US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl (R) talks to a Taliban militant as he waits in a pick-up truck before his release at the Afghan border, in this still image from video released June 4, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS
Bergdahl was released on May 31 after five years in Taliban captivity as a result of a prisoner swap agreement. He disappeared in June 2009 from a base in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, with the Taliban later saying they had captured him. His captivity saw him transferred between various militant factions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The WP report quoted a former senior administration official who participated in discussions related to the soldier’s release as saying: “US officials began to contemplate an operation to rescue Bergdahl.”
“But their concern was angering Pakistan’s government and Inter-Services Intelligence,” the official added, pointing at the May 2011 raid in Abottabad to kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and subsequent strain in relations between the two countries.
The report stated that those who supported a rescue operation included Admiral Mike Mullen, then chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and then-CIA Director Leon Panetta.
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@unbelievable: You expect Pakistan to ban one of the largest Pukhtoon tribes in the reason because you disagree with their policies? Haqqani tribe is a proud and patriotic tribe loyal to Pakistan, whole members have served in all levels of the Pakistan government and military.
@Khattak: You Indians need to stop trying to insult Pukhtoons and Pakistanis. Don't use our tribal name Khattak to abuse Pukhtoons and Pakistanis. Shame on you.
now the question...pakistan lost its sovereignty in Abottabad raid by USA troops to kill Osama.So it is going again?
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan, how about Pakistan using proxies such as Taliban, LeJ, LeT and others to violate and pose a threat to sovereignty of both Afghanistan and India. For too long Pakistan has played this role now it is getting sandwiched from both sides. As Wali Khan if you send weapons they will not send you flowers in return. Don't think that others stupid and weak they might have built resilience not only against war, but also unemployment, threat of breaking up, ethnic violence, shia v sunni etc.......
@akram: ha ha lol u r funny.The US is a super power and they can do whatever they like if required.Killing of osama, US drone strike, raymond davis case, killing ur soldiers in 2011, pakistan is a very poor country.
@NITS: "Pak owes a lot of money to US in forms of IMF, Aids etc."
Actually the US-NATO owes Pak $127Billion...a preliminary conservative cost assessment of fighting America's War on Islam on its own soil, as a frontline mercenary state. This does not include lives lost. Those are priceless.
pakistan played double game; coz if they were fighting americans open war in afghanistan american army was not going to last more than three days and after defeat they were going to come back again so pakistan played double game to get all US advance tech(drones night vis googles misiles guns etc) and what about USA,s 17000 missing containers with all advance equipments.american know pakiistan took it openly and they cant do anything about this. pakistan finished american reputation in this world and now americans are begging pakistan to let them go out of afghanistan but pakistan is not letting them out untill US is not paying the loss pakistan had since 1989 with sanctions and other means. american pentagone dont have guts to tell there people we cant come out untill pakistan dont let us come out.
@NITS: Abbottabad raid had nothing to do with American loans,aid money or Pakistani cooperation - just took American guts, skill, and determination. BTW when is India going to step up to the plate and do something about the Mumbai massacre?
@hmm: Seems like this figure of loss 70-100 billions is flying a lot in Pakistani intelligentsia and news papers. No one cared about how this figure was reached. Did Pakistan lost huge industrial complexes in FATA or Waziristan? Did Pakistan loose huge exports? Did Pakistan loose huge energy sources from these areas? I am sure the property that got destroyed in these areas can never be worth of 70-100 billions. Now no one can put money on human life loss so I think that is not counted here. In my opinion, Pakistan did not loose a penny in this war but instead made money out of it in form if CSF and by transporting NATO goods. Now please don't come and say all these terrorism attacks caused huge losses cause we all know that is not the case.
Why operation inside Pakistan? Was he supposed to be kept in Pakistan?
@raw is war: Are you really sure that it was Osama not OBAMA who is resp for killing more number of innocent people? When I saw a tv program on 9/11, it changed my views that how few fixed wing un-trained pilots could fly jet? Osama and Obama are both American products and have damaged this world more than anyone else? and they really killed him same day without any trial? or getting info?
@NITS: If taking loan is beggary than every US citizen is a beggar! Every US citizen takes loan which is the money ofcourse not their own!! Mind it!!
We love u Dr Qadeer khan we love u.
I think this is a story designed to take the flak off the Obama admin and Pakistan is the convenient punching bag
This time, its India's turn to raid into Pakistan.Ab Ki baar , Modi Sarkar Ki baari hai.
The fact that the Haqqani use Pakistan as a sanctuary is bad enough - that they bring a captured American soldiers into Pakistan is shameful. The reality is that Pakistan helped OBL and provides active support for the Haqqani - something the authors who pontificate about the future relations with American seem to always ignore.
@NITS: These are rather tentative figures but in actuality the loss incurred by Pakistan is far greater. Since you're just a troll, who isn't even in Pakistan, your observations are just baseless. Over 50k lives have been lost & counting, hundreds of thousands are now handicapped - the damage to the lives of our people is immense. The economic loss is over $100 billion & if human loss is also added then it is double the figure! As for OBL, he was a CIA asset to begin with, wasn't even operational for few years, al-qaeda is just a CIA made group, better do your research. Now these armed groups are flourishing in Syria, Iraq, Libya where US & the west are funding militant groups. And If OBL was our failure then 9/11 was even a bigger failure of US govt! Their own CIA asset hit them with hijacked planes! We know who is the root cause of all chaos, just look at wherever the US interferes there is bloodshed & extremist groups are trained and funded. Peace out!
we should not allow them.but even if they wiull do then we should give them solid reply.
@NITS: Really ? If this is you theory then : Same way China can carry out any operation in US, since US owe Chine 3 Trillion USD.
@Adeel: This was a simple pretext for Mr Obama to get rid of the Gitmo prisoners so that he can close it down. It is a long old practice of the European Governments that they officially do not negotiate with hostage takers. Americans have same position, but freeing Gitmo prisoners could not be kept secret, So this Show with Qatar!
Rex Minor
If you will deprive politicians to participate. In burial of their parents and red tape office will lock up ex prime minister in airport toilet then what should be reaction.Every nation support their army, so do we but every one should play their own role and no leg pulling. @IK:
@ hmm : these are imaginary figures propagated by ur establishment. Actually, Pak is playing double game in the war... Discovery of Osama in your land nullified all your claims!
@drfaiza: as you rightly put it that U.S. too had debt but see the generosity of the country that it is still giving your country Aids... which is a waste!
@Adeel: Okay. if you are army is so strong that U.S. cant adventure in your country then u should forever STOP making allegations on US that it will steal your N. assets.
Guys, get out of the fools paradise and start living in the reality... World is not waiting for you... start putting your house in order before it is too late !
So this guy was also kept in hiding in Pak territory?
@Rex Minor:
Dude you are really ignorant and a Head of conspiracy theories department...!!!
@NITS:
So you mean we live in an UNCIVILIZED BARBARIC NON DEMORCRATIC world where might has right...????? I thought WEST wants to spread democracy to de-promote such actions...???? But these actions are justified when they take them....RIGHT!!!!
Both Pakistan and USA has destroyed the world peace and stability of the entire world and more specifically of South Asia. There non-ethical interference and occupation in Afghanistan and region is worst. They collectively had destroyed the lives and future of millions and millions of innocent people, had destroyed many societies and cultures and millions they had been using for their agenda. The nation of National security and war on terror are the fake and propaganda words they tactically using with support of UNO to get enter and occupy the world and extend the borders. They agenda not globalization and world order but they wants survival of the fastest, power of capitalism and suppression of weaker nations. They want to occupy the world and enforce their faith and believe over the world. They are the enemy of diversity in culture, faith and believe and their interest limited to their survival only. Survival of USA and puppet nation working for their agenda. There is no truth, faith, trust, sincerity, justice and equality in their policies But terrorism with the help of technology, WMD and suppression. UN must need to protect the world and play its role in true sense...to protect the weaker Nation and proved Justice. Else the world at the edge to end.....which is quite destructive and these both countries are great threat to the world and humanity.
Why they would have shown their patriotism by keeping a blind eye to their operation just like Abbotabad episode
Washington post is being sold the fairy tales and lies about Bowe! Ignorants are those Who are not aware that the CIA rendition flights did not copy the Talibans century old practice of transferring the hostages from one to another tribe and cashing in on payments in transition, until the last one gets paid or the hostages escape. Most recently a swiss couple were taken as hostages in broad daylight on the highway near Lora Lai, were sold from one to another intermediarie, waiting for the payment from the swiss embassy, until one midnight they escaped during the drone bombing raid of the Americans.How can any one who cannot hoot straight can organise a raid on a moving target in the mountanous area linking Afghanistan to central Asian countries as well as China, iran, Pakistan and beyond?
Rex Minor
@NITS: if that is the case, then why didn't they not operate, instead released 5 Taliban Prisoners for one soldier, clearly a statement to cover up the insult they had because of this incident.
@NITS: US owe us Billions of dollars because we are fighting your war on terror! We have spent $102.5 billion in your fight! We have lost thousands of our soldiers! US owes us. NOT we owe US! BTW US has trillions of dollars debt that they ain't able to pay! So who is beggar?? A big question!!!s
@NITS: Really amusing to read your comment, im sure you are on of the Indian trolls. Anyway, it is the other way around actually, Pakistan has lost over $100 billion for being a frontline state on this so called war on terror. Unfortunately it is our corrupt politicians who are enslaved to west since all of their laundered money are in western countries otherwise a true leader would not let US budge a millimeter for what our country has done.
This time Pakistan's ISI would have fired nuclear missile at the helicopter if they had done an operation inside Pakistan.
This statement is just to cover up the insult USA is facing on exchange of high level prisoners. USA blames Pakistan on every occasion, so it is not a new thing.
Pak owes a lot of money to US in forms of IMF, Aids etc. and this gives RIGHT to U.S. to conduct any operation in Pak which they already did for osama...
as they say beggers cannot be choosers...
Why would it anger Nawaz Sharif? He himself is against army and isi so there is no point in minding this. In fact he and his ministers would be extremely happy if anything like that happens.
We proud of you ISI, Love you......