Taliban releases video it claims is of US soldier captured in Afghanistan

Taliban video claims to be of captured US soldier

KABUL — The Taliban released a video Friday purporting to show captured U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared more than five months ago in eastern Afghanistan.

Bergdahl, a U.S. airborne infantryman, was captured by the Afghan Taliban in Paktika province on June 30.

It could not be confirmed immediately that it was Bergdahl in the new video, which was e-mailed to The Associated Press and other news organizations. A man is shown seated, facing the camera, wearing sunglasses and what appears to be a U.S. military helmet and uniform. A caption below the man speaking says “War prisoner: Bowe Robert Bergdahl.”

On one side of the image it says: “An American soldier imprisoned by the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”

The man identifies himself as Bergdahl, born in Sun Valley, Idaho, and gives his rank, birth date, blood type and mother’s maiden name.

In an earlier portion of the video he says, “This is just going to be the next Vietnam unless the American people stand up and stop all this nonsense.”

The insurgents also released a video of Bergdahl a few weeks after he was captured.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, said in a telephone interview that he had not seen the video, but that it “shows the same soldier captured this year.”

In the video, “a demand” is made, Muhahid said. He did not indicate if the demand was from the Taliban or from Bergdahl.