released.

The five released are of the most dangerous Taliban commanders in U.S. custody, according to a report in the Weekly Standard. The Taliban had previously demanded their release as a precondition in initiating talks with the U.S.

The Obama administration has been keen on engaging the Taliban but has not made any gains.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Kaos

  • *
  • 29548
  • It's GO time
    • No, YOU Move!
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2014, 08:46:17 PM »
I liked it better when it was called Homeland.  The script was tighter. 
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
If you want free cheese, look in a mousetrap.

Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2014, 08:49:28 PM »
He should be tried as a deserter. 

Even NPR was reporting so. 
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
The Guy That Knows Nothing of Hyperbole

DnATL

  • ***
  • 2242
  • Xcrement talker
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2014, 09:20:26 PM »
He should be tried as a deserter. 

Even NPR was reporting so.
this - not that it was an excuse then, but this ain't vietnam - he volunteered

strictly a bullshit political move - and it's disgusting and a disgrace

there are several that can't come home directly because of his selfish actions
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Saniflush

  • Pledge Master
  • ****
  • 21656
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2014, 08:19:12 AM »
As far as I am concerned he should be tried for desertion and for manslaughter for the people who died looking for his dumb ass.

And fuck this administration as well for the prisoner trade off.  That should have a whole different trial happening.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
"Hey my friends are the ones that wanted to eat at that shitty hole in the wall that only served bread and wine.  What kind of brick and mud business model is that.  Stick to the cart if that's all you're going to serve.  Then that dude came in with like 12 other people, and some of them weren't even wearing shoes, and the restaurant sat them right across from us. It was gross, and they were all stinky and dirty.  Then dude starts talking about eating his body and drinking his blood...I almost lost it.  That's the last supper I'll ever have there, and I hope he dies a horrible death."

Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2014, 09:54:33 AM »
As far as I am concerned he should be tried for desertion and for manslaughter for the people who died looking for his dumb ass.

And fuck this administration as well for the prisoner trade off.  That should have a whole different trial happening.

This.  x100000000000000.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2014, 12:43:40 PM »
There's something strange about this whole story.

It's not like bringing him home would be a great story for the Obama administration.  I went on Reddit and did a quick search.  It's been no secret that he deserted and put American soldiers in serious harm. 

Here's a comment from a Reddit thread 6 months ago:

Quote
For myself personally, that was the start of probably the most crazy and tumultuous 3 months of my life. It was 90 days of living out of vehicles, 24 hour security rotations wherever we were. Questioned by much higher ranking officers and NCOs, shot at a dozen times, a half dozen air-assault missions into completely foreign territory -- chasing some intel report, blown up with more IEDs than I care to count. Living out of a box of MRE's and paying $5 to buy a goat from a local farmer so we could roast it during a small downtime and have something else to eat. We stopped by an actual U.S. base only a few times in the process, sometimes the choice beteween a shower or actual hot chow or a run to the PX to grab as many cartons of Cigarettes as possible.

It was miserable. After the minimum 90 days, the search still continued whenever a reliable intel source came through. Bergdahl was quickly 'that name' that no one spoke, and the looks that I receive from people when I tell them that he's no hero -- rather a deserter who put many, many people through many months of a terrible, horrible experience.

I bring Reddit up because it's as hard left and Obama supporting as one can find on the web. 

Also, supposedly this guy doesn't speak English anymore and his father spoke some other language in a press conference to communicate with his son?  What the fuck is this?
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
The Guy That Knows Nothing of Hyperbole

CCTAU

  • *
  • 13054
  • War Eagle!
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2014, 02:03:21 PM »
Also, supposedly this guy doesn't speak English anymore and his father spoke some other language in a press conference to communicate with his son?  What the fuck is this?

This makes no sense. Even if you do not speak a language any longer, you still process words in that language.


Oh yeah. OFF WITH HIS HEAD!
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
Five statements of WISDOM
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friends, is the beginning of the end of any nation.

AUTailgatingRules

  • Home of the Tailgate
  • ***
  • 3990
  • By the Pink Dumpster since 2004
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2014, 04:37:04 PM »
Sounds like these guys are really going to be watched:

Qatar allowing freed Taliban men to move freely in country: Gulf official
Reuters
7 hours ago
 
DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar has moved five Afghan Taliban prisoners freed in exchange for a U.S. soldier to a residential compound and will let them move freely in the country, a senior Gulf official said on Tuesday, a step likely to be scrutinized by Washington.

Related Stories

Republicans question U.S. prisoner swap with Taliban Reuters
U.S. soldier freed in Afghanistan, five Taliban prisoners to leave Guantanamo Reuters
Freed U.S. soldier's recovery will be slow like a surfacing diver - father Reuters
After Taliban prisoner swap, concerns surface in U.S. over Qatar's role Reuters
[$$] Secret Deal Freed U.S. Soldier The Wall Street Journal
U.S. officials have referred to the release of the Islamist militants as a transfer and said they would be subject to certain restrictions in Qatar. One of the officials said that would include a minimum one-year ban on them traveling outside of Qatar as well as monitoring of their activities.

"All five men received medical checks and they now live with their families in an accommodation facility in Doha," the Gulf source, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. "They can move around freely within the country."

Following the deal under which freed the last American soldier held in Afghanistan was freed, concerns have been expressed by some U.S. intelligence officials and congressional advisers over the role of the Gulf Arab state as a bridge between Washington and the world of radical Islam.

The Gulf official said the Taliban men, who have been granted Qatari residency permits, will not be treated like prisoners while in Doha and no U.S. officials will be involved in monitoring their movement while in the country.

"Under the deal they have to stay in Qatar for a year and then they will be allowed to travel outside the country... They can go back to Afghanistan if they want to," the official said.

The five, who had been held at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba since 2002, arrived in Qatar on Sunday where U.S. security personnel handed them over to Qatari authorities in the Al Udeid area west of Doha, site of a U.S. military base.

U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and his release followed years of on-off negotiations.

A diplomatic source said Qatar has flown in family members of the five released Taliban men and gave them accommodation paid for by the government.

On Sunday, Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah told a news conference that Doha got involved in the case because it was a “humanitarian cause". He did not elaborate.

(Reporting by Amena Bakr; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Mark Heinrich)
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

AUChizad

  • Female Pledge Trainer
  • ***
  • 19523
  • Auburn Basketball Hits Everything
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2014, 12:35:07 PM »
Oh. That's nice...

http://time.com/2826534/bowe-bergdahl-taliban-captors/
Quote
Aryn Baker 10:13 AM ET     

In the days and hours leading up to the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl last week, his Taliban captors in Pakistan prepared for a big sendoff. Those selected to physically hand Bergdahl over to U.S. officials at a pre-arranged location on the other side of the border in Afghanistan rehearsed the messages they wanted to convey to the American people. A videographer was assigned to cover the event, for propaganda purposes. And those closest to Bergdahl commissioned a local tailor to make him a set of the local tunic and trousers in white, which, given as a gift, denotes a gesture of respect.

“You know we are also human beings and have hearts in our bodies,” a senior Taliban commander affiliated with the Haqqani network, which was holding Bergdahl captive, tells TIME. “We are fighting a war against each other, in which [the Americans] kill us and we kill them. But we did whatever we could to make [Bergdahl] happy.”

The commander, who has been known to TIME for several years and has consistently supplied reliable information about Bergdahl’s captivity, is not authorized by his superiors to speak to the media, so he has asked not to be identified by name. The commander spoke to TIME by telephone from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

Bergdahl, who was the only known remaining U.S. prisoner of war from the long conflict in Afghanistan, had learned basic Pashto during his incarceration, and had made several friends among his Taliban captors, according to the commander. The tunic set, along with the woven scarf that can also be worn as a turban, but is draped across Bergdahl’s shoulders in the Taliban video documenting his release, was a parting gift designed to demonstrate no personal ill will, says the commander: “We wanted him to return home with good memories.”

Bergdahl’s release, as part of the first prisoner exchange between the United States and the Taliban in 13 years of war, was the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year process marred by Taliban intransigence and Afghan government meddling that eventually saw the near simultaneous transfer of five top-level Taliban officials from detention in Guantanamo bay to a form of house arrest in Qatar. The outcome has sparked fierce criticism from Republicans in Congress.

So dispirited was Bergdahl with the process, says the commander, that he didn’t even believe his captors when they announced his pending release. Bergdahl had been there once before, in March of 2012, when negotiations were so close that he had already been handed over to senior members of the Taliban council in Afghanistan conducting the talks. When they collapsed, Bergdahl was shuttled back to Haqqani captivity in Pakistan’s ungoverned tribal areas along the border. “That’s why he didn’t trust us this time when he was told about his likely release,” says the commander.

It is not entirely clear what made the negotiations more successful this time around, other than the sense of urgency triggered by Bergdahl’s apparent declining health and U.S. plans to significantly reduce military troop numbers in Afghanistan over the next couple years. For the Taliban, it doesn’t matter. They see the exchange as an unmitigated victory. “Our talks finally proved successful for the prisoners’ swap,” says the commander. “We returned our valued guest to his people and in return, they freed our five heroes held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002.”

Another senior Taliban commander who is close to the senior Taliban leadership based in Kandahar, Afghanistan and Quetta, Pakistan, and is close to the negotiations, describes scenes of intense jubilation among the Taliban leadership and their supporters. Candies and sweet pastries are being passed around, he says, speaking to TIME via telephone from the Kandahar area. Those close to the leadership and the detainees are feasting on “whole goats cooked in rice”—a special meal usually reserved for celebrations. “I cannot explain how our people are happy and excited over this unbelievable achievement.” (He too has been known to TIME for several years). “This is a historic moment for us. Today our enemy for the first time officially recognized our status.”

The news of the detainees’ release, says the commander from Kandahar, spread like a wildfire. “Besides our field commanders and fighters, our leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is so happy and is anxiously waiting to see his heroes,” he says.

There was some disgruntlement among Taliban ranks over the terms, admits the Kandahar commander. Some members wanted a ransom payment for Bergdahl, in addition to the release of the Guantanamo detainees. But the leadership prevailed. “We told them that these five men are more important than millions of dollars to us,” he says. He was more tolerant of complaints from Taliban foot soldiers that pointed out that for all the celebrations surrounding the officials’ release, there was no reward or recognition for the Taliban fighters who captured Bergdahl in 2009. But that’s not likely to get in the way of future attempts to kidnap American soldiers, across all ranks.

Asked whether the Taliban would be inspired by the exchange to kidnap others, he laughed. “Definitely,” he says. “It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people. It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Saniflush

  • Pledge Master
  • ****
  • 21656
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 01:29:52 PM »
Oh. That's nice...

http://time.com/2826534/bowe-bergdahl-taliban-captors/

And this is why you do not negotiate with terrorists.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
"Hey my friends are the ones that wanted to eat at that shitty hole in the wall that only served bread and wine.  What kind of brick and mud business model is that.  Stick to the cart if that's all you're going to serve.  Then that dude came in with like 12 other people, and some of them weren't even wearing shoes, and the restaurant sat them right across from us. It was gross, and they were all stinky and dirty.  Then dude starts talking about eating his body and drinking his blood...I almost lost it.  That's the last supper I'll ever have there, and I hope he dies a horrible death."

War Eagle!!!

  • ****
  • 8292
  • The Original Backwards Hat
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2014, 10:39:40 AM »
This is from McCain's POW experience in Vietnam. This is the same guy that the left is criticizing for not wanting to negotiate with terrorists.

...I fucking hate people some times...

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-war-a-first-person-account?page=4

Quote
They Told Me I'd Never Go Home"

I really didn't know what to think, because I had been having these other interrogations in which I had refused to co-operate. It was not hard because they were not torturing me at this time. They just told me I'd never go home and I was going to be tried as a war criminal. That was their constant theme for many months.

Suddenly "The Cat" said to me, "Do you want to go home?"

I was astonished, and I tell you frankly that I said that I would have to think about it. I went back to my room, and I thought about it for a long time. At this time I did not have communication with the camp senior ranking officer, so I could get no advice. I was worried whether I could stay alive or not, because I was in rather bad condition. I had been hit with a severe case of dysentery, which kept on for about a year and a half. I was losing weight again.

But I knew that the Code of Conduct says, "You will not accept parole or amnesty," and that "you will not accept special favors." For somebody to go home earlier is a special favor. There's no other way you can cut it.

I went back to him three nights later. He asked again, "Do you want to go home?" I told him "No." He wanted to know why, and I told him the reason. I said that Alvarez [first American captured] should go first, then enlisted men and that kind of stuff.

"The Cat" told me that President Lyndon Johnson had ordered me home. He handed me a letter from my wife, in which she had said, "I wished that you had been one of those three who got to come home." Of course, she had no way to understand the ramifications of this. "The Cat" said that the doctors had told him that I could not live unless I got medical treatment in the United States.

We went through this routine and still I told him "No." Three nights later we went through it all over again. On the morning of the Fourth of July, 1968, which happened to be the same day that my father took over as commander in chief of U. S. Forces in the Pacific, I was led into another quiz room.


"The Rabbit" and "The Cat" were sitting there. I walked in and sat down, and "The Rabbit" said, "Our senior wants to know your final answer."

"My final answer is the same. It's 'No.' "

"That is your final answer?"

"That is my final answer."


With this "The Cat," who was sitting there with a pile of papers in front of him and a pen in his hand, broke the pen in two. Ink spurted all over. He stood up, kicked the chair over behind him, and said, "They taught you too well. They taught you too well"—in perfect English, I might add. He turned, went out and slammed the door, leaving "The Rabbit" and me sitting there. "The Rabbit" said "Now, McCain, it will be very bad for you. Go back to your room.

What they wanted, of course, was to send me home at the same time that my father took over as commander in the Pacific. This would have made them look very humane in releasing the injured son of a top U. S. officer. It would also have given them a great lever against my fellow prisoners, because the North Vietnamese were always putting this "class" business on us. They could have said to the others "Look, you poor devils, the son of the man who is running the war has gone home and left you here. No one cares about you ordinary fellows." I was determined at all times to prevent any exploitation of my father and my family.

There was another consideration for me. Even though I was told I would not have to sign any statements or confessions before I went home, I didn't believe them. They would have got me right up to that airplane and said, "Now just sign this little statement." At that point, I doubt that I could have resisted, even though I felt very strong at the time.

But the primary thing I considered was that I had no right to go ahead of men like Alvarez, who had been there three years before I "got killed"—that's what we say instead of "before I got shot down," because in a way becoming a prisoner in North Vietnam was like being killed.


About a month and a half later, when the three men who were selected for release had reached America, I was set up for some very severe treatment which lasted for the next year and a half.

One night the guards came to my room and said "The camp commander wants to see you." This man was a particularly idiotic individual. We called him "Slopehead."

One thing I should mention here: The camps were set up very similar to their Army. They had a camp commander, who was a military man, basically in charge of the maintenance of the camp, the food, etc. Then they had what they called a staff officer—actually a political officer—who was in charge of the interrogations, and provided the propaganda heard on the radio.

We also had a guy in our camp whom we named "The Soft-Soap Fairy." He was from an important family in North Vietnam. He wore a fancy uniform and was a real sharp cookie, with a dominant position in this camp. "The Soft-Soap Fairy," who was somewhat effeminate, was the nice guy, and the camp commander—"Slopehead"—was the bad guy. Old "Soft-Soap" would always come in whenever anything went wrong and say, "Oh, I didn't know they did this to you. All you had to do was co-operate and everything would have been O.K."

To get back to the story: They took me out of my room to "Slopehead," who said, "You have violated all the camp regulations. You're a black criminal. You must confess your crimes." I said that I wouldn't do that, and he asked, "Why are you so disrespectful of guards?" I answered, "Because the guards treat me like an animal."

When I said that, the guards, who were all in the room—about 10 of them—really laid into me. They bounced me from pillar to post, kicking and laughing and scratching. After a few hours of that, ropes were put on me and I sat that night bound with ropes. Then I was taken to a small room. For punishment they would almost always take you to another room where you didn't have a mosquito net or a bed or any clothes. For the next four days, I was beaten every two to three hours by different guards. My left arm was broken again and my ribs were cracked.

They wanted a statement saying that I was sorry for the crimes that I had committed against North Vietnamese people and that I was grateful for the treatment that I had received from them. This was the paradox—so many guys were so mistreated to get them to say they were grateful. But this is the Communist way.

I held out for four days. Finally, I reached the lowest point of my 5½ years in North Vietnam. I was at the point of suicide, because I saw that I was reaching the end of my rope.

I said, O.K., I'll write for them.

They took me up into one of the interrogation rooms, and for the next 12 hours we wrote and rewrote. The North Vietnamese interrogator, who was pretty stupid, wrote the final confession, and I signed it. It was in their language, and spoke about black crimes, and other generalities. It was unacceptable to them. But I felt just terrible about it. I kept saying to myself, "Oh, God, I really didn't have any choice." I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine.

Then the "gooks" made a very serious mistake, because they let me go back and rest for a couple of weeks. They usually didn't do that with guys when they had them really busted. I think it concerned them that my arm was broken, and they had messed up my leg. I had been reduced to an animal during this period of beating and torture. My arm was so painful I couldn't get up off the floor. With the dysentery, it was a very unpleasant time.

Thank God they let me rest for a couple of weeks. Then they called me up again and wanted something else. I don't remember what it was now—it was some kind of statement. This time I was able to resist. I was able to carry on. They couldn't "bust" me again.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

CCTAU

  • *
  • 13054
  • War Eagle!
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2014, 10:51:20 AM »
Too bad he went form being this MAN who persevered FOR America and his fellow citizen, to what he is today. I will always admire him for his POW time, but he lost me after he lost his election. After that, he became nothing more than an old politician trying to hang on as long as he could. It is time he retire.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
Five statements of WISDOM
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friends, is the beginning of the end of any nation.

WiregrassTiger

  • *
  • 12237
  • Don't touch Tappy, he's a service tiger.
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2014, 11:27:02 AM »
This is from McCain's POW experience in Vietnam. This is the same guy that the left is criticizing for not wanting to negotiate with terrorists.

...I fudgeing hate people some times...

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-war-a-first-person-account?page=4
Without any hesitation, he's one of my biggest heroes. I've always looked up to this man. I voted for him. I don't always agree with him politically but I think he would've made a great president. I also think that we should take the advice of someone who has been tortured when it comes to interrogation (i.e. torture) techniques. People will tell you what you want to hear.

I can tell you this for sure. Regardless of the circumstances, if a bunch of us get captured and tortured, and they ask WT if he wants to go home, I will do my best to be taking care of your wives and girlfriends until you make it back.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
Like my posts on www.tigersx.com

Snaggletiger

  • *
  • 44556
  • My Fighting Pearls
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2014, 11:30:10 AM »
Without any hesitation, he's one of my biggest heroes. I've always looked up to this man. I voted for him. I don't always agree with him politically but I think he would've made a great president. I also think that we should take the advice of someone who has been tortured when it comes to interrogation (i.e. torture) techniques. People will tell you what you want to hear.

I can tell you this for sure. Regardless of the circumstances, if a bunch of us get captured and tortured, and they ask WT if he wants to go home, I will do my best to be taking care of your wives and girlfriends until you make it back.

A real stand up guy
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

WiregrassTiger

  • *
  • 12237
  • Don't touch Tappy, he's a service tiger.
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2014, 11:32:22 AM »
A real stand up guy
Thx man. And I really mean it, too. That's just the kind of man I am.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
Like my posts on www.tigersx.com

Kaos

  • *
  • 29548
  • It's GO time
    • No, YOU Move!
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #16 on: June 10, 2014, 11:33:52 AM »
For this alone the president should be impeached and deported, preferably to Qatar. 

Quote
“We returned our valued guest to his people and in return, they freed our five heroes held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002.”

 â€œI cannot explain how our people are happy and excited over this unbelievable achievement.” (He too has been known to TIME for several years). “This is a historic moment for us. Today our enemy for the first time officially recognized our status.”


He is not my president.  I've said that before in regard to other things, but at this point I don't think its unfair to consider him an enemy of the state.  He should be treated accordingly. 

Look at this crap.  The guy's not modeling Duck Dynasty fashions. 



It's sickening and shows the true colors of this administration.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
If you want free cheese, look in a mousetrap.

War Eagle!!!

  • ****
  • 8292
  • The Original Backwards Hat
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #17 on: June 10, 2014, 11:45:58 AM »
For this alone the president should be impeached and deported, preferably to Qatar. 
 

He is not my president.  I've said that before in regard to other things, but at this point I don't think its unfair to consider him an enemy of the state.  He should be treated accordingly. 

Look at this crap.  The guy's not modeling Duck Dynasty fashions. 



It's sickening and shows the true colors of this administration.

Even more scary that Obama being president, is Obama getting impeached and Biden becoming president...then appointing Hillary as VP...just in time for 2016 elections.....
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions

Snaggletiger

  • *
  • 44556
  • My Fighting Pearls
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #18 on: June 10, 2014, 12:03:44 PM »
For this alone the president should be impeached and deported, preferably to Qatar. 
 

He is not my president.  I've said that before in regard to other things, but at this point I don't think its unfair to consider him an enemy of the state.  He should be treated accordingly. 

Look at this crap.  The guy's not modeling Duck Dynasty fashions. 



It's sickening and shows the true colors of this administration.

Who is the guy in the pic?  The one with the beard, not the one without a spine.
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
My doctor told me I needed to stop masturbating.  I asked him why, and he said, "because I'm trying to examine you."

War Eagle!!!

  • ****
  • 8292
  • The Original Backwards Hat
Re: Bergdahl
« Reply #19 on: June 10, 2014, 12:08:32 PM »
Who is the guy in the pic?  The one with the beard, not the one without a spine.

Not sure if serious...but that is the father...
friendly
0
funny
0
like
0
dislike
0
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions
No reactions