New Claim: Bergdahl Intended To Walk to Nearest Base, Not Join the Enemy

BERMAN: “A senior defense official tells CNN that Bergdahl says he was planning to report order and discipline problems in his unit when he walked away in Afghanistan and fell into the hands of the Taliban. Apparently, the claim is that Bergdahl was not planning to desert, but was headed to the nearest U.S. military outpost. Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon with more on this. Barbara?”
STARR: “Hi, John. Well, it can't be said often enough: all of this will be a matter for the military justice system to decide. There will be continued proceedings against Bowe Bergdahl. What we now know is that the initial army investigation report has a claim from Bergdahl. It may be the beginning of his defense, that he intended not to desert, but he was going to walk to the nearest military outpost in Afghanistan -- remember, this is insurgent territory, back in July 2009 -- he was going to walk to the nearest outpost to report what he believed was wrongdoing, poor leadership, order and discipline problems at his base, that he didn't feel he could stay and report it at his base, perhaps not trusting the leadership there. All of this in the army investigator's report. It is Bergdahl’s justification, his intent, his defense, the beginning of seeing his defense. Two U.S. officials have confirmed to me, these are the essential details that are in that report that has flot been released to the public. The army has charged him with desertion. Whether he goes to a full trial for that I think remains to be seen. But this is some of the information now that we know behind the scenes. This young soldier, apparently putting down his weapon and saying he intended to walk out in eastern Afghanistan and try and find another place to report what he believed to be problems in his unit. John.”
BERMAN: “Would that somehow be a lesser crime or a lesser event, Barbara, if he was planning to go to another U.S. post? I mean, essentially you're abandoning your base there.”
STARR: “Well, it’s very interesting. The charge of desertion brought against Bergdahl apparently basically refers to him as -- charging him with shirking his duties, shirking hazardous duty. Very interesting words because desertion, the most serious desertion charge would be that you aim to desert your unit to go be with the enemy and potentially commit treason. What this defense is -- is to lay out that he never intended that. This is not someone who intended to desert. I think it's fair to say his defense attorneys may try to make the case of a much lesser charge of AWOL, absent without leave, that he never intended to be away permanently, he never intended to join the enemy., that he was always going to come back."