Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held for five years, until Barack Obama traded Taliban prisoners to bring him back. The judge had wide leeway in deciding the sentence because Bergdahl made no deal with prosecutors to limit his punishment. Prosecutors had sought a stiff penalty because of wounds suffered by service members who searched for Bergdahl after he disappeared in 2009. At the time of Bergdahl’s release, Obama said the US does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Trump went further while campaigning for president, repeatedly calling Bergdahl a traitor who deserved the death penalty.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2017 15:47 UTC