Popular Podcast “Serial” Features Interviews from Bergdahl

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's decision to leave his military base in Afghanistan, his subsequent 5-year imprisonment by the Taliban and the prisoner swap that secured his return to the United States have all launched a thousand opinions and nearly as many political narratives .

But Bergdahl himself never spoke publicly about the events, until now. He told screenwriter Mark Boal that he left the base to cause a crisis that would catch the attention of military brass, all so they would listen when he raised concerns about leadership at his post.

About 25 hours of Boal's interviews were shared with Sarah Koenig for her popular podcast, "Serial." The first episode was released Thursday morning.