Sgt. Bergdahl’s US hometown cancels planned celebration of his release, citing safety concerns

HAILEY, Idaho – The small hometown of released captive Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has cancelled plans for a celebration later this month, citing security concerns after the town in Idaho was inundated with negative emails and angry phone calls.

Organizers released a statement Wednesday saying that because of national media attention on Bergdahl’s story, they expect a significant increase in the number of people planning to attend the event — some to protest, and some in support of the Bergdahl family. The organizers said that the town, with just 8,000 people, doesn’t have the infrastructure to support a big event.

A debate is raging in the U.S. over the exchange of Bergdahl for five Guantanamo detainees and whether he should be punished as a deserter. The Taliban released video of the weekend handover Wednesday.