Legal Hearing Begins Against US Military Sergeant Charged With Desertion

The military hearing of US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl began on Thursday about abandoning his post in Afghanistan in 2009, according to media reports on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The hearing seeks to uncover the reasons why Bergdahl abandoned the post, which led to his disappearance and capture by the Taliban, NBC News reported.

In June 2009, Bergdahl abandoned a post in southeastern Afghanistan he was guarding during military duty, after having expressed opposition to the US War on Terror and anger about his military work.

The Taliban kept Bergdahl captive from June 2009 until he was released in May 2014.

In June 2014, the US government exchanged five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility for the release of Bergdahl, after months of negotiations with Taliban leaders and Qatari authorities.

Qatar provided security guarantees it will host the five Taliban under a year-long travel ban, and pledged the detainees would not be a threat to US national security.

All five inmates held prominent positions in the Taliban movement, according to Pentagon documents revealed by WikiLeaks.

The five Taliban included Mullah Mohammad Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Mohammed Nabi Omari, and are characterized by US authorities as some of the worst outlaws in the US War on Terror.