Posted on 06/05/2014 7:33:41 AM PDT by BunnySlippers
Gonzaga University anthropologist David B. Givens says the widely disseminated video, which shows a wan-looking Bergdahl being marched by his captors to three Special Forces soldiers and an Army helicopter, reveals a prisoner reluctant to part from his captors.
“Based purely on the nonverbal cues captured in this Taliban video, the American and his Afghan handler behaved in a manner that would be consistent with a sad farewell or a grieving goodbye,” Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Wash., told The Daily Beast.“They shared friendly, direct eye contact in the manner of allies rather than enemies.”
....
“Based on his depressed lip corners, puckered brows, and tearing eyes, along with the forward bowing motions of his head, the American appeared to be softly crying,” Givens continued in an email. “The Afghan man seemed to console the American with friendly, palm-up (supinated) hand gestures, and then gently patted the American several times, reassuringly, on the shoulder, as if to wish him well.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
Is it really surprising that Bergdahl was unsure about what was happening to him? How would he know if he was being told the truth, or being traded to another Taliban group and just being emotionally manipulated? He may have ended up captured by his own foolish actions, but he is an American soldier held by a very hostile enemy. What dreamy ideas he had of the Afghan people prior to leaving his unit, he is now under no illusions as to their viciousness. When he climbed into the helicopter it was reported he wrote “SF?” and then broke down crying when he was told they were indeed US Special Forces. That response seems a more accurate judge of his feelings than his dazed and guarded appearance during the hand off.
Your interpretation presupposes that he was indeed held as a hostile capture by the Taliban. That is not at all a sure thing, considering there are reports of full on collaboration. James Rosen is working on an investigative report which appears to indicate collaboration of a very serious nature. This body language “analysis” would seem to be compatible with that situation, if he was working with them, felt himself to be one of them, of course he would be sad to leave them.
In other words: He couldn’t leave his brothers BEHIND.
More seriously he is likely a sleeping RAYMOND SHAW.
I’m no body language expert,but watching I thought, this guy does not want to leave.
The Patting by the Taliban guy was so affectionate and that’s why Bowe started to CRY.....he DIDN’T want to leave!!! AT least not back to America!
I admit I haven’t seen the video, here’s my question,
did he look near death as this administration is claiming was the reason for the urgency in getting this freak home??
Near death? Really??
Did they toss the bag away?? Didn’t see that but it could easily have been an explosive!
His captors released a video of him back in December 2013. It was on the basis of that video that he was reportedly in “deteriorating health.” Which is why we had to act *immediately*, not a second to waste — FIVE months later....
“...reveals a prisoner reluctant to part from his captors.”
Hey, if your having sex every night, its hard to give up!
I was going to provide an imagined dialogue but there’s nothing funny here. Bergdahl is either genuinely sad to leave or he’s afraid for his life now that he’s being released to the U.S. This Taliban fella is actually trying to ‘buck up’ Bergdahl. It’s truly unbelievable.
When I read that about his crying when learning that he was with the “SF” I felt that he was realizing that he was now in custody of the American military and his life was going to be on the line as a deserter. His gig as an honored guest of the Taliban was over!!
I have been reading a lot about Bowe Bergdahl and I think that there are sources, like Rosen, that reflect some of the platoon’s attitude, which is very negative; then there are others that reflect a broader understanding of Bowe prior to his enlistment as well as his struggles with how the Army attempted to implement the surge, that show a more complex situation. My feeling is that the truth is between these two sides and my guess also is that many former soldiers here on Free Republic would sympathize with his frustrations. If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend Michael Hastings article in the ROLLING STONE. It is reputed to be the best investigative story prior to Bergdahl’s release and written in June 7, 2012.
AMERICA’S LAST PRISONER OF WAR by Michael Hastings
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/americas-last-prisoner-of-war-20120607
Just to say, my comments IN NO WAY are to be taken as supportive of Bowe’s very wrong decision to leave his unit.
Michael Hastings wrote an investigative article on Bowe Bergdahl in 2012 and I think it is worth reading to get a better understanding of who he was as a person. Also just to say, I am not a regular reader of Rolling Stone, but I think the piece is one that every Freeper should read, even if you do not accept its conclusion. Hastings was one of the top journalists writing from Afghanistan before his death.
AMERICA’S LAST PRISONER
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/americas-last-prisoner-of-war-20120607
Thanks for the info. Should of let the punk die
He looked like a kid leaving summer camp to return to his abusive home.
I have read everything available on Bergdahl and the only sources appearing “sympathetic” to him are leftwing sources, which obviously would include Rolling Stone. The agenda would be to cast the best possible light on the situation so as to best protect Obama. No one in theater is taking up for him and unlike the Obama WH I don’t think that’s to protect their failed leaders. From what I’ve seen, anyone closely tied to the military has zero sympathy for the deserter.
I would normally jump on board with the conservative viewpoint. However, the Bergdahl’s happen to be church members in a sister Presbyterian denomination. They are homeschoolers and that naturally increases my tendency to want to hear their side. We’ve had great results with our homeschooling, but our sons also have the same sort of independent, head strong streak as Bowe is described. I also grieve if the father truly did tell his son to follow his conscience and recognize the guilt he must have been living with that he inadvertently put so many in danger. However, all these human factors do not play well in a hotly contented political fight for the next President, which is what this is all about.
BTW, if you remember, the Rolling Stone article was very critical of the President, his war policy and his administration’s military discipline. It didn’t strike me as protective of the President at all.
It’s clear he didn’t want to go back but had to so the Taliban could recover their general staff. The Mahdi wouldn’t release the Taliban general staff without the cover of a fake “prisoner exchange,” so Bergdahl was returned to supply that cover. This also shows that most, if not all, of the allegations about Bergdahl being an active collaborator and deliberate traitor are spot on true.
Pvt. Bergdahl’s action was simply not just a “very wrong decision to leave his unit.” Rather, as shown by all the direct and circumstantial evidence thusfar developed, it was a deliberate decision to leave and never return, a desertion. Desertion in the face of the enemy is one of the most inexcusable military crimes because, as here, it immediately risks the lives of all of the other members of he deserter’s unit and the success of the mission itself. What’s worse, Bergdahl’s desertion caused a major search for him in which six other soldiers were killed by the Taliban and the operations of many other units were disrupted, causing even more casualties. Further, there is strong, credible evidence that, after deserting , innocent young “Bowe” sought out the Taliban and actively collaborated with them to improve their IED procedures and other tactics. Desertion is bad enough, treason is worse.
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