Nidal Hasan, Bradley Manning, Ivan Lopez, Aaron Alexis and …

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl ... accusations that he was a traitor have put the focus on American soldiers who go rogue. Source: AP

THE United States and its allies have been fighting al Qaeda and Taliban forces since September 11, 2001, but in the past five years a new threat has grown: the enemy who comes from within.

There have been too many examples of Afghan government troopers often in the pay of the Taliban attacking their foreign comrades. Australians, Britons and Americans have all been victims.

But what of the Westerners who turn on their own?

The stories of these soldiers and veterans who go rogue have been brought into focus again this week after the American soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban for five years, was branded a traitor by some of his former colleagues.

Emails that Bergdahl sent to his parents before his capture which have not been authenticated indicate that he had lost faith in the US efforts in Afghanistan, and that he was ashamed to even be American.

Some have called for Bergdahl to be court martialed for allegedly deserting his post, while others have revealed that six other men died in attempts to find and rescue him. Bergdahl has not yet spoken publicly about his ordeal, and little is known about his state of mind leading up to his capture.

State of mind is key, especially when considering the other soldiers and veterans who have harmed their own in even more drastic and deadly ways.

Their motivations vary, although most are believed to have been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues. Some were motivated by issues of conscience; others are no longer around to tell us why they snapped.

Nidal Hasan ... killed 13 and wounded 32 others in the 2009 attack at Fort Hood. Source: AFP

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Nidal Hasan, Bradley Manning, Ivan Lopez, Aaron Alexis and ...