Bowe Bergdahl Says He Was Tortured in Captivity
According to an Associated Press report, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has said that he was tortured, beaten, and kept in a cage by Taliban forces while held captive in Afghanistan. Bergdahl spoke of the torture — which allegedly came after he attempted to escape — to people treating him at a U.S. military medical center in Germany.
An anonymous American official who spoke to the AP said the newly freed P.O.W.'s claims were "difficult to verify." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahi said last week that Bergdahl was kept in "good conditions."
CNN reports that Bergdahl's parents have received death threats since his release, amidst claims from a former member of his unit and the mother of a soldier who died that the search for Bergdahl — who may have deliberately deserted his post — directly resulted in the loss of American troops.
"We are working jointly with our state and local partners and taking each threat seriously," FBI Special Agent William Facer told CNN in an e-mail on Saturday.
Facer declined to detail the nature and severity of the threats, and a military spokesperson for the Bergdahls declined to comment.
It isn't clear when Bergdahl will be returned home, but the AP writes that this stage of reintegration usually takes between five days and three weeks. Last week, a welcome-home party set to be held in Hailey, Idaho, his hometown, was cancelled due to "security concerns."
