@parados,
parados wrote:
Whether he walked away from his post or not is unknown. Even if he did walk away, he is still a US soldier in a war zone. This complete disregard for him is still disgusting.
I beg to differ. There is plenty of evidence to convincingly suggest he did, including a Pentagon investigation that concluded he did. If you want to wait until someone develops a machine that can read his mind, that's fine, but it is hardly wild, mean-spirited speculation that he deserted.
What the impact of his desertion was or should have been on his captivity is a matter of opinion. The Pentagon, though, determined that it meant that extra-ordinary efforts to rescue him would not be employed. I've already stated my opinion that his desertion didn't mean that he should have died in captivity, but that it should have been taken into consideration when the decision to exchange him for five high risk Taliban detainees was made.
In addition, if al Jazeera is to be believed he wasn't treated like the protagonist in the series Homeland during his captivity. He enjoyed playing badminton, and helping with the cooking. The Taliban didn't force him to convert and developed a taste for the local tea. I suspect you trust al Jazeera as a news source more than do I, so I put virtually no stock in their reporting. He cannot have enjoyed his five years of captivity, to say the least.
It's unlikely that he will be brought up on charges when he returns to the US as the Administration has too much invested in him, but based on what is known about his situation he should be. Whether or not his five years in captivity would be considered "time served" if he was convicted is also a matter of opinion. I tend towards thinking it should.
If he walked away and either intentionally or unintentionally came to be taken by the Taliban, it's difficult for me to consider him an American POW and deserving of recognition in that regard; whatever the technical definition of the term might be.
I'm not sure where you are finding "complete disregard for him." I certainly haven't seen any of it in the comments made by Republican lawmakers, but maybe you have and can provide a quote or link. Maybe coldjoint's comments reflect a complete disregard for him, but if so, that's where you should point your objection and not fling it around like a blanket.