In this case, it wasn’t exactly the Taliban holding holding Bergdahl...it was a mafia group (just for the money-type) that do practice Islam, but not in the pure sense that the Taliban guys do. Also, it should be noted that most of the five prisoners released...were ‘flipped’ by this group to the US (for reward money, I would assume) to start this business several years ago. This group only operates under the goal of cash...so somewhere in this mix....maybe not the US paying....but someone somewhere paid cash.
Ah..Ferengi.
I can just see them now, big ears, cowering over bags of money, rubbing their hands together.