I assume nobody else knew of his capture? Can you imagine, if under Bush, the Taliban had captured one of our soldiers? It would have been in the headlines every night.
I know it's hard to keep up in the ugly morass of any war.
There is a question regarding his status as a captive of the enemy, or something else a bit more complicated.
I hesitate to opine either way, since much of the available information is not considered trustworthy.
Better to wait for verified facts, and that might mean a much longer wait, beyond what is obviously politically expedient for POTUS, currently under fire domestically for his failures at the VA.
And yes indeed, I am just that cynical! With very good reason.