Its pretty much been the definition of inconsistent.
Bergdahl is picked up by U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan and whisked off in a helicopter.
Hes still in rough shape after so many years as a prisoner.
Credit: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images
He couldnt talk right away.
He wasnt able to successfully make the words travel from his head to his tongue.
A lot of this has already been reported elsewhere.
But lets treat it like its new here.
Obama believed in a military surge instead.
The Obama White House was a house divided when it came to the path to peace in Afghanistan.
Not everyone in the Obama administration wanted to talk with the Taliban.
But, surprisingly, it turned out that the Taliban was interested in talking tous.
Holbrooke established back-channel communications with a Taliban rep, whom he nicknamed A-Rod.
For their part, the Taliban wanted some of its prisoners released.
At first, they requested four prisoners being held at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The fragile first steps of diplomacy died with him.
This enraged the Taliban, and their demands were upped.
They no longer wanted the Bagram prisoners, they wanted five prisoners (of their choosing) from Gitmo.
This is when progress skids to a halt … for more than two years.
Then, in 2013, talks resume.
At this point, Bergdahl had been a prisoner for four years.
And now, the Taliban run a new set of demands up the flagpole.
With some assurances to Karzai, the office is set up in the summer of 2013.
Its just the latest in a daisy chain of diplomatic snafus.
Once again, talks go mute.
In 2014, the Taliban once again approach the U.S. saying they want to make a deal.
But instead, they want to put the prospect of a prisoner swap back on the table.
The call was Obamas to make.
The U.S. requested proof of life for Bergdahl before moving forward.
And they got it.
A video of the sergeant from Hailey, Idaho, that showed him to be in pretty bad shape.
Physically, he looked like he might not last much longer.
It was getting urgent.
With the Qataris as the intermediaries, the deal is hammered out.
Diplomacy of any sort is a game in which someone wins and someone loses.
Good diplomacy is when both sides feel like they lost.
This is not to downplay the importance of getting Bergdahl back safely and soundly.
The episode ends with an audio clip of Obama in a Rose Garden press conference announcing Bergdahls release.
Its clear that hes spinning it as a moment of diplomatic triumph.
