Susan Rice defends Bergdahl comments, calls his service 'honorable' [From 2014]

CNN ^ | June 6, 2014 | By Jim Acosta

[Oldeconomybuyer]

President Barack Obama's national security adviser said Friday that her full-throated praise of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was appropriate given the former Taliban prisoner's willingness to go to war for his country -- despite questions about whether or not he deserted his Army colleagues. Susan Rice, who on Sunday said Bergdahl served the United States with "honor and distinction," told CNN in an interview that she was speaking about the fact the Idaho native enlisted and went to Afghanistan in the service of his country.

"I realize there has been lots of discussion and controversy around this," Rice said. "But what I was referring to was the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That, in and of itself, is a very honorable thing."

Rice said Friday that it was essential for the military to hear Bergdahl's side of the story before coming to conclusions about what prompted his capture by the Taliban.

"This is a young man whose circumstances we are still going to learn about," she said. "He is, as all Americans, innocent until proven guilty. He's now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through enormously traumatic five years of captivity."

[oldtech]

Only thing lacking is severe prosecution for them.