Father of Freed POW Bowe Bergdahl Asks Media to Keep Its Distance

By Chris Ariens 

BergdahlPresident Obama spoke from the Rose Garden this evening along with the parents of freed POW Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl, who had been held by the Taliban since June, 2009, was released earlier today in an operation brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Afghanistan with the Taliban. In exchange, five Guantanamo Bay detainees will be turned over to Qatari officials.

“The recovery of our son is going to be a considerable task for our family,” said Bob Bergdahl. “We hope that the media will understand that that will keep us very preoccupied in the coming days and weeks as he gets back home to the United States.”

Bob Bergdahl also spoke directly to his son in Pashto adding that Bowe “is having trouble speaking English.” Col. Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient and an MSNBC analyst, said that’s not unusual. ‘When I was in Vietnam, I spent my entire time with the Vietnamese, speaking Vietnamese. I actually started to dream in Vietnamese and it took me several weeks after I got home before I started to think first in English.”

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In addition to coverage on the cable news networks, CBS, FOX and NBC provided broadcast special reports.

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