The AP interviewed Taliban spokesman Shaheen Suhail, on the subject of peace talks and the Army captive Sgt Bowe Bergdahl.
There is talk of an exchange. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday, that John Kerry has repeatedly called President Karzai after he refused to meet with the U.S. and the Taliban leaders.
Suhail spoke to the AP saying “First has to be the release of detainees,” he told the news service. “Yes. It would be an exchange. Then, step by step, we want to build bridges of confidence to go forward.”
These detainees are currently being held in Guantanamo.
The Taliban are saying this release of the detainees must come before there will be any opening of the peace talks.
U.S. Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl went missing from his base in Afghanistan in 2009. The military are still looking for him. There are some that feel he is being held in Pakistan, but that is not been confirmed. Since that time, a video has surfaced showing Bergdahl and a letter was received by his parents this past summer from the Red Cross.
On June 6, 2013 his parents released a statement regarding the letter:
“Our family is greatly relieved and encouraged by this letter, which gives us hope that Bowe is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” the family said in the statement. “We hope Bowe’s captors will again consider his parents’ plea to release him, but in the meantime, we ask that you please continue to keep him in good health and allow him to keep corresponding with us.”
His parents are confident that the letter they received was actually written by their son. Col. Tim Marsano of the Idaho National Guard, has been acting as a spokesman for the family. Bob Bergdahl feels not enough is being done regarding efforts being made to locate his son.
“I feel that I have to do my job as his father,” Bob Bergdahl said at the time. “I’m working toward a diplomatic and humanitarian solution.”
One has to wonder if the Taliban are simply dangling Sgt. Bowie Bergdahl on a string to entice the U.S. to sit down for the peace talks.
“First we talk to the Americans about those issues concerning the Americans and us and for those issues implementation is only in the hands of the Americans.”
“We want foreign troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan.” “If there are troops in Afghanistan then there will be a continuation of the war,” according to Suhail.
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