<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">A chance for our government to do the right thing . . .</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Bring <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Bowe Bergdahl home to Hailey, Idaho!</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Courtesy of CBS News at:</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; "><a href="http://tinyurl.com/l5vs9ek">http://tinyurl.com/l5vs9ek</a></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; "> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">--------------------------------------</div><div><h1 style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 13px 0px 20px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><font size="3"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Afghan Taliban offers to swap captive U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl for 5 Guantanamo detainees</span></font></h1></div><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "><span class="loc" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 2px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(196, 196, 196); outline: 0px; font-weight: 900; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; height: 16px; float: left; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN</span></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Afghan Taliban say they are ready to hand over a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.</span></div></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Taliban spokesman, Shaheen Suhail, said U.S. Army Spc. Bowe Bergdahl "is as far as I know in good condition."</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Suhail spoke in an exclusive telephone interview with The Associated Press from the newly opened Taliban offices in Doha, Qatar.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bergdahl disappeared in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 32, 34); font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 22px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He spoke as the U.S. is scrambling to save talks with the Taliban after angry complaints from President Hamid Karzai.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The prisoner exchange is the first item on the Taliban's agenda before even opening peace talks, said Suhail, who is a top Taliban figure and served as first secretary at the Afghan Embassy in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad before the Taliban government's ouster in 2001.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Suhail said "first has to be the release of detainees," and after that, the Taliban "want to build bridges of confidence."</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He offered no details on Bergdahl's current whereabouts.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was expected in Doha ahead of Saturday's conference on the Syrian civil war.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While in Qatar, Kerry is also expected to meet with the Taliban but timing was unclear. On Wednesday in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. had "never confirmed" any specific meeting schedule with Taliban representatives in Doha.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Prospective peace talks are also still in question, especially after Afghan President Hamid Karzai became infuriated by the Taliban's move to cast their new office in Doha as a rival embassy.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Taliban held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday in which they hoisted their flag and a banner with the name they used while in power more than a decade ago: "Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan." Later, the Taliban replaced the sign to read simply: Political office of the Taliban.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At the ceremony, the Taliban welcomed dialogue with Washington but said their fighters would not stop fighting. Hours later, the group claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Bagram Air Base outside the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed four American service members.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Karzai on Wednesday announced his government is out of the peace talks, apparently angered by the way Kabul had been sidelined in the U.S.-Taliban bid for rapprochement.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Afghan president also suspended negotiations with the United States on a bilateral security agreement that would cover American troops who will remain behind after the final withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Suhail said the Taliban are insistent that they want their first interlocutors to be the United States. "First we talk to the Americans about those issues concerning the Americans and us (because) for those issues implementation is only in the hands of the Americans," he said.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We want foreign troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan," he added. "If there are troops in Afghanistan then there will be a continuation of the war."</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Suhail indicated the Taliban could approve of American trainers and advisers for the Afghan troops, saying that "of course, there is cooperation between countries in other things. We need that cooperation."</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said that once the Taliban concluded talks with the United States, they would participate in all-inclusive Afghan talks.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Suhail ruled out exclusive talks with Karzai's High Peace Council, which has been a condition of the Afghan president who previously said he wanted talks in Doha to be restricted to his representatives and the Taliban. Instead, the Taliban would talk to all Afghan groups, Suhail said.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"After we finish the phase of talking to the Americans, then we would start the internal phase ... that would include all Afghans," he said. "Having all groups involved will guarantee peace and stability."</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On Thursday, Karzai's government appeared to throw another spanner into the mix, demanding that Pakistan release imprisoned Afghan Taliban leaders.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It is a good time to release these Taliban leaders jailed in Pakistan, and then the Afghan High Peace Council together with them will begin talks with the Taliban inside Afghanistan or in Qatar," a statement from the foreign ministry in Kabul said.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It wasn't clear, however, whether the Taliban in Pakistani custody would be willing to participate in peace talks as members of Karzai's council. Pakistan last year and earlier this year released dozens of Taliban prisoners, most of whom returned to the ranks of the Taliban.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Afghan government has repeatedly sought the release of the Taliban's former No. 2, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, picked up by Pakistan in 2010 on a CIA tip.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pakistan has so far refused, and two senior U.S. officials told the AP that the U.S. has asked Pakistan not to release Baradar or if he is released, to give them advance notice so they could monitor his movements. The two officials, both knowledgeable of the process, spoke earlier this year, on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The reconciliation process with the Taliban has been a long and bumpy one that began nearly two years ago when the U.S. opened secret talks that were later scuttled by Karzai when he learned of them.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was then that the U.S. and Taliban discussed prisoner exchanges and for a brief time it appeared that the five Guantanamo Bay prisoners would be released and sent to Doha to help further the peace process. But Karzai stepped in again and demanded they be returned to Afghanistan over Taliban objections.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Since then, the U.S. has been trying to jumpstart peace talks and the Taliban have made small gestures including an offer to share power. The Taliban have also attended several international conferences and held meetings with representatives of about 30 countries.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">--------------------</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto;margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="text-align: left; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This image from a video released by a Taliban affiliated group on Nov. 24, 2010 shows captive U.S. Army Spc. Bowe Bergdahl alongside his suspected captor, Mullah Sangeen Zadran.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto;margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><div class="image620 " style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px; height: 350px; position: relative; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></font></div><font><span style="font-style: inherit; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/05/15/bowe_bergdahl_620x350.jpg" alt="This image from a video released by a Taliban affiliated group on Nov. 24, 2010 shows captive U.S. Army Spc. Bowe Bergdahl alongside his suspected captor, Mullah Sangeen Zadran." style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; position: relative; z-index: 1; "></span></font></div><div><br></div></p></p></p></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">--------------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</div><div><br></div><div>"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</div><div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div> </div><div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"<span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">There's room at the top they are telling you still</span><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "> </span></div><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill </span><br style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></font></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">- John Lennon<br></span></font><div> </div></div><div><br></div></div></body></html>