FBI looks into death threats to Bergdahl’s family
Print Edition
THE FBI confirmed yesterday it was investigating threats to the family of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, freed in a prisoner swap after five years’ captivity with the Taliban.
Without giving details of the nature or origin of the threats, the statement from FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire said the investigators were taking the threats “seriously.”
Bergdahl was handed over to US forces in Afghanistan last weekend in exchange for the transfer of five senior Taliban leaders held by the US from the Guantanamo Bay prison.
The swap has unleashed a firestorm of criticism, in part because of charges the soldier was only captured by insurgents after deserting his post.
“We are aware of the threats and are working with our local law enforcement partners to investigate,” Maquire said. “As always, we take these types of threats seriously.”
Bergdahl’s hometown of Hailey, Idaho has also experienced a backlash over their support for him, media reports said.
A massive town celebration planned for June 28 was cancelled over security concerns, USA Today reported.
Shopkeepers and town and county officials said since Bergdahl’s release, and following media reports of the town cheering his safe return, the town has received angry phone calls and e-mails, the newspaper said.
Meanwhile it’s been reported that Bergdahl was held in solitary confinement for long periods during five years in Taliban captivity, according to a US military official who also said the soldier has not yet spoken to his parents.
Bergdahl is being treated at the US Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
The US military official said the 28-year-old is physically well enough to travel back to the US for treatment. He is suffering from disorders affecting his skin and gums that could be expected after his long captivity, the official said, confirming a report in The New York Times.
The newspaper said yesterday that Bergdahl told medical officials in Germany the Taliban kept him in a metal cage in the dark for weeks after he tried to escape.
The exchange deal with the Taliban, which was brokered by Qatar, has provoked an angry backlash in Congress over the Obama administration’s failure to notify lawmakers in advance that Taliban prisoners were leaving the Guantanamo camp.
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