elections in 2009 to hunting taliban commanders. we stopped everything when sergeant bergdahl went missing. and stopped everything and went after him. men died searching for sergeant bergdahl. and we were we believed at the time and believe today he deserted his post. makes a huge difference whether you go for someone because they were captured on the battlefield or left voluntarily and walked into the hands of the enemy. do you think he should have been brought home safely? would you have gone to get him? absolutely. when we deploy overseas, we know there is a chance we could get captured. we know the united states will do everything in its power to bring us home. but we also know that we re not going to be bargained for. there won t be a ransom. there won t be terrorists, in
horrible deal but you also say that it should have been done. correct? i agree. there is no doubt that we should have done everything in our power to bring any soldier off the battlefield back. we have left them behind in the past. north korean the american who deserted, went across the line in north korea and stayed there for many years, we didn t make the effort to do that, so it is not holistic over the years. but whenever we have the opportunity to bring a soldier back, we have a moral obligation. not only for that particular soldier but for all future soldiers that we put on the battlefield that they know that their country will be with them throughout. seems like most members of the military, people who served, had similar sentiments. maybe the criticism we have been seeing, gloria borger, is mostly from the critical side. it is said roint opposed this deal, as far back as 2011, 2012. taliban detainees were deemed too high of a risk.
there won t be terrorists, in this case, the taliban war cabinet. as one afghan told me earlier today, the charles mansons of afghan society handed over for us. no one disputes and no one is arguing that sergeant bergdahl should have been brought home. but we are questioning the price we paid for him. all right. general, i want to get this in. we learned a 2009 investigation, pentagon investigation, into bergdahl s disappearance concluded he left on his own acard because his weapon, night vision goggles, bulletproof vest were all left behind. and he wasn t classified as a desserter because they didn t know his intent. will we ever be able to prove what his intent was after five years in captivity. will we be able to prove that even if he is investigated, questioned and interrogated. if is the overwhelming p
operations to getting ready for the afghan presidential elections in 2009 to hunting taliban commanders p. we stopped everything when sergeant bergdahl went missing. and stopped everything and went after him. men died searching for sergeant bergdahl. and we were we believed at the time and believe today he deserted his post. makes a huge difference whether you go for someone because they were captured on the battlefield or left voluntarily and walked into the hands of the enemy. do you think he should have been brought home safely? would you have gone to get lihi? absolutely. when we deploy overseas, we know there is a chance we could get captured. we know the united states will do everything in its power to bring us home. but we also know that we re not going to be bargained for. there won t be a ransom.
were reporters for the taliban. accused terrorists now set free. never mind they will be held in qatar for a year. it is ill-founded. it is a mistake and it is putting the lives of american servicemen and women at risk and that to me is unacceptable to the american people. reporter: next, there is bergdahl s own record. accusations growing from fellow troops deserted them in combat costing lives of other soldiers. like he walked away. some say they are glad he was rescued but his behavior must be investigated that the deal to bring him home could have long-term consequence that the president may not have had the right it make it anyway. historians acknowledge a long history of such swaps. george washington traded captured british soldiers to get americans back. abraham lincoln did the same