Taliban Video Shows Captive US Soldier In Afghanistan 1/3, Watch Full Video @ Larawbar.ning.com

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larawbar
July 20, 2009

Idaho Town Prays for Return of Captured Soldier : http://video.ap.org/?f=AP&p... ---------------------- Full Video Release : http://larawbar.net/detail.... ------------- Associated Press Repo...

Idaho Town Prays for Return of Captured Soldier :
http://video.ap.org/?f=AP&pid=BFb...

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Full Video Release :
http://larawbar.net/detail.php?id=123...

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Associated Press Report :

Soldier's Idaho town kept mum on Taliban capture

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) -- Almost since the news two weeks ago that a U.S. soldier had been captured in Afghanistan, a small circle of people in this central Idaho town of 7,000 have known it was one of their own: a local family's only son who was home-schooled here, danced at the local ballet school and rode his bike everywhere, was in the hands of the Taliban.

Out of respect for Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl Bergdahl's intensely private family and fear that anything they might say could make his situation more precarious, however, neighbors have kept Bergdahl's Hailey origins under wraps. The Pentagon wasn't talking either; all that U.S. Department of Defense officials said in early July was that a U.S. soldier was believed in enemy captivity.

The 23-year-old Bergdahl was serving with a unit based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, earlier this month when he vanished, just five months after arriving in Afghanistan, officials said. He was serving at a base near the border with Pakistan in an area known to be a Taliban stronghold.

Only after Saturday's Internet airing of a 28-minute video in which Bergdahl is shown captive and says he fears never going home again did DOD officials finally release his name. Some of Bergdahl's friends and acquaintances are also slowly opening up, too, with permission from his father.

In an era where captives are valuable commodities in transactions of terror, secrecy is no accident. Just as the New York Times stifled virtually all publicity surrounding the seven-month captivity of journalist David Rohde before his escape last month from a Taliban stronghold, the DOD decided the best for Bergdahl was as little news as possible.

"The Department of Defense has always thought throughout this whole situation that we were going to do whatever we could possibly do with the safety of this soldier in mind," said Lt. Col. Tim Marsano, a spokesman for the Idaho National Guard. "Efforts to secure his return are the primary consideration."

In the video posted Saturday, Bergdahl confirms his name and his hometown. The Pentagon confirmed his identity Sunday - nearly three weeks after he went missing amid conflicting reports.

On July 2, two U.S. officials conceded a soldier had "just walked off" his base near the border with Pakistan with three Afghans after his shift, but wouldn't release details. Four days later, the Taliban claimed "a drunken American soldier had come out of his garrison" and was captured by mujahedeen.

In the case of the New York Times' Rohde, who escaped with an Afghan journalist on June 19, media outlets including The Associated Press cooperated in the secrecy.

In Idaho, it was residents of Hailey, a tight-knit mining town-turned-resort community about 12 miles south of Sun Valley, who worked to keep tight the circle of those who knew of the hostage crisis.

In fact, some neighbors who learned about Bergdahl's plight the old fashioned way - down at the cafe, perhaps, or via a discreet phone call - said Sunday they were respecting the wishes of the Bergdahls by not speaking publicly. The family, described as deeply private, lives about six miles west of Hailey on a remote gravel county road. Out front, a cardboard-and-ink placard wired to the chained and locked front gate reads "No visitors."

One neighbor just down the road ordered reporters off his property, threatening violence.

Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, along with the state's congressional delegation. said Sunday he only learned of Bergdahl's captivity days earlier, but opted to keep the soldier's name quiet until it was officially released.

Sue Martin, owner of Zaney's River Street Coffee House where Bergdahl poured espressos before enlisting in the Army in 2008, had installed a sign on the front counter urging people to keep "Our friend who has been captured in Afghanistan" in their thoughts and prayers.

But she didn't use his name and later removed the sign, partly out of concern that the Bergdahls were against it.

It was only after getting their permission Sunday that Martin spoke about the young man, who she said shared friendly banter with regulars there for their morning shot of brew.

Martin has also returned the sign to the front counter - this time with Bergdahl's full name - along with a large yellow placard taped to the front window that reads "Get Bowe Back."

"It was in light of concern for Bowe's well-being," Martin said. "If the military wasn't releasing his name, we didn't feel we should be releasing it either."

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Associated Press writers Rebecca Boone in Boise and Haven Daley in Hailey contributed to this report.

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afghanistanpashton (1 day ago) Show Hide

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Fuck this fucker american trerreist
plz don't leave this fucker american

kill him

usmans1234 (2 days ago) Show Hide

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right

mushakal (4 days ago) Show Hide

-1

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@ytamel so fucking true,,, binladen is only used so they can get into every muslim country and have excuses to get in by saying binladen is in their,,, and fucking stupid american public fall for it

mushakal (4 days ago) Show Hide

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@harleynut1969 your country sure has lots of homosexuals whichs why you find women paying for sex real fucking sad

mushakal (4 days ago) Show Hide

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@kevbis american can suck my donkeys hairy dick, fucking stupid , ignorent bastard , they are told you fighting terroist , not realising the one that send them their in the first place are the real fucking terrorist

ramia01 (5 days ago) Show Hide

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@kevbis I SAW IT DUMB FUCK, AND YES IT IS ABOUT FUCKING AMERICANS GO TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND KILL OTHER FOR NO REASON.

kevbis (4 days ago) Show Hide

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It's still not about north american natives?? Besides putting bombs on planes is a good idea?? I believe Muslems trying to take over europe was ok> The Cristians Kicked there ass! like we always do so fuck off and be prepared to be bomb bitch!!!!!!!!!

mushakal (4 days ago) Show Hide

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@kevbis muslim never came to your lands and attacked you rape your women and spread hiv, fucking uncircumcized pig skinned mother fucker, they disserve everything they get, muslim never try to take over anyland , you infidels bring currubtion every where you go,, so fuck you and the kufar you are, islam will take over the world whether you like it or not you fucking mother fucker

blake241650 (5 days ago) Show Hide

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ramiao1..... i want that pc of shit to do what he was trained to do....state.....Name and Rank only!!!!!!!! nothing more. he is a pussy and will tell everything he knows just to say his own pussy ass. they need to go ahead and do away with him. the US military does not need him back. we already have enough pussy ass guys like him

ramia01 (5 days ago) Show Hide

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@blake241650 pussy ass guys like you fuck face.

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