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Haunting footage of Bowe Bergdahl being released from Taliban captivity

Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. Before coming to Vox in 2014, he edited TP Ideas, a section of Think Progress devoted to the ideas shaping our political world.

On Wednesday, the Taliban released a video of American prisoner of war Bowe Bergdahl being handed off to US Special Forces operators at an unspecified prior date. Courtesy of the Associated Press, it's on YouTube:

There's a number of really striking moments in the video. The shot of a ill-looking Bergdahl peering out of the side of a truck at the beginning, for instance. The specter of mistreatment during his confinement looms over that image, especially because the administration has suggested they made the deal to release him because of an imminent risk to Bergdahl's health.

During the actual handoff around 1:20, you'll notice American troops patting down Bergdahl. That's because they're checking to see whether the Taliban has planted a suicide vest on him, a reminder that this is a meeting between two groups of people who will likely try to kill one another if they ever meet again.

For a more detailed read of the video, go check out James Gordon Meek and Lee Ferran's breakdown at ABC News. There's also this: