--- title: Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters | TIME description: Rice_ Bergdahl's side of story matters canonical: https://time.com/video/TxfdvgKM/ og:title: Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters og:description: Rice_ Bergdahl's side of story matters og:url: https://time.com/video/TxfdvgKM/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TxfdvgKM/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters twitter:description: Rice_ Bergdahl's side of story matters twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TxfdvgKM/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters [Watch (HLS stream): Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TxfdvgKM.m3u8) (4:40)  _Published 2014-06-06. Rice_ Bergdahl's side of story matters_ --- Jul 27, 2023 4:46 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Bergdahl's Release Sparks Political Fallout](/video/BBwMzOBN/) ### Bergdahl's Release Sparks Political Fallout [Qatar's Mysterious Role in Bergdahl's Release](/video/bDGQvnh8/) ### Qatar's Mysterious Role in Bergdahl's Release [Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's Parents Speak About His Return](/video/ijsCQhO4/) ### Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's Parents Speak About His Return --- ## Transcript I wanna start of, with Boe Bergdahl. Lets just jump right into it. I guess yesterday there were congressional sources, telling reporters that had word leaked out about the deal to free Boe Bergdahl that he would have been killed. Did the administration explain that to lawmakers and is that the reason the administration did not notify congress before this exchange took place? Jim, we were very concerned about the well being of Bowe Bergdahl. He has been in captivity for five years. We had indications that his health may be fragile, and so, there was a real sense of urgency, to obtaining his, freedom. President had the opportunity to do so, and it was an opportunity that could well have been fleeting, and he chose to take it. And he feels very strongly that that was the right decision. All of us on the National Security Team. Were unanimous in supporting and recommending that, that we take this opportunity. But, was that the reason why you didn't notify Congress, because there was this threat on his life if it word had leaked out? We had reason to be concerned about his life but we also had reason to be concerned that the 30- day period that would normally be honored was too long. That had we waited that long we may have well missed. What General Dempsey has called, the last best opportunity to bring him back. We don't leave anybody on the battle field. Regardless of the conditions of their capture. And as a prisoner of war, Bo Bergdahl deserved, and we have the obligation, and the commander in chief had the obligation to do what was necessary to bring him, bring him home. Let me ask you about some comments you made last Sunday on one of the Sunday talk shows. You said that Bo Bergdahl served with honor and distinction. It's come out since then that some of his fellow soldiers say he was a deserter. He may have wandered off the post there in Afghanistan. Did you misspeak? Did you get that wrong? Jim, I realize there's been a lot of discussion and controversy around this. But what I was referring to is the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That is itself a very honorable thing. But honor and distinction. Jim, really? I mean, this is a young man who, whose circumstances we are still going to learn about. He is as all Americans innocent, until proven guilty. He's now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through an enormously traumatic five years of captivity. His parents the same. I think what we need to care most about is his health and well- being and recovery. There'll be an opportunity, an the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. If there is a consequence that results from that, that will be that will be delivered. But, in the meantime, let's remember, this is a young man who volunteered to serve his country, he was taken as a prisoner of war, he suffered in captivity. He's now trying to begin the process of recovery. Let's let that happen. And then let's know the facts, including his side of the story, and then we can, can make a judgment. Okay. And, do you know, based on the latest information, was he a deserter? We don't have reason to come to that conclusion yet. Obviously, he needs to be debriefed. His side of the story matters to. Let the military work in the first instance to bring him back to health. We'll have a full and comprehensive review of what happened and then we'll be able to make that judgment. And after Benghazi you blamed that attack on an anti muslim video, and of course you know that you've become sort of a GOP lightning rod. You've been accused by republican critics of being fast and loose with the facts during some of these Sunday talk show appearances. Are you being upfront with the American people or are you being guided by talking points too much when you go on these programs? Jim, I'm up front with the American people. And I always do my best on behalf of my country. And, I do my best [ UNKNOWN ] the facts as we know them. In the case of [ UNKNOWN ], for me to condemn him, without any, opportunity for him to have the chance to tell his side of the story, without any due process, that we accord any American. That would be inherently unfair. Similarly with Benghazi, as has been recounted on many occasions, I provided the best information that the US government had at the time. Parts of it turned out to be wrong. I regret that the information I was provided was wrong, and that I delivered to the American people. That doesn't make me a liar. That makes me a public servant trying to say, what we knew at the time, and when I gave that information, I caveatted it and noted that's what we knew then and there, but it could well change. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Rice: Bergdahl's side of story matters","description":"Rice_ Bergdahl's side of story matters","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TxfdvgKM/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-06-06T15:18:58.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TxfdvgKM.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/TxfdvgKM/","duration":"PT4M40S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/TxfdvgKM/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```