Goats slaughtered across Afghanistan in celebration of Taliban prisoners released in exchange for Bergdahl



Senior member of Afghan Taliban describes exchange as 'historic moment'



The five men who were switched for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, were to be sent to Qatar where they will remain for a year

Video footage, released by nunn.asia, shows a group of men, wearing traditional Muslim dress gather on a roadside in what is said to be Qatar

When the men pull up in a convoy of black SUVs, they receive a warm reception, with lots of hugs from the awaiting supporters

The release of the video comes after the Taliban declared 'victory'



And President Barack Obama was accused of endangering Western lives by exchanging the five 'hardened terrorists'

At least one detainee is accused of presiding over a mass killing

Goats have been slaughtered and served up across Afghanistan as the Taliban celebrates the release of five Guantanamo Bay detainees as part of a prisoner exchange.

A senior member of the Afghan Taliban has described the exchange of the five detainees for U.S. Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl as a 'historic moment for us'.

The five detainees - Mohammad Fazl, Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi and Abdul Haq Wasiq - are thought to be the most senior Afghans who were held at the U.S. detention facility in Cuba, having been captured during America's military campaign in 2001.

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Jubilant: A pro-Taliban website has previously published a video that claims to show Taliban detainees arriving in Qatar after being released from Guantanamo Bay as part of the prisoner exchange

'Victory': Everyone is clearly jubilant that the prisoners are free and have been released into the custody of Qatar

The Taliban commander told NBC News the exchange was the first time its 'enemy' had 'officially recognized our status.'

He said: 'Once we confirmed the arrival of our five heroes back in Qatar, celebrations started everywhere in Afghanistan and the neighboring Pakistan.'

He went on to say: 'Goats are being slaughtered and served with guests and in some places goats are being cooked in rice.'



The news comes as a pro-Taliban website published a video that claims to show the Taliban detainees arriving in Qatar after being released from Guantanamo Bay as part of the prisoner exchange.

In footage released by nunn.asia, a group of men wearing traditional Muslim dress gather on a roadside in what is said to be Qatar. The five men, who were switched for Sgt Bergdahl, were to be sent to Qatar where they will remain for at least a year.

When the former prisoners - it's not clear if all of them are present or just a few - pull up in a convoy of black SUVs, they receive a warm reception, with lots of hugs from the awaiting, clearly jubilant, supporters. There is no American presence in sight.

The clumsily edited footage is accompanied by hypnotic Arabic music.



The release of the video comes after the Taliban declared 'victory' and President Barack Obama was accused of endangering Western lives by exchanging the five 'hardened terrorists'.

Convoy: The prisoners pull up in a convoy of black SUVs, pictured

Crowds: In the footage, a group of people, mainly men, wearing traditional Muslim dress gather on a roadside to receive the former prisoners

Obama's decision to free the top Taliban figures - including a friend of Osama Bin Laden, an opium drug lord and a warlord responsible for hundreds of deaths - in return for Sgt. Bergdahl has already attracted fierce criticism from opponents.

But a gloating victory message issued by the fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar Sunday only ramped up the pressure on the president.



Omar said: 'I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire Afghan Muslim nation, all the mujahideen and to the families and relatives of the prisoners for this big victory.'

Bergdahl, who was held for almost five years by Islamic militants, was freed on Saturday after the U.S. agreed to free the five most important Taliban prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

A shroud of mystery has hung over the soldier's disappearance from a remote outpost amid speculation he might have deserted. Sgt. Bergdahl had told his parents he was disillusioned with the campaign in Afghanistan and did not like his fellow soldiers.

U.S. defense secretary Chuck Hagel said the White House had acted quickly to save Sgt. Bergdahl, 28, after learning his health and safety were deteriorating.

He added: 'It was our judgment that if we could find an opening and move very quickly with that opening, that we needed to get him out of there, essentially to save his life.'

Prisoner swap: Abdul Waq-Hasiq, left, and Norullah Noori, right, are to be freed from Guantanamo Bay

Former combatants: The prisoners, including Khirullah Khairkhwa, left, and Mohammed Nabi, right, will remain in Qatar for at least next year as part of the terms of their release

Republican Mike Rogers said freeing the five 'will threaten the lives of American soldiers for years to come,' while Omar issued a rare public statement to hail the release of the terrorists as a 'big victory.'

The mostly mid- to high-level Taliban officials were detained early in the war in Afghanistan, because of their positions within the Taliban, not because of ties to al Qaeda, CNN reported.



Human Rights Watch says Mohammad Fazl could be prosecuted for war crimes for presiding over the mass killing of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001 as the Taliban sought to consolidate their control over the country.



The 47-year-old served as deputy defense minister under the Taliban regime and is probably the most significant of the five released detainees. He was briefly chief of staff of the Taliban army during the US invasion in 2001.



RELEASED: Mohammad Fazi is believed to have been at the command of a mass killing, and the United Nations has sought his prosecution for war crimes

He was also involved in a revolt against U.S. captors after handing himself in, which led to the deaths of hundreds of prisoners.



According to his U.S. government file, Fazl 'would likely rejoin the Taliban' and resume 'hostilities against US and Coalition forces in Afghanistan' if released.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, who is also about 47, helped to found the Taliban in 1994 and served as the interior minister and governor of Herat province.



According to his Gitmo file, he was 'directly associated' with both Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar, the 'supreme commander' of the Taliban, and was also 'one of the major opium drug lords in western Afghanistan.'

Mullah Norullah Noori, who is around the same age, was a Taliban military commander stationed in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Like Fazl, he is implicated in the murders of thousands of Afghan Shiites who opposed the Taliban.



His detainee notes state: 'When asked about the murders, (Noori) didn't express any regret and stated they did what they needed to do in their struggle to establish their ideal state.'



The Taliban used to stage public executions in Kabul's soccer stadium, forcing anyone who spoke out against the regime to kneel at the goalposts as crowds watched them be either stoned or shot dead at close range.



Mohammed Nabi served as chief of security for the Taliban in Qalat, Afghanistan, and later worked as a radio operator for the Taliban's communications office in Kabul while Abdul Haq Wasiq was the Taliban deputy minister of intelligence.

The new details of the released terrorists come as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's 'safety and health were both in jeopardy' and officials had to act quickly to obtain his release.



The only American prisoner of the Afghan war was freed Saturday after President Barack Obama agreed to the controversial exchange.



'While Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten,' Obama said from the White House Rose Garden, where he was joined by Bergdahl's parents. 'The United States of America does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind.'



Two Republican lawmakers, Representative Howard 'Buck' McKeon of California and Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, said Obama violated U.S. law when he approved an exchange involving prisoners at Guantanamo without notifying Congress 30 days in advance.



U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to members of the military during his visit to Bagram Airfield in Bagram, Afghanistan, Sunday

Hagel, pictured left on Sunday, said Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's 'safety and health were both in jeopardy' and officials had to act quickly to obtain his release

In response, the White House said that officials considered what they called 'unique and exigent circumstances' and decided to go ahead with the transfer in spite of the legal requirement.



And Hagel, who was traveling to Afghanistan to meet with U.S. troops, said the action was not relayed to Congress because of its urgency. He said intelligence indicated that Bergdahl's 'health was deteriorating.'



At Bagram Air Field, Hagel thanked the special operations forces that participated in the rescue.

Gen. Joseph Dunford said there was a sense of excitement in the headquarters as the news spread.



'You almost got choked up,' he said. 'It was pretty extraordinary. It has been almost five years and he is home.'



Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, led a tireless campaign to keep their son's story in the public eye.



They were expected to hold a news conference Sunday in their hometown of Hailey, Idaho, where residents were planning a homecoming celebration for the soldier.



Bergdahl, in good condition and able to walk, was handed over to U.S. special operations forces by the Taliban in an area of eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border, U.S. officials said. In a statement on its website, the Taliban put the location on the outskirts of Khost province.



The government of Qatar served as the go-between in the negotiations. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghan detainees who were held at Guantanamo.



Captive: Bergdahl, pictured in a video released by his captors in 2010, was held mainly in Pakistan

In weighing the swap, U.S. officials decided that it could help further the effort to reach reconciliation with the Taliban, something the U.S. sees as key to reaching a level of security in Afghanistan. But they acknowledged that there was a risk of emboldening other insurgent groups who might grab U.S. troops or citizens in an effort to secure the release of others prisoners.



Several dozen U.S. special operations forces, backed by multiple helicopters and surveillance aircraft, were involved in securing Bergdahl's transfer from about 18 Taliban members.



Bergdahl is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network since June 30, 2009. Haqqani operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and claims allegiance to the Afghan Taliban but operates with some degree of autonomy.



The U.S. believes Bergdahl was held for the bulk of his captivity in Pakistan, but officials said it was not clear when he was transported to eastern Afghanistan.



Officials said Bergdahl was taken to Bagram Air Field for medical evaluations, then transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a military facility in Germany, before he's returned to the U.S. An official said Bergdhal was tentatively scheduled to go to the San Antonio Military Medical Center where he would be reunited with his family.



Bergdahl's parents had been in Washington on a previously planned visit when Obama called Saturday with news of their son's release.



Taliban prisoners named in deal

Abdul Haq Wasiq - Taliban deputy minister of intelligence

Mullah Norullah Nori - Senior Taliban commander in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif who commanded insurgents fighting U.S. forces in late 2001

Khairullah Khairkhwa - Senior Taliban official believed to have ties to Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the Taliban's founder

Mohammed Nabi - A regional Chief of Security for the Taliban and eventual radio operator

Mohammed Fazl - Believed to have overseen the mass extermination of Shiite Muslims during the 2000 - 2001 war that saw the Taliban rise to power in Afghanistan.

As they stood with Obama in the Rose Garden, Bob Bergdahl said his son was having trouble speaking English after his rescue. The elder Bergdahl, who grew a long, thick beard to honor his son, had worked to learn Pashto, the language spoken by his son's captors, and delivered a message to him and the people of Afghanistan in that language.



Switching back to English, he said 'the complicated nature of this recovery will never really be comprehended.'



The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl's capture remain murky. There has been some speculation that he willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could be charged with being absent without leave or desertion.



In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine quoted emails Bergdahl is said to have sent to his parents that suggest he was disillusioned with America's mission in Afghanistan, had lost faith in the U.S. Army and was considering desertion. Bergdahl told his parents he was 'ashamed to even be American.'



The Associated Press could not independently authenticate the emails.



Hagel declined to say whether he believes Bergdahl was attempting to desert the Army or go AWOL when he walked away from his unit and disappeared.



'Our first priority is assuring his well-being and his health and getting him reunited with his family,' Hagel said. 'Other circumstances that may develop and questions - those will be dealt with later.'



A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that the Army would make the decision on any charges but that the feeling at the moment was that Bergdahl had suffered enough in his ordeal. All the officials who discussed details of Bergdahl's transfer insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to be identified.



The U.S. has long sought Bergdahl's release, but there was renewed interest in his case as Obama finalized plans to pull nearly all American forces out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016.



Officials said the Taliban signaled to the U.S. in November that they were ready to start fresh talks on the issue of detainees. After the U.S. received proof that Bergdahl was still alive, indirect talks began, with Qatar sending messages back and forth between the two parties.



The five Guantanamo detainees departed the base on a U.S. military aircraft Saturday afternoon.



Never forgotten: Obama says the the U.S. government never gave up in trying to secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, who was held by the Taliban for nearly five years

Under the conditions of their release, they will be banned from traveling outside of Qatar for at least one year.



Obama and the emir of Qatar spoke last week about the conditions of the release, which have been codified in a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, officials said.



John McCain earlier said the Islamic Islamists being freed had 'the blood of Americans on their hands'.

While McCain welcomed the news that Bergdahl was safe and headed back to American soil, he pointed out that the Afghans being released were 'hardened terrorists'.

'I am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent Taliban extremists never return to the fight against the United States and our partners or engage in any activities that can threaten the prospects for peace and security in Afghanistan,' McCain said.

'The American people, and our Afghan partners, deserve nothing less.'



Hagel insisted steps have been taken in Qatar - where the detainees are due to be held for one year - to ensure that the men are properly handled and that U.S. interests 'will not be compromised.'

A White House official reaffirmed Hagel's remarks in a separate statement to CNN.

'As the Administration has repeatedly affirmed, we will not transfer any detainee from Guantanamo unless the threat the detainee may pose to the United States can be sufficiently mitigated and only when consistent with our humane treatment policy.'

Bergdahl, 28, had been held by the Taliban since June 30, 2009. His release came after contentious negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban- affiliated Haqqani network that were moderated by the Qatari government. Officials say he is in good condition and able to walk, but that medical and psychological evaluations must occur before he is released. He was reported to have been held in Pakistan for the majority of his captivity, and an official called the handover 'peaceful.' Bergdahl was so grateful for his release that reportedly broke down in tears while being airlifted away from the Taliban. The chopper taking Bergdahl was so loud that he wrote 'S.F.?' on a paper plate to ask if the soldiers were Special Forces, a Pentagon official told the New York Times. 'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time,' a soldier shouted back over the roar of the engine. The freed soldier cried tears of relief over finally being back in U.S. protection. President Obama called Bergdahl's parents shortly after he was secured to give them the good news.

Support: Friends and family of Bowe Bergdahl continuously campaigned to call for his release

Homecoming: Bergdahl, pictured at left in the Army, and right, as a teenager, is to be reunited with his family



'Today the American people are pleased that we will be able to welcome home Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl,' President Obama said in a statement. His recovery 'is a reminder of America's unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield.'

The prisoners exchanged were not chosen by U.S. officials, but by Bergdahl's captors, according to an expert.

'These detainees were identified by the Taliban,' Major General Spider Marks said.

The detainees were reported to have left Cuba for Qatar at 2pm on Saturday.

The five men will be under strict supervision in Qatar. Their movements and interactions with others will be restricted and monitored.

The Taliban was reported earlier this year to have been mulling whether to release the Idaho native.