Russian Leader Joins 'Dance Of Diplomacy'

It had been as carefully choreographed as the D-Day commemorations themselves. But until he showed up there was no way of knowing if Russia's president would join the dance.

The breakthrough came when Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, deftly pirouetted Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko, into meeting face to face.

This was the culmination of a plan hatched at the G7 in Brussels where the world's leaders agreed to one last attempt to persuade Mr Putin to return to the dance of diplomacy - and stop making trouble in his neighbourhood, roughing up the locals and breaking the windows in Ukraine.

A 15-minute chat between Ukraine's president-elect and Mr Putin followed the German introduction, then lunch.

French President Francois Hollande told a British veteran that he had had to use the D-Day occasion to bring the two sides of the increasingly violent Ukrainian conflict together.

Speaking in French, the British veteran asked: "Was Putin there, was he friendly?"

Mr Hollande replied: "Yes we talked to him and with President Poroshenko, we made Ukraine and Russia talk."

Mr Putin meets Petro Poroshenko and Angela Merkel in France

The veteran then asked: "Is it going to work?"

"It must work, we want this ceremony to be useful to the world. Of course we want to commemorate your fight and your voyage," the French president replied.

We also learned from the dialogue that Britain's Prince Philip had had a word with Mr Putin.

Later, the White House said President Barack Obama had also decided to engage - defrosting relations a little since February when the Russians seized the Crimea and Obama boasted the US could beat Russia in a conventional war.

The importance of the occasion and the modern role of Germany as peacemaker, while eastern Ukraine continues to suffer bloodletting, meant that this was an opportunity not to be missed.

It was a chance to engage with Mr Putin, who has been sulking about Russia's declining power for decades and reassure him that he is an important and welcome player on the international stage.

The Kremlin quickly issued a statement saying Mr Poroshenko and Mr Putin have agreed there should be a de-escalation by the Ukrainian government and "federalists" (pro-Russian militia).

This will be taken in good faith by the West and offers Mr Putin a dignified way to dial down the tension without looking put upon.

He may, though, be bluffing and gambling that none of those leaders he met in Normandy quite have the steel of their ancestors and the nerve to call him on it.

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Ukraine And Russia Talk Of 'Ending Bloodshed'

Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko has met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for informal talks on the sidelines of the D-Day commemorations in France, raising hopes of ending the continuing violence.

The two men met for around 15 minutes on Friday to discuss resolving the most serious East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Putin welcomed proposals set out by Mr Poroshenko, who will be officially sworn in as Ukraine's new president today, for ending the conflict.

He said: "I can only welcome Mr Poroshenko's position that the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine must be stopped immediately."

The two men spoke for up to 15 minutes, according to some observers

And Mr Poroshenko said: "The dialogue has begun, and that's a good thing.

"A Russian representative will travel to Ukraine, and we will discuss with him the first steps towards a plan (to resolve) the situation ... We have a good chance of implementing it."

French President Francois Hollande told a war veteran at the main ceremony in Normandy that world leaders had wanted to use the 70th anniversary commemorations to bring the two sides together to discuss the Ukraine crisis.

Mr Hollande, responding to a question about Mr Putin during a conversation with the war veteran, described the meeting as "friendly".

Awkward: The two presidents smirked when pictured on a split screen

He said: "Yes we talked to him and with President Poroshenko, we made Ukraine and Russia talk."

After the photo, Mr Poroshenko, Mr Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel remained outside as they talked.

The talks were the first meeting between the two leaders since Mr Poroshenko was elected on May 25, after promising to bridge the East-West divide that has split the country and thrown it into conflict.

US President Barack Obama also spoke to Mr Putin at the commemoration ceremonies, marking their first face-to-face conversation since the crisis began in Ukraine.

The White House said the conversation was informal and lasted around 15 minutes as the leaders ate lunch inside a chateau.

Mr Obama and Mr Putin conversed on the sidelines

"President Obama made clear that de-escalation depends upon Russia recognising President-elect Poroshenko as the legitimate leader of Ukraine, ceasing support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, and stopping the provision of arms and material across the border," said US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes.

"If Russia does take this opportunity to recognise and work with the new government in Kiev, President Obama indicated that there could be openings to reduce tensions," added Mr Rhodes.

Mr Putin also held meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron, Mrs Merkel and French president Francois Hollande this week to discuss sanctions imposed on Russia after it annexed the Crimean peninsula.

It comes after 15 pro-Russian rebels were killed at a border crossing on Thursday.

Five Ukrainian soldiers were also injured during the clashes. Parts of the border in eastern Ukraine were closed after the incident.

Officials have claimed more than 200 people have died in fighting between Ukraine government troops and pro-Russian rebels in recent weeks.

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Cameron 'Firm' With Putin In Ukraine Talks

Bringing Russia's President In From The Cold

Updated: 11:41pm UK, Thursday 05 June 2014

By By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

The two men sat widely apart at Charles de Gaulle airport for a brief photograph before getting down to what diplomats like to call a "business-like meeting" - which really means a "frosty encounter".

That the British Prime Minister and the Russian president met at all was a result, though, of overtures from Number 10, officials said.

The British and other members of the G7 think they saw a window. An opportunity for Vladimir Putin to come in from the cold before being frozen out of much of the international economy.

It had been noted that he did not condemn the Ukrainian elections which brought the confectionary king Petro Porochenko to power on May 25.

It had been further noted that the Russian ambassador to Ukraine would be attending the new president's inauguration in Kiev.

And that Russian troops, at least some of them, had been pulled back from menacing locations close to the border with Ukraine.

These have been interpreted as promising signs that, perhaps, Mr Putin feels he has made his point and is now prepared to reset his relationship with his neighbour to the west.

Such optimism has not been matched with any decrease in violence in eastern Ukraine.

Indeed, as both Barack Obama and David Cameron observed at the G7 in Brussels, Russian weapons and militants to use them have been crossing from Russian territory into Ukraine where they have been locked in bloody battles with government forces.

Not so bloody, yet, it would seem for the G7 to impose the wide sectoral sanctions that they have been threatening Russia with now for close to two months.

This may get wheeled out if there is no improvement over the next month or so, the British and Americans said.

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to use Mr Putin's attendance at the D-Day commemorations in France to deliver the same message as Mr Cameron.

"The status quo, the situation today, is not acceptable and it needs to change," Mr Cameron said.

"We need the Russians to properly recognise and work with this new president. We need de-escalation, we need to stop arms and people crossing the border. We need action on these fronts.

"There is an opportunity for a successful, peaceful and stable Ukraine especially now there has been a presidential election."

Mr Putin may choose to hear the message and to heed it.

But he may choose to interpret it another way.

That the G7 nations and the other alliances that they represent remain woolly. That their fear of the negative effects of sanctions on their own economies is matched by an even more profound reluctance to get involved in any military action in defence of Ukraine.

If he takes that view, then in four weeks' time Ukraine may have descended into a bloody mess resembling some of the worst moments in the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Then, though, his calculation must, at last, focus on Russia's self interest.

A Balkanized Ukraine is bad for Europe.

But it would be a disaster to Russia when combined with biting economic sanctions that could induce a permafrost on the Russian economy.

That would squander the popular support he's generated for himself. It's hard to imagine that Mr Putin, a master strategist, could be that bad at politics.

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Bringing Russia's President In From The Cold

The two men sat widely apart at Charles de Gaulle airport for a brief photograph before getting down to what diplomats like to call a "business-like meeting" - which really means a "frosty encounter".

That the British Prime Minister and the Russian president met at all was a result, though, of overtures from Number 10, officials said.

The British and other members of the G7 think they saw a window. An opportunity for Vladimir Putin to come in from the cold before being frozen out of much of the international economy.

It had been noted that he did not condemn the Ukrainian elections which brought the confectionary king Petro Porochenko to power on May 25.

It had been further noted that the Russian ambassador to Ukraine would be attending the new president's inauguration in Kiev.

And that Russian troops, at least some of them, had been pulled back from menacing locations close to the border with Ukraine.

These have been interpreted as promising signs that, perhaps, Mr Putin feels he has made his point and is now prepared to reset his relationship with his neighbour to the west.

Such optimism has not been matched with any decrease in violence in eastern Ukraine.

Mr Cameron told Mr Putin the situation in Ukraine is 'not acceptable'

Indeed, as both Barack Obama and David Cameron observed at the G7 in Brussels, Russian weapons and militants to use them have been crossing from Russian territory into Ukraine where they have been locked in bloody battles with government forces.

Not so bloody, yet, it would seem for the G7 to impose the wide sectoral sanctions that they have been threatening Russia with now for close to two months.

This may get wheeled out if there is no improvement over the next month or so, the British and Americans said.

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to use Mr Putin's attendance at the D-Day commemorations in France to deliver the same message as Mr Cameron.

"The status quo, the situation today, is not acceptable and it needs to change," Mr Cameron said.

"We need the Russians to properly recognise and work with this new president. We need de-escalation, we need to stop arms and people crossing the border. We need action on these fronts.

"There is an opportunity for a successful, peaceful and stable Ukraine especially now there has been a presidential election."

Mr Putin may choose to hear the message and to heed it.

But he may choose to interpret it another way.

That the G7 nations and the other alliances that they represent remain woolly. That their fear of the negative effects of sanctions on their own economies is matched by an even more profound reluctance to get involved in any military action in defence of Ukraine.

If he takes that view, then in four weeks' time Ukraine may have descended into a bloody mess resembling some of the worst moments in the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Then, though, his calculation must, at last, focus on Russia's self interest.

A Balkanized Ukraine is bad for Europe.

But it would be a disaster to Russia when combined with biting economic sanctions that could induce a permafrost on the Russian economy.

That would squander the popular support he's generated for himself. It's hard to imagine that Mr Putin, a master strategist, could be that bad at politics.

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Taliban Releases Video Of Hostage Handover

Six Things To Know On Bowe Bergdahl

Updated: 11:11pm UK, Wednesday 04 June 2014

Everything you need to know about Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, the US prisoner of war released by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Bowe Bergdahl had a variety of hobbies including ballet and fencing

The 28-year-old grew up in the small mountain town of Hailey, Idaho, where he was home-schooled with his older sister, Sky.

His devout Calvinist parents, Bob and Jani, taught their children about ethics and religious thinkers.

By all accounts, Sgt Bergdahl was a bookish teenager with a number of pursuits from skiing to shooting. He performed ballet, took up fencing and studied foreign languages.

He also became interested in Buddhism and tarot cards.

Sgt Bergdahl once tried unsuccessfully to join the French Foreign Legion, according to his father. He worked as a barista in Idaho before joining the US Army in June 2008.

The soldier reportedly became disillusioned with the US role in Afghanistan

According to a report in a Rolling Stone magazine profile, Sgt Bergdahl wrote an email to his parents saying he was "ashamed" to be an American.

He wrote: "The horror that is America is disgusting."

Members of his unit said Sgt Bergdahl kept mainly to himself. The New York Times cites platoon members as saying he wrote Jason Bourne-type novels in which he made himself the lead character.

He is said to have learned Dari and Pashto in his spare time and was reportedly traumatised after seeing an Afghan child run over and killed by an American armoured vehicle.

Members of his platoon say he sent all his belongings, including a laptop, home before vanishing.

Members of his unit have accused him of desertion

According to soldiers in his platoon, Sgt Bergdahl abandoned his post while on guard duty, with only a compass, a knife, water, a digital camera, a diary and possibly also a phone.

The New York Times reports that he left a note in his tent saying he did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life.

The Pentagon concluded in 2010 that Sgt Bergdahl had walked away from his unit before he was captured by the Taliban.

Sgt Bergdahl may have attempted to escape during his captivity

The Taliban released propaganda videos during Bergdahl's time in captivity in which the prisoner, looking under-fed, denounced US foreign policy.

In one clip, a bald and bearded Bergdahl said he was "scared" he would not be able to return home. In others, he was seen eating and exercising.

In one video, he shouted at the camera: "Release me, please! I'm begging you, bring me home!"

In 2011, he is thought to have escaped briefly. When he was recaptured, it reportedly took five militants to overpower him.

"He fought like a boxer," a Taliban fighter told Newsweek.

There are claims US soldiers were killed as a result of having to look for him

Former members of Sgt Bergdahl's battalion and military officials have claimed between six and 14 soldiers died in the search for him.

But the facts seem murky, as so often in the fog of war.

Two of the soldiers whose deaths have been blamed on Bergdahl's disappearance died inside a US military outpost that was under Taliban attack, not while out searching for him.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has said: "I don't know of any circumstances or details of US soldiers dying as a result of efforts to get Bergdahl."

He will likely face a court martial for desertion

Some have called for Sgt Bergdahl, who is said to be in stable condition at a military hospital in Germany, to be shot for desertion.

But that will not happen, according to Yale Law School professor Eugene Fidell, a specialist in military legal affairs.

He told Sky News the last US soldier to be killed for desertion, Eddie Slovik, was tied to a post and shot in 1945.

Prof Fidell thinks it more likely Sgt Bergdahl will face a court martial, a short sentence of confinement and a punitive discharge.

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Manhunt As Three Police Officers Shot Dead

A manhunt is under way in Canada after three police officers were shot dead and two others injured.

The town of Moncton, on the east coast of the country, is in lockdown after the gunman, wearing a camouflage outfit, began firing at officers.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in New Brunswick confirmed three deaths on its Twitter feed.

The RCMP said on Twitter that they were looking for 24-year-old Justin Bourque of Moncton.

The police force tweeted an image of a suspect wearing military camouflage and wielding two guns.

The window of the police car is shattered

Danny Leblanc, 42, said he saw the gunman in the distance on Wednesday evening standing in the middle of the street with his gun pointed at police cars.

The construction worker said he believed it was an RCMP officer he was looking at until he heard a burst of automatic gunfire coming from the man's gun.

He said he quickly retreated into his home and remained there with his family.

At one point a neighbour posted on social media that their kitchen window was shattered by gunfire.

The police officers were shot dead in Moncton on the east coast of Canada

Mr Leblanc said few people on his normally quiet street were sleeping as they awaited word at midnight on whether arrests had been made.

"It's devastating. I don't know if he was on a hunt for them, or what," he said.

Police said they believed the suspect was at large in Moncton.

A number of roads in the city were blocked and traffic was backed up on major arteries.

Drivers were also asked to stay out of the area.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc urged all residents to pay strict attention to the RCMP warnings.

More follows...

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Spain's King Juan Carlos Abdicates For His Son

Juan Carlos Held Reins During Rocky Times

Updated: 2:20pm UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Juan Carlos may have been tainted by recent scandals, but he can abdicate knowing he has led his country through some very testing times.

One of the most testing was when he helped bring an end to a failed coup that nearly sent Spain - now a member of the EU - back to being ruled by a military junta in 1981.

Soon after politicians were pictured cowering under their benches as armed guards burst into parliament, Juan Carlos appeared on television in his green military uniform ordering an end to the revolt.

He said: "I have ordered the civil authorities and the chiefs of staff to take the necessary measures to maintain constitutional order."

It's now largely forgotten in Britain how close one of Europe's most powerful countries came to reverting to military dictatorship.

Juan Carlos kept his son Felipe, then aged 13, at his side throughout the crisis.

"I wanted him to see what one has to do when one is king," he said later.

For years, the Royal family remained popular as Spain emerged from being one of the EU's poorer countries to being one of its most powerful.

After the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia threw protocol aside at a memorial service when they comforted the families of some of the 191 people killed.

But, with the onset of the financial crisis in 2008, things began to change. 

Juan Carlos' image was dealt a blow after he went on a luxury elephant-hunting safari in April 2012 as his subjects struggled in a recession, during which one in four people was unemployed.

Then, his family became embroiled in a corruption investigation when a judge indicted former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin, the husband of the king's youngest daughter Cristina, who has also been accused of involvement.

He has also suffered long term health problems, undergoing surgery nine times between 2010 and 2013.

But, despite the setbacks, history may in time be kinder to him.

He is regarded as playing a determining role in Spain's modern history by stepping up as the first crowned head of state in 44 years, after the death of Franco.

He then defied the hopes of the Francoists for an extension of autocratic rule and instead oversaw the creation of a new system of parliamentary monarchy, with a new constitution that was approved by referendum in 1978.

Without his guiding hand, the country many people regard as their favourite holiday destination could have remained being run by those who followed a similar ideology to Adolf Hitler.

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Syrians Vote In 'Show Of Force' Election

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent

Syria's presidential elections have begun in government-held areas as a brutal three-year civil war continues across the country.

For the first time in the country's history there is more than one candidate competing for the top job.

Running against President Bashar al Assad are Maher Hajjar, a little-known parliamentarian from Aleppo, and Hassan al Nouri, a former government minister and businessman from Damascus.

Both were vetted by the government and neither have a chance of winning.

Syria's Supreme Court earlier disqualified 21 candidates from the race and a restrictive election law essentially made it impossible to run without government approval.

One of Bashar al Assad's posters in Damascus

This election is not about democracy, but rather a show of force by Assad.

By holding elections as planned, he is sending a message to the international community and Syrians that he is winning the war.

Two years ago the opposition thought Assad's days were numbered and the West portrayed his demise as imminent.

Not only has he survived but the momentum on the ground is in his favour. Pro-Assad forces recently reclaimed the Old City of Homs from the rebels, negotiating a ceasefire there. As the heart of the uprising, the regime's victory in Homs was an important milestone.

Millions will be prevented from voting - not just those in rebel-held areas where polling stations won't operate, but also the hundreds of thousands of refugees not officially registered, as well as those who are internally displaced or who lost their documents when they fled their homes.

Syrian refugees in Tripoli protest against the possible election of Assad

In Lebanon, where there are more than a million registered Syrian refugees, people queued for hours to vote at the one polling station in the Syrian embassy in Beirut.

Some were clearly eager to show their support for Assad; others were afraid if they didn't vote they would be punished or refused entry back into Syria.

In three years of fighting, an estimated 160,000 people have died and more than three million have fled the country with another million internally displaced. Many Syrians say privately they do not trust Assad or the various opposition forces. 

The incumbent is heading for victory and a third, seven-year term. For him and his allies this election signals a new phase in the conflict where he will be able to use the election to prove he is the legitimate leader of Syria. 

Many fear more intense fighting as an empowered Assad moves to crush rebel fighters. Others see this election as the start of an official splitting up of the Syrian state, as Assad consolidates power in the areas under his control.

Either way, there is no end in sight for the millions of Syrians who continue to bear the brunt of this war.

:: Sky News has been refused visas to enter Syria to report on the political situation in the country. Sky's Sherine Tadros is reporting from Cairo.

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Parents' Emotional Address To Freed US Soldier

The parents of a US soldier released by the Taliban after being held hostage for five years have made an emotional public address to their son.

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's mother and father have been unable to speak to him directly since he was freed on Saturday.

Speaking at a news conference in Boise, Idaho, Jani Bergdahl said: "I am so looking forward to seeing your face after these last five and a half years.

"And giving you a great big bear hug, holding you in my arms again, not wanting to let you go.

"Give yourself all of the time you need to recover and decompress. There is no hurry. You have your life ahead of you."

Sgt Bergdahl's father said his recovery from the Afghanistan ordeal was a "work in progress" and must be carefully planned.

But Mr Begdahl added his 28-year-old son was "very resilient" and has "passed through all the checkpoints with flying colours".

The serviceman is being treated after his ordeal

"When you're ready to hear this and when you see this, I hope your English is coming back and I want you to know that I love you," said Mr Begdahl.

Officials had to act quickly to obtain his release and Sgt Bergdahl's "safety and health" had both been in jeopardy, according to US defence chief Chuck Hagel.

His freedom was dependent on the US releasing five high-level Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the custody of officials in Qatar.

The prisoner exchange raised eyebrows in Washington, with Republican Senator John McCain claiming those released were "high risk" and "possibly responsible for the deaths of thousands".

Sergeant Bergdahl pictured during his detention

"These are the hardest of the hard core," he said. "These are the highest high-risk people. It is disturbing that these individuals would have the ability to re-enter the fight."

Former CIA director Porter Goss is also concerned.

"We will pay a price on it, down the road, in my view," he said.

"There will be consequences to this, in addition to the fact that I think it was a heavy price to take five really bad guys and trade them for one of our guys."

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel defended the decision to exchange prisoners

Republican lawmakers are also questioning President Barack Obama's authority to sign-off on the deal without providing 30-days' notice to Congress.

But Mr Hagel told reporters that closing the deal quickly was necessary because intelligence indicated that Sgt Bergdahl's health was "deteriorating".

As part of the deal the government of Qatar, which served as the go-between in the negotiations, agreed to take custody of the five Afghan detainees.

Sgt Bergdahl's parents at a White House news conference with Mr Obama

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

Mr Obama said: "The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security."

Sgt Bergdahl was taken prisoner in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

After undergoing a medical evaluation at Bagram Air Field, Sgt Bergdahl was transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany.

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Royal Hoax DJ: Call Should Not Have Aired

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

One of the Australian DJs behind the royal prank phone call has broken her silence to say it should never have aired.

Mel Greig says she wanted the voices of the two nurses at the King Edward VII hospital in London to be disguised, but station bosses said no.

The notorious hoax call was linked to the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha who put the call through to the ward where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated.

Her request to make changes was refused and the call went to air as recorded, and without the hospital's permission.

Mel Greig told Channel 7's Sunday Night programme: "I absolutely expressed concern. As an announcer we are trained to always get permission if we're going to broadcast something, and it just didn't seem right that we'd broadcast that without permission and without doing what we'd normally do as announcers, so I was absolutely concerned."

Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha and her husband Ben Barboza

During the tearful interview she said: "I don't ever want to listen to it [the recording of the prank call] again, because I'm ashamed of myself. I should have tried harder not to let that prank call air. It never should have aired."

Mrs Saldanha left behind a note blaming the two Australian DJs for her death.

Greig says she has been depressed and is no longer the fun-loving person she was before the notorious royal prank call, broadcast by the Sydney radio station 2dayFM.

She told the programme she and her family had received death threats.

"They'd ring my mum and say 'Eye for an eye, you need to die because she died.' So many horrible calls. Dad was rushed to hospital from the stress and I thought, 'Great, now I've killed my dad too'."

In December 2012, Greig and her co-host Michael Christian pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles when they called the London hospital where the pregnant Duchess was being treated for acute morning sickness.

During the interview a teary Greig said she felt ashamed and as if she had been living a "stranger's life" since the prank call.

Michael Christian is now back on air

"You're meeting a Mel that has no confidence, a Mel that's so lost with her life, a Mel that feels so much blame and so much guilt nine months down the track. This Mel's depressed," she said.

She was asked if she wanted to apologise to the nurse's family for their sake, or for herself.

"I think it goes both ways, I honestly do. By saying sorry I acknowledge that I know I've done something wrong and am deeply sorry for it, but for them as well if it's going to give them closure, if they need to know I cared about their mother then I think that's useful to them as well."

The London inquest into Mrs Saldanha's death has been postponed a number of times.

Greig, who was at the top of her career before the prank, hasn't returned to radio. Christian, however, is back on the air in Australia.

Southern Cross Austereo, 2dayFM's owners, told Sky News they had no comment.

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Prisoner-Swap Soldier's First Day Of Freedom

A US soldier held for nearly five years by the Taliban in Afghanistan is undergoing a medical examination in Germany before being flown back to the US for a reunion with his family.

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, from Idaho, was freed on Saturday evening in exchange for America turning over five Taliban detainees held in Guantanamo, to Qatari custody.

Sources say he is "weakened, scared and vulnerable" after having been tortured, and is currently receiving treatment at a US military hospital in Landstuhl.

His release follows months of indirect contact with the militants, with Qatar acting as intermediary.

President Obama at the White House with Sgt Bergdahl's parents

According to a senior defence official, once Sgt Bergdahl climbed onto the noisy helicopter he took a pen and wrote on a paper plate, the letters "SF?" - asking the troops if they were special operations forces.

They shouted back at him over the roar of the rotor blades: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time."

Then, according to the official, Sgt Bergdahl broke down and cried.

The parents of the freed soldier, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, said they were "joyful and relieved".

"We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son," they said.

Speaking at the White House flanked by Sgt Bergdahl's parents, US President Barack Obama said: "The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security."

Sgt Bergdahl was released in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees

He added: "Sergeant Bergdahl has missed birthdays and holidays, and the simple moments with family and friends which all of us take for granted.

"But while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten."

Mr Obama expressed his gratitude to the Amir of Qatar for helping secure the soldier's release, and also the support of the Afghanistan government.

Sgt Bergdahl was taken prisoner in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

Mike Baker, a former CIA operations officer, told Sky News: "It's been a long time coming.

"It's been a very frustrating exercise over the years, in part because for quite along time it was not clear who we were supposed to be negotiating with.

"People are extremely happy here he's back."

There was a continuing campaign in the US to secure the soldier's freedom

On the US policy not to negotiate with terrorists and concerns the exchange could lead to further hostage-taking, Mr Baker said this was a consideration, but added: "We had to get our guy back.

"We have a very strict policy as does the UK, we don't leave people behind. This was just a festering wound for all of these years. It had to be dealt with."

The identities of the freed detainees have not been revealed, although reports claim they are senior Taliban figures.

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Ex-Fifa Official Accused Over $5m Qatar Bribe

A former senior Fifa official allegedly paid $5m (£2.98m) in bribes to secure support for Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.

The Sunday Times has claimed Mohamed Bin Hammam, an ex-Fifa executive member for Qatar, made "dozens" of payments to top football bosses.

Mr Bin Hammam used 10 slush funds to pay cash to football officials in order to create a "groundswell" of support for Qatar's campaign, the paper claimed.

He also allegedly hosted lavish junkets for African officials at which he handed out almost $400,000 in cash.

It is also alleged he paid $1.6m (£950,000) into bank accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the former vice-president of Fifa, some $450,000 (£268,000) of which was paid before the vote for the World Cup.

People celebrate after Qatar's successful bid was announced in 2010

The allegations were made after the newspaper obtained millions of emails and other documents related to the payments.

The newspaper said Mr Bin Hammam declined to respond when asked about the claims.

Members of Qatar's bid committee have also denied any links with the former Fifa official.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, told Sky News if the claims are proved to be true, Fifa president Sepp Blatter should resign.

"These are obviously very serious allegations and they need to be investigated very quickly.

"The failure of Sepp Blatter over the past two years really to take this seriously ... does put his position into question.

An artist's impression of Qatar's planned Al-Shamal stadium

"If these allegations are shown to be correct, then the contest of the 2022 host country does need to be looked at again."

Sports Minister Helen Grant added: "These appear to be very serious allegations.

"It is essential that major sporting events are awarded in an open, fair and transparent manner."

Mr Bin Hammam is a controversial figure in world football. He was banned for life from football administration by Fifa's ethics committee shortly after a failed campaign for the presidency in 2011.

In 2010, he was among the 22 people who decided to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

The decision provoked widespread condemnation, and concerns about the safety of players, who will be forced to play in the nation's extreme heat.

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