US soldier pleads for his release in Taliban video

Bowe Bergdahl says he wants to return to his family in Idaho and that the war in Afghanistan is not worth the number of lives that have been lost or wasted.

It is the first he has been seen since the Taliban released a video of him at Christmas.

The seven-minute video shows him with a beard and doing push-ups to demonstrate he is in good condition.

Bergdahl, 24, disappeared on June 30 while based in eastern Afghanistan and is the only known American serviceman in captivity. The Taliban claimed his capture in a video in mid-July that showed the soldier appearing downcast and frightened.

In the video Bergdahl talks about his love for his family, his friends, motorcycles and sailing.

At the end of the video, a Taliban speaker demands the release of some prisoners held by the Americans.