Military to Question Ex-POW Bowe Bergdahl

Prisoner of War Bowe Bergdahl to be questioned by Army General. Image-U.S. Army
Prisoner of War Bowe Bergdahl to be questioned by Army General. Image-U.S. Army

Lawyer for freed prisoner of war Bowe Bergdahl, Eugene Fidell said on Tuesday that the military will be questioning his client about the circumstances of his capture by the Taliban.

Fidell did not say what he will say to the questioning officer, Major General Kenneth Dahl, but did say that Bergdahl will cooperate with the questioning. Fidell also stated, “He is looking forward to having all of this over and done with, and being able to move on to the next chapter of his life.” 

Bergdahl has been stationed at Fort Sam Houston in Texas for the past two weeks after being placed back on active duty after his release from his 2009 capture.

Military attorneys say that the questioning will take place not in a court room, but in a conference room where the hearing will be informal. Military attorney Greg Rinckey said that the questioning will not be an interrogation but an interview.

Fidell defended his client from comments by several of the members of his former unit that have indicated that Bergdahl was AWOL and had deserted his post  at the time of his capture, saying, “There are people who have vilified Sgt. Bergdahl, there are people who attempted to turn him into a kind of piñata.”

Although the meeting is slated to be informal, the  Army has not ruled out disciplinary action against Bergdahl if circumstances merit it.