KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban released a video Friday of an American soldier captured in Afghanistan, showing him apparently healthy but spouting criticism about the U.S. military operation.
In Idaho, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl’s family pleaded on Christmas Day for his release and urged him to “stay strong.”
Bergdahl disappeared June 30 while based in eastern Afghanistan and is the only known American serviceman in captivity. The Taliban claimed his capture in a video released in mid-July that showed the young Idaho soldier appearing downcast and frightened. He hadn’t been heard from until Friday’s video, in which he looks well and speaks clearly.
Although the video was released Friday, it was unclear when it was made, and NATO spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks told The New York Times it was not evidence that Bergdahl is still alive.
“We are not using this as a proof-of-life video. ...,” Shanks told the newspaper. “It could have been made even several months ago. It has a lot of editing pieces.”
The NATO-led InternationalSecurity Assistance Force confirmed hours later that the man in the video was Bergdahl but denounced both its timing and content.
“This is a horrible act which exploits a young soldier who was clearly compelled to read a prepared statement,” said a statement from U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, the force’s spokesman. “To release this video on Christmas Day is an affront to the deeply concernedfamily and friends of Bowe Bergdahl.”
Lt. Col. Tim Marsano of the Idaho National Guard issued a statement Friday from members of Bergdahl’s family, who live outside Hailey, Idaho. The family urged the captors “to let our only son come home.”
And to their son, the family said: “We love you, and we believe in you. Stay strong.”
In the video, Bergdahl is seated, facing the camera, wearing sunglasses and what appears to be a U.S. military helmet and uniform. It also shows him eating while wearing garb characteristic of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, an area where the Taliban emerged in the 1990s.
He identifies himself as Bergdahl, born in Sun Valley, Idaho, and gives his rank, birth date, blood type, his unit and mother’s maiden name and says his captors have not abused him before he opens a lengthy verbalattack on the U.S. conduct of the war in Afghanistan and its relations with Muslims.
“It’s our arrogance and, and our stupidity that has made us so blind that we simply refuse to see the blunders and mistakes that we continue to make over and over again,” he said.
Statements from captives are typically viewed as being made under duress.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, read a statement that appears at the end of the video and renews demands for a “limited number of prisoners” to be exchanged for Bergdahl.
Bergdahl, who was serving with a unit based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, was 23 when he vanished five months after arriving in Afghanistan.
Information for this article was contributed by Deb Riechmann, Noor Kahn and John Miller of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 12/26/2009