US Soldier in exchange for 5 Al-Qaeda members

[devthedev]

What the hell was Obama thinking?!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/04/politics/bowe-bergdahl-release/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[TECSHARE]

I don't necessarily support these conclusions or disagree with them, but I do find them interesting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2647397/Revealed-Bowe-Bergdahl-left-note-comrades-telling-leaving-start-new-life-Army-general-says-faces-desertion-charges.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2646425/Taliban-prisoner-swap-ILLEGAL-claims-GOP-former-federal-prosecutor-claims-lead-Obamas-IMPEACHMENT.html

[devthedev]

I don't necessarily support these conclusions or disagree with them, but I do find them interesting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2647397/Revealed-Bowe-Bergdahl-left-note-comrades-telling-leaving-start-new-life-Army-general-says-faces-desertion-charges.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2646425/Taliban-prisoner-swap-ILLEGAL-claims-GOP-former-federal-prosecutor-claims-lead-Obamas-IMPEACHMENT.html

Since when do we negotiate with terrorists? -_-

[bryant.coleman]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

[Ron~Popeil]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

Yeah this was a really stupid decision. It also signals to them that our government will trade prisoners with them which makes kidnappings and hostage taking much more likely.

We can keep our soldiers safe by keeping them at home instead of in so many countries. We could also save a ton of money that way.

[bryant.coleman]

Yeah this was a really stupid decision. It also signals to them that our government will trade prisoners with them which makes kidnappings and hostage taking much more likely.

May be. But during the USSR-Taliban war, the latter captured a hundreds of Soviet soldiers, despite the fact that the USSR never agreed for a prisoner swap. Culminated in the infamous Badaber uprising.

[Kluge]

I don't necessarily support these conclusions or disagree with them, but I do find them interesting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2647397/Revealed-Bowe-Bergdahl-left-note-comrades-telling-leaving-start-new-life-Army-general-says-faces-desertion-charges.html

Weird. That directly contradicts earlier reports from comrades that he left no indication he was leaving, a non-communication which allegedly led to several deaths as US military personnel searched under the assumption that he was kidnapped. Later, it was suggested he was feeding the Taliban information on weaknesses in US positions which led to further deaths. All this time, he was supposedly playing badminton with the Taliban but ill and apparently without proper healthcare to see him well, so the Obama admin. decided to bring him home in exchange for five enemy combatants in Gitmo instead of letting him die a natural death....... so he's in the excellent hands of the VA, I guess? Glad I followed media reporting on this and now have the facts.

[JohnnyLightning]

The only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that the recent outing of the Afghan CIA head put their deep cover operative in jeopardy so they had to extract him, but that would be a conspiracy theory. 

[beetcoin]

wow, for once i might agree with what republicans on fox are saying. well, at least i understand their point.

[taipo]

Since when do we negotiate with terrorists? -_-

Daily...

Remember when Special Envoy Rumsfeld was 'negotiating' with Saddam Hussein? They are not called terrorists when their objectives match those of US foreign policy/war machine. They get called activists, or freedom fighters. Its an Orwellian word-smith game that has been played in every war and in dozens of US backed overthrows by terrorists around the world.

The US has a history of prisoner swaps with their enemies. Thats all this is.

[niothor]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

Yeah this was a really stupid decision. It also signals to them that our government will trade prisoners with them which makes kidnappings and hostage taking much more likely.

We can keep our soldiers safe by keeping them at home instead of in so many countries. We could also save a ton of money that way.

Wonder if you would say the same if he was part of your family.
It got so easy to comment if somebody needs to be saved or killed when you're sitting comfy in your chair with a beer in your hand and typing on a forum.

[Este Nuno]

Since when do we negotiate with terrorists? -_-

Daily...

Remember when Special Envoy Rumsfeld was 'negotiating' with Saddam Hussein? They are not called terrorists when their objectives match those of US foreign policy/war machine. They get called activists, or freedom fighters. Its an Orwellian word-smith game that has been played in every war and in dozens of US backed overthrows by terrorists around the world.

The US has a history of prisoner swaps with their enemies. Thats all this is.

I don't think the American government considers the Taliban a terrorist organization.

A deposed government at this point, but not a terrorist organization.

It's semantics I guess.

[jambola2]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

His rank isn't important there, the point Obama is trying to make is that he was a POW. And indeed, he was. So were the 5 Gitmo detainees. It was a POW exchange, nothing untoward about it.

[Charlie Prime]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists.

How do you know they are "hardcore terrorists" ?

[Este Nuno]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

His rank isn't important there, the point Obama is trying to make is that he was a POW. And indeed, he was. So were the 5 Gitmo detainees. It was a POW exchange, nothing untoward about it.

Also, the Army is taking the stance that he is innocent until proven guilty with regard to the allegations that he went AWOL/deserted his post.

So until he's proven guilty, it's like you said: He's a POW.

[bryant.coleman]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists.

How do you know they are "hardcore terrorists" ?

Check the available information:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/03/taliban-five-obama-bergdahl-taliban-prisoners-guantanamo
http://nypost.com/2014/06/04/obama-admits-terrorists-in-bergdahl-swap-could-take-up-arms-against-us/

[Ron~Popeil]

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

Just one soldier released in exchange for 5 hardcore terrorists. These terrorists in turn will kill many more American soldiers. Bergdahl wasn't even a high ranking officer to begin with.

Yeah this was a really stupid decision. It also signals to them that our government will trade prisoners with them which makes kidnappings and hostage taking much more likely.

We can keep our soldiers safe by keeping them at home instead of in so many countries. We could also save a ton of money that way.

Wonder if you would say the same if he was part of your family.
It got so easy to comment if somebody needs to be saved or killed when you're sitting comfy in your chair with a beer in your hand and typing on a forum.

The point is that when you do this sort of thing you encourage more of it. This was not a simple prisoner exchange of legitimate soldiers. These were hard core terrorists that have and will now continue to kill people. What will you say to the family of the next person that is kidnapped by these bastards and they start demanding we release Khalid Sheik Mohammed?

[bryant.coleman]

Wonder if you would say the same if he was part of your family.
It got so easy to comment if somebody needs to be saved or killed when you're sitting comfy in your chair with a beer in your hand and typing on a forum.

In military, there is no room for personal emotions. If I was given a choice between 10 dead soldiers and one dead soldier, I'd definitely select the latter option. Giving in to blackmail starts a bad precedent.

[devthedev]

We released 5 of the worst terrorists we had at Gitmo, and we brought home a domestic terrorist. Does that about sum it up?

[taipo]

That sums up Foxnews's views to the tee.