U.S. officials were in direct talks with Taliban leaders before Afghan government about the location of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl before Afghan officials scuttled the negotiations.
Bergdahl is the only American prisoner of war being held in Afghanistan. While five video tapes have been released since his capture, neither American nor Afghan authorities have any idea of his location or current condition.
Afghan officials scuttled the negotiations over fear that Afghan President Hamid Karzai was being excluded from the discussions. Bergdahl was just one of the subjects being discussed. Others included the release demands of a Taliban fighter deemed by the U.S. government to be a senior level terrorist currently held at Guantanamo Detention Facility.
Taliban negotiator Tayyab Aga disappeared after Pakistani and Afghan leaks threatened his personal security. He is believed to be in Europe – possibly Germany.
It is encouraging to know that American officials have not forgotten Bergdahl and that he is, in fact, a prominent point of any negotiations with the Taliban. U.S. officials are attempting to negotiate a peaceful solution to allow the Taliban to incorporate themselves back into Afghan society and political structures in a lawful manner. Naturally, Karzai is suspicious of any such discussion and would want a seat at the table of any negotiations.
Why the U.S. has excluded the Karzai administration is unknown. Why unreliable Pakistan was included is suspicious to me – but then again, I’m just suspicious of any ally that would quarter the world’s number one terrorist just a few miles from their major military training facility.
Hopefully, the U.S. government will be able to re-establish a link to Taliban leaders to continue discussions for a peaceful settlement and Bergdahl’s release – sooner rather than later. Bergdahl has spent nearly 10 percent of his young life in the hands of Taliban captors. It is the duty and responsibility of our government to do absolutely everything possible to secure his release. If, in fact, Afghan government officials deliberately sabotaged these negotiations, then there must be immediate and pointed repercussions for such actions.