Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.3 • 107.6K Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2017

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As a candidate for president, Donald J. Trump called Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl a “dirty rotten traitor” for walking off his base in Afghanistan in 2009, and said,”I don’t want him. Maybe we can send him back.” On Monday, with President Trump now commander in chief, Sergeant Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and to endangering the American troops sent to search for him. An Army judge will determine his punishment. Guests: Matthew Rosenberg, who covers intelligence and national security for The Times; Richard A. Oppel Jr., the Times reporter covering the trial. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is the day.
0:09.0	Today, as a candidate, Donald Trump called Bo Burkdall a dirty rotten trader for walking off his base in Afghanistan
0:18.0	and suggested as punishment, sending him back and dumping him out of an airplane.
0:24.0	On Monday, with Trump now his commander in chief, Burkdall went before a military court that will determine his punishment.
0:42.0	It's Tuesday, October 17th.
0:45.0	Matt Rosenberg, tell me about what happened on May 31st, 2014.
0:55.0	Presser Nobamo walks out into the Rose Garden. Good afternoon, everybody.
0:59.0	And announces that the only POW-American soldier held by the Taliban has been freed.
1:05.0	This morning, I called Bob and Janie Burkdall and told them that after nearly five years in captivity,
1:13.0	their son, Bo, is coming home. The soldier is Bo Burkdall. He was freed in a prisoner swap. They sent five senior Taliban leaders and exchanged for him.
1:22.0	As part of this effort, the United States is transferring five detainees from the prison in Guantanamo Bay to Qatar.
1:28.0	The Qatar government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security.
1:35.0	At this ceremony, his burglals parents, his father Bob and his mother Janie.
1:40.0	Sergeant Burkdall, his Miss birthdays and holidays and the simple moments with family and friends, which all of us take for granted.
1:48.0	But while Bo was gone, he was never forgotten.
1:52.0	And it's this incredibly dramatic moment. I mean, there have been years in negotiations for his release. He had been the focus of manhunts.
1:58.0	He was the sole American soldier held by the Taliban. And as you know, the military really does mean it when it says they no man left behind.
2:04.0	That is part of how they operate. He wasn't forgotten by his community in Idaho or the military, which rally to support the Burglals through thick and thin.
2:14.0	And he wasn't forgotten by his country because the United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind.
2:24.0	And Matt, what did President Obama say about the controversial circumstances surrounding the situation that day in the Rose Garden?
2:32.0	He didn't really address it. He kept the mood focused on the fact that Sergeant Burkdall was coming home.
2:37.0	Bob and Janie, today families across America share in the joy that I know you feel.
	...

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