Bergdahl Is No Hero

Regarding "Swap frees U.S. POW" (Sunday Front Page), the New York Times article tells the straight-up story of an American soldier kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan who endured almost five years of captivity, finally to be released by a prisoner swap engineered by the Obama Administration.  Unreported is the fact that in 2009, Sgt Bowe Bergdahl deserted his post, but not before very publicly renouncing the American military and his country, calling America "the most conceited country in the world", and accusing fellow soldiers of "running.......children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks".

 

These facts make it all the more strange that the military promoted Bergdahl twice during his captivity, and that he returns to a hero's welcome.  To me, the real story is that the Obama Administration has sent a very clear message to the Taliban: an American deserter is worth five terrorists.  Only time will tell what the future ransom for kidnapped American soldiers will be, but thanks to the actions of Bergdahl and the federal government, I believe we are soon to find out.

 

Pete Smith

Houston, TX