Dramatic video reportedly shows Taliban handing over Bowe Bergdahl
The Taliban have released a video purporting to show the dramatic moment when they handed over Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl to the American military.
With subtitles flashing "Don't come back to Afghanistan," the 17-minute clip shows members of the Taliban next to a pick-up truck and waving a white flag. An American military helicopter touches down nearby. The militants then appear to escort Bergdahl to U.S. Special Forces, who pat him down for explosives before they are all choppered out of the desert.
NBC said it wasn't "immediately possible" to verify the video's authenticity, but a Pentagon spokesman said there was "no reason" to doubt that it was legitimate. Bergdahl was released Saturday after being held captive for five years, in exchange for five Taliban militants who were held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. -- Jordan Valinsky
The Week
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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