From Prisoner of War to Political Pawn: American Freed in Prisoner Exchange Finds Himself Court-Martialed by Republicans Via the Press

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. (Screen capture from YouTube video)

Perhaps Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl biggest mistake was daring to voice criticism of America's vicious decade-long war in Afghanistan.

By Jack Shafer
The Army has no immediate plans to punish Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for leaving his post in Afghanistan, Secretary of the Army John McHugh said in a statement on Tuesday, putting Bergdahl's medical and psychological needs first. Bergdahl, a Taliban prisoner for the past five years, was swapped over the weekend for five Talban heavyweights imprisoned at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp.

That doesn't mean Bergdahl is off the hook. Already, the 28-year-old soldier has been called a traitor by members of his platoon in the pages of the New York Daily News and on CNN. Members of his unit have blamed him in the New York Times for the deaths of other troopers sent out to rescue him, although the newspaper heavily discounts those claims. James Rosen has even published on FoxNews.com a piece sourced anonymously to the Defense Department speculating that Bergdahl was an "active collaborator with the enemy."

So instead of facing an Army court-martial for allegedly deserting his post on June 30, 2009, Bergdahl finds himself facing a brisk public court-martial in the press. This trial-by-sourcing will only accelerate as the press explores military records and interviews Bergdahl's troop-mates looking for the evidence.

The press has every right, of course, to investigate the story and air its findings. Hell, it has a responsibility to cover Bergdahl's alleged desertion and its fallout. But whatever Bergdahl's alleged transgressions, his guilt or innocence should be determined by the military, not the media.

Bergdahl also deserves something better than being treated as a political pawn by the Republicans who have brought the full weight of their tongues down on President Barack Obama. Senior Republicans have cited the president's failure to give Congress the 30-day notice required by law before transferring Gitmo prisoners, objecting to the lopsided terms of the exchange. They are calling for congressional hearings to investigate the deal. "Republican strategists" have even worked as go-betweens, pairing former members of Bergdahl's platoon with Times reporters (which the paper acknowledges in its reporting). Again, the Republicans have every right to make Obama's life miserable. Hell, it's their duty!

The Army obviously has at its fingertips a great dossier with which Bergdahl could be exonerated or convicted of charges. Anonymous government sources can be seen crawling - like riotous weevils - all over the Bergdahl coverage, dispensing sotto voce details about his disappearance, his imprisonment, and his release. It's a trial outside of court, with editors acting like judges to decide what evidence can be submitted, and readers playing the jury.

Read More