US soldier freed from the Taliban may face desertion charge
AN American Army chief warned yesterday that freed Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl will face prosecution if he abandoned his post fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said investigators would “not look away from misconduct” if evidence surfaces against the 28-year-old, freed in return for five detainees from Guantanamo Bay. But he added: “Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty.”
Sgt Bergdahl was captured in Paktika province after he left his post without authorisation, and furious ex-comrades have branded him a “deserter”.