Reuters
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked away from his unit before being captured by Taliban associates, a Pentagon investigation found in 2010, according to a senior defense official. Bergdahl was freed this weekend after the U.S. agreed to trade five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay for his release. The official said it's "incontrovertible" that Bergdahl walked away, and though the military initiated an early frenzied rescue effort, it apparently later decided not to make a more dramatic attempt. As first reported by The Daily Beast, an officer who served with Bergdahl in his unit dispelled rumors that Bergdahl was on patrol that night, saying he "fled the outpost on foot. He deserted." The White House defended its decision Monday, saying, "It was the right thing to do. We in the United States do not leave our men and women behind during an armed conflict." They also said that the released Taliban fighters “do not, and will not, pose a significant threat.”