Exclusive: Afghan villagers recall when Bergdahl stumbled into their midst

[mystery-ak]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/04/exclusive-afghan-villagers-recall-when-bergdahl-stumbled-into-their-midst/

By Kevin Sieff June 4 at 1:34 PM

Among the most tantalizing mysteries surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s departure from his U.S. military base in 2009 is this: Was he trying to find the Taliban? Or did he simply wander away and get captured? Politicians and members of the military have criticized the Obama administration’s decision to swap five jailed Taliban leaders for Bergdahl, saying the soldier may have deserted.

Until now, few details have emerged about the circumstances of Bergdahl’s disappearance from his base. But The Washington Post has reached Afghan villagers who spotted Bergdahl shortly after he slipped away from his base. To them, it’s clear something was wrong with the American. And he seemed to be deliberately heading for Taliban strongholds, they say.

“It was very confusing to us. Why would he leave the base?” said Jamal, an elder in the village of Yusef Khel, about a half-mile from the American military installation. (Like many Afghans, he goes by only one name). “The people thought it was a covert agenda – maybe he was sent to the village by the U.S.”

Locals remember Bergdahl walking through the village in a haze. They later told Afghan investigators that they had warned the American that he was heading into a dangerous area.

“They tried to tell him not to go there, that it is dangerous. But he kept going over the mountain. The villagers tried to give him water and bread, but he didn’t take it,” said Ibrahim Manikhel, the district’s intelligence chief.

“We think he probably was high after smoking hashish,” Manikhel said. “Why would an American want to find the Taliban?”

Residents still remember the massive search effort that followed Bergdahl’s disappearance. But the village eventually returned to normal – albeit still with grave problems from Taliban fighters – and few locals thought about the American soldier until this past week, when his face flashed across Afghan news programs.

“I had forgotten about that abducted American,” said Manikhel. “I hope the U.S. can re-arrest the Talibs that they released.”

[Chieftain]

It is difficult to believe that these idiots in the White House did not know about things like this.  If they did not, they were negligent in their duties as advisers to the President. 

If they did know about this, and the other many emerging details about Bowe al Ameriki, and deliberately ignored the professional advise of those who know, and allowed the President to walk right off a cliff on this, then they are professionally incompetent.

But what if the United States was led down the Primrose Path on this by the Taliban??  What if Bowe al Ameriki was a plant??  A deliberate voluntary "hostage" whose political value was used to the fullest by the Taliban against a willing, foolish, amateur infidel American White House who would not only fall for anything, but could easily be persuaded to actively participate in sticking Bowe al Ameriki up their own asses??

The levels of incompetence on this are stunning.  I don't think the depth of this has really sunk in yet.  It is only Wednesday and this whole thing began to explode last Saturday night.  Given the timespan involved and the already very well known history behind this guy, it is difficult to believe that this Administration worked so hard to short circuit so many controls and ignore so much professional advice, "Salute and STFU"....but here we are.

This is unprecedented in my lifetime.  I cannot think of an American President who willingly blundered so badly, widely, and publically as Obama has.  To call this a disaster is an understatement.  The firestorm is just beginning over this one....