An image of former American POW Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has appeared, apparently showing him smiling with a member of the Taliban. The image, which hasn’t been verified, was posted on a Twitter account linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The image was posted on @khorasan313, which has also posted other claims about Bergdahl. In addition to the photo, one message reads, “Funny how #Americans are Calling #Bergdahl a Traitor...They dont ask why his team members betrayed him & ran away like cowards...Hypocrite.”
According to NBC News, the Taliban commander in the photo looks like Badruddin Haqqani, who once lead a powerful Taliban faction. He was killed during an August 2012 U.S. drone strike in Northern Pakistan. The tweet refers to him as a “martyr.”
#Exclusive #US Solider #Bergdahl with Martyr #Taliban Leader Badar'udin Haqqani(RH) S/O Shaykh Jalaludin Haqqani(HA) pic.twitter.com/ddrqHCn0aK
— خرسان البلاغ (@khorasan313) July 9, 2014
image via Twitter from khorasan313
An official from the Taliban said that the Twitter account is not owned by them and is run by a sympathizer.
Bergdahl was returned to U.S. custody in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. He returned to the U.S. early last month and is still at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. The Pentagon is still conducting an investigation into his 2009 disappearance, as members of his unit say he deserted their post.