waltky
Wise ol' monkey
Bergdahl expected to plead guilty to avoid trial...
Bowe Bergdahl expected to plead guilty and avoid trial
WASHINGTON — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban for half a decade after abandoning his Afghanistan post, is expected to plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, two people with knowledge of the case said.
Bowe Bergdahl expected to plead guilty and avoid trial
WASHINGTON — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban for half a decade after abandoning his Afghanistan post, is expected to plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, two people with knowledge of the case said.
Bergdahl's decision to plead guilty rather than face trial marks another twist in an eight-year drama that caused the nation to wrestle with difficult questions of loyalty, of negotiating with hostage takers, and of America's commitment not to leave its troops behind. President Donald Trump has called Bergdahl a "no-good traitor" who "should have been executed." The decision by the 31-year-old Idaho native leaves open whether he will return to captivity for years — this time in a US prison — or receive a lesser sentence that reflects the time the Taliban held him under brutal conditions. He says he had been caged, kept in darkness, beaten, and chained to a bed. Bergdahl could face up to five years on the desertion charge and a life sentence for misbehavior.
This undated file image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The attorney for Bergdahl, who was released in exchange for five Taliban detainees from Guantanamo Bay, says the soldier's case has been referred for trial by a general court-martial.
Freed three years ago, Bergdahl had been scheduled for trial in late October. He had opted to let a judge rather than a military jury decide his fate, but a guilty plea later this month will spare the need for a trial. Sentencing will start on October 23, according to the people with knowledge of the case. They weren't authorized to discuss the case and demanded anonymity. During sentencing, US troops who were seriously wounded searching for Bergdahl in Afghanistan are expected to testify, the people said. It was unclear whether prosecutors and Bergdahl's defense team had reached an agreement ahead of sentencing about how severe a penalty prosecutors will recommend.
An attorney for Bergdahl, Eugene Fidell, declined to comment on Friday. Maj. Justin Oshana, who is prosecuting the case, referred questions to the US Army, which declined to discuss whether Bergdahl had agreed to plead guilty. "We continue to maintain careful respect for the military-judicial process, the rights of the accused, and ensuring the case's fairness and impartiality during this ongoing legal case," said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman. Bergdahl was a 23-year-old private first class in June 2009 when, after five months in Afghanistan, he disappeared from his remote infantry post near the Pakistan border, triggering a massive search operation.
President Barack Obama with Bergdahl's parents, Jami Bergdahl and Bob Bergdahl, as he delivers a statement on May 31, 2014, about the release of their son.
Videos soon emerged showing Bergdahl in captivity by the Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan in the years before the September 11, 2001, attacks and harbored Al Qaida leaders including Osama bin Laden as they plotted against America. For years, the US kept tabs on Bergdahl with drones, spies, and satellites as behind-the-scenes negotiations played out in fits and starts. In May 2014, he was handed over to US special forces in a swap for five Taliban detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison, fueling an emotional US debate about whether Bergdahl was a hero or a deserter.
MORE
