The
U.S. has given its blessing for the Taliban to
be brought in from the cold with a critical step
towards reconciliation as the world paused to
mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
So read headlines, and hopes, around the world.There may soon be opened a diplomatic office in Quatar, opening the way for talks between deadly enemies ... Al Queda and the Taliban on one side, the United States, roused by an attack on its own soil September 11; a day that is forever etched on the national ethos.
For an Idaho family, this day marks a day of hope.
Army Private First Class Bowe Robert Bergdahl, Sun Valley, Idaho, is the only known prisoner of war extant in this nation's war against terror, and he may finally, after being captured by the Taliban Haqqani network June 30, 2009, be a chip in the potential peace now being brokered. During his time of captivity, the U.S. Army has promoted him to sergeant.
A U.S. Army paratrooper, Bergdahl was assigned to the 1/501st Infantry Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska, one of this nation's elite military units. Since his capture, his image has appeared in several Taliban propoganda pictures and films.
Based on the evidence, there is no doubt that he lived through the worst a soldier can be subjected to, and endured.
No doubt, either, that he was ever out of mind, from the highest level of U.S. government, the highest military command, right down to his friends and ... most important, his family.
"We are optimistic about the possibility of diplomatic discussions between Taliban officials and government officials from other nations, including the United States," Bergdahl's parents said in a statement released today by Idaho National Guard spokesman Colonel Tim Marsano. "Our only son, Bowe Bergdahl, has been held captive two and a half years. We hope he will be released as soon as possible.
"We know that serious discussionis among diplomats are the most likely way to make this happen, and for Bowe to be returned to us, his family. To Bowe, we want to assure you that you haven't been forgotten."