Bowe Bergdahl freed by Taliban after five years of captivity

[Damage]

Daily Beast

You should at least cite the fact that these "sources" have what can only be described as a remarkable lack of objectivity.

This is precisely my point. Politics have nothing to do with this shit at all. Yet, here we go

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Thanks for the post, Max. And if there are any skeptics out there, consider this. These stories are popping up all over the place, and have been out there for quite awhile. Clearly, these stories all make him look badly.

So if they are untrue, why aren't we seeing any recent stories that tell a different version of events? The Administration is completely mum on this, which is very odd if these stories are untrue. They'd be shouting to the heavens how this exchange was not for a guy who deserted, but rather just a captured soldiers. Yet, complete silence on the circumstances surrounding his departure.

Wholly apart from our own troops getting killed in the search, and the cost in potential American lives of releasing those five bastards, it apparently doesn't sit well with the Afghanis, either:

KABUL (Reuters) - The release of five Taliban prisoners in exchange for a U.S. soldier has drawn criticism from some Afghans, who say the detainees are dangerous and will rekindle ties with terrorist networks to resume fighting, just as most foreign troops leave.

The men had been held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2002 and were classed by the Pentagon as "high-risk" and "likely to pose a threat".

Two are also implicated in the murder of thousands of minority Shi'ite Muslims in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.

They were released in a swap with U.S. army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the sole American prisoner of war held in Afghanistan who was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany on Sunday.

"They will definitely go back to fight, if health-wise they are able to go," said a top official at Afghanistan's spy agency, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the topic.

"They will be very dangerous people, because they have connections with regional and international terror organizations around the world."

The Taliban denied the prisoners would return to battle but said the swap should not be regarded as a gesture of good will or a step towards the revival of peace talks between Islamist insurgents and the Afghan government. "This is purely a negotiation between the Taliban and the Americans... It won't help the peace process in any way, because we don't believe in the peace process," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid....

....On the streets of the capital Kabul many expressed anger at the decision to release the five men, a contrast with scenes of celebration in Bergdahl's home town in Idaho.

"This decision showed that the region, Afghanistan and its people aren’t worth anything to American government," said Gul Mohammad, a high school teacher.

"Otherwise, why would they swap a useless army soldier who broke the law with the five most dangerous Taliban fighters?"

Some among Afghanistan's security forces also expressed unease about the release, which comes as the Taliban's summer offensive gathers pace ahead of a second round of voting in the presidential election on June 14.

"This act will boost the Taliban's morale and encourage them to fight harder to capture foreign soldiers. Now they are confident that their efforts won't be wasted," said army colonel Asadullah Samadi.


http://news.yahoo.com/afghans-taliban-prisoners-freed-u-rejoin-battle-145123619.html

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

This is precisely my point. Politics have nothing to do with this shit at all.

Of course it does. We don't see the President for weeks when all the VA shit is happening, yet he pops up on TV making a public statement congratulating himself for getting this guy released. How is that not political?

 

[Maximus]

The Palin example was just me being an asshole, pointing out that this in no way should be politicized. This shouldn't be a left vs right issue, an I hate Obama thing - this is way bigger than that. Did Barry do this start emptying Gitmo? Kinda seems like it.

Obama made it political!! It's pretty obvious this was used to bump the VA scandal off the front pages(not that VA scandal even got any coverage...has it even been mentioned on RCF?). We traded 5 dangerous murderers for a deserter. There are members of the military saying he should be tried and jailed...some say executed!

What does Obama need to do to make you mad? Scandal after scandal, failure after failure, yet no outrage from you...just more towards me. I don't get it. IF this was Bush, you'd be steaming mad and wouldn't be "reserving judgement".

 

[Maximus]

This is precisely my point. Politics have nothing to do with this shit at all. Yet, here we go

You are out of your fucking mind...

 

[AZ_]

Of course it does. We don't see the President for weeks when all the VA shit is happening, yet he pops up on TV making a public statement congratulating himself for getting this guy released. How is that not political?

Wait, you mean aside from that press conference in which he publicly ripped the VA almost two weeks ago now?

Or the other press conference three days ago in which he announced to the nation that the Sec. of VA was resigning and took responsibility for this problem happening on his watch:

“This is my administration; I always take responsibility for whatever happens,” he said, adding that he’s been deeply concerned about veterans’ issues since serving on the Veterans Affairs committee in the Senate.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/...ipa-michael-strahan-107245.html#ixzz33UlIdkxW

Politics, of course, will have a place in today's climate.

I'd just much prefer that people not make asinine comments insinuating that the President was ignoring other responsibilities when in fact you were just too lazy to pay attention to see if he actually did.

 

[Damage]

The way I see it, there are only 3 possibilities

1. He was captured/kidnapped

2. He deserted - doesn't mean he wanted to join the other side, just meant he didn't want to fight for our side. Doesn't make him a sympathizer.

3. He deserted and actively joined the other side

If it's the latter, fuck him.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Does the ranking of these 5 guys really matter? And btw, we have held sheep herders, farmers, teachers at Gitmo. Not saying these guys were (they weren't) - just pointing out that, just because someone was held at Gitmo doesn't mean they are dangerous.

Damage, no offense intended buddy, but that's an absolutely shitty argument. Both the Bush and Obama Administrations have had multiple opportunities to release from Gitmo anyone they believed did not present a high risk to the U.S., and have done so repeatedly, which is why there are so few people there now compared to before. So if the Obama Administration itself did not believe these guys were dangerous, it could have released them years ago, or at least sent them to some other nation, and there isn't a damn thing Congress could have done about it. Yet, the Administration kept them locked up.

 

[Damage]

Of course it does. We don't see the President for weeks when all the VA shit is happening, yet he pops up on TV making a public statement congratulating himself for getting this guy released. How is that not political?

That part is absolutely political. That's not what I was saying.

I was saying this story, the actual events that unfolded, is he a sympathizer or was he kidnapped, all of it should not be political (meaning, this is not a democrat/republican issue).

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Wait, you mean aside from that press conference in which he publicly ripped the VA almost two weeks ago now?

And how long had the VA scandal been out before he did that? He only spoke out on it after he was getting blasted for not doing so.

In any case, forget the VA scandal entirely if you wish. The fact that the President himself made a public announcement of this as a triumph, from the Rose Garden, made it political as well. Otherwise, they'd just have the SecDef or someone announce it, or Carney, or whomever. They figured, wrongly IMHO, that this would be a political coup for him.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

That part is absolutely political. That's not what I was saying.

I was saying this story, the actual events that unfolded, is he a sympathizer or was he kidnapped, all of it should not be political (meaning, this is not a democrat/republican issue).

Ah, okay. Fair point.

I'm pissed about this, though. So exactly who am I supposed to complain to about it?

 

[Damage]

Damage, no offense intended buddy, but that's an absolutely shitty argument. Both the Bush and Obama Administrations have had multiple opportunities to release from Gitmo anyone they believed did not present a high risk to the U.S., and have done so repeatedly, which is why there are so few people there now compared to before. So if the Obama Administration itself did not believe these guys were dangerous, it could have released them years ago, or at least sent them to some other nation, and there isn't a damn thing Congress could have done about it. Yet, the Administration kept them locked up.

I wasn't saying these guys were fucking goat herders, I was responding to the claim that all people in Gitmo were bad, which they weren't, something you agree with per the bolded comment.

My main question is this: how much influence can 5 guys actually provide for a movement that is already ingrained into millions? It's not as if 5, 10, 100 extra bombs are going to make a difference. 1 bomb is enough. This, by the way, is completely independent from the act itself of doing a prisoner exchange.

 

[Maximus]

Does the ranking of these 5 guys really matter?

Hell yes!! It sets multiple bad precedents. First, simply, that we negotiate with terrorists. Second, that we are the worst traders of all time. They got their top 5 targets, we got a deserter. We look like idiots. The trade only happened to take eyes of the VA scandal...that's the only reason.

 

[Damage]

And how long had the VA scandal been out before he did that? He only spoke out on it after he was getting blasted for not doing so.

In any case, forget the VA scandal entirely if you wish. The fact that the President himself made a public announcement of this as a triumph, from the Rose Garden, made it political as well. Otherwise, they'd just have the SecDef or someone announce it, or Carney, or whomever. They figured, wrongly IMHO, that this would be a political coup for him.

See, regarding the "he did this to deflect from the VA scandal", this is the one thing that doesn't hold water. Obama has brilliant strategists around him. No way could they fuck this up and think, "you know, doing a prisoner swap will really help me with this VA scandal". They can't be that fucking stupid.

 

[Pyro]

Ohh, let's also not play the WC in Qatar please.

WC isn't going to be in Qatar. A re-vote will be taken by the end of the year. USA will host.