In the fifth episode of 'Serial," the popular podcast focusing its second season on Idaho native Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, producer Sarah Koenig explores the many ways, official and unofficial, people stateside sought Bergdahl's freedom.
Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009 when he walked off his base in Afghanistan. He was held for about five years until President Barack Obama negotiated a deal to have him released.
Kim Harrison, Bergdahl's friend currently living in Portland, sought help from Interpol, but that help was denied by the Department of Defense. Later on she was contacted by a man associated with the Taliban who became a strong lead for the DoD.
"The FBI cultivated this source for a while and then passed him along to the DoD, and it turned out this guy who called Kim (Harrison) on her cell phone one day because of some secret thing she did on her own to get her number to the Taliban: this turned out to be one of the best leads they ever had in Bowe's case," said Koenig in the episode.
Click here to read the entire story from the Idaho Statesman.
#SpeakingofSerial
Listen along with us!
We're following along with season 2 of Serial as it revisits the case of Army Sgt. and Idaho native, Bowe Bergdahl.
Each Wednesday, reporters with Boise State Public Radio and the Idaho Statesman will host a companion podcast, "Speaking of Serial," discussing Bergdahl's case, Serial's reporting and what happens when an Idahoan becomes the center of international news.
You'll find the latest episode here.