U.S. Soldier Bowe Bergdahl Released by Taliban in Swap for Guantanamo Detainees

[Shol'va]

I wonder why the swap was made now.

Isn't it interesting, if not futile, to contemplate the possibility that they turned at least one of the five, or that somehow they came up with a way to make their release work in the favor of the administration.

Basically something like aitm just wrote and somehow I missed his post as I was typing mine up :)

[AllPurposeAtheist]

One thing is certain,  CNN is going to milk this for every syllable it's worth.

[Mermaid]

Good point about the Iran Contra affair. How easily I forget.

I get the sense that the story behind this event will remain classified and the left and the right will bitch at each other about it for a while, like every other polarizing news story.

[Poison Tree]

I get the sense that the story behind this event will remain classified and the left and the right will bitch at each other about it for a while, like every other polarizing news story.

I'm surprised no one has called for Obama to be impeached over this, yet

[Berati]

I'm surprised no one has called for Obama to be impeached over this, yet

Didn't take long.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/4/allen-west-calls-articles-impeachment-against-obam/

[Alaric I]

I don't think you guys really understand what the controversy is.  Obama made this decision without consulting Congress and didn't give them 30 days notice.  I don't really care that he didn't give 30 days notice, I am however disappointed that there is a very lax additude about the evidence mounting about what actually happened the night he disappeared.  At best this guy deserted his unit during war, at worst he's a traitor.  Either way he is responsible for the death of 6 men.

[Poison Tree]

I don't think you guys really understand what the controversy is.  Obama made this decision without consulting Congress and didn't give them 30 days notice.

I believe it has been the opinion of the executive branch that, as prisoners of the military, the detainees at Guantanamo fall under the sole authority of the commander in chief. Congress obviously disagrees.

Either way he is responsible for the death of 6 men.

Maybe. Just because men died after he walked off his base (a shit and probably criminal act) doesn't necessarily prove responsibility on his part. The argument has been that his disappearance made the military's movements more predictable and easier to ambush, but that isn't as easy an argument to make as some want to pretend. To some degree, needing to leave their bases and driving on roads would have made the troops just as easy to ambush regardless why they were driving anywhere. Any operation taken at that time and location--searching or Bergdhl, searching for enemy/weapons, transporting supplies, visiting local elders--may have resulted in exactly the same deaths.

[Shiranu]

At best this guy deserted his unit during war, at worst he's a traitor.  Either way he is responsible for the death of 6 men.

Then it is even better that he is now in our custody to face the consequences, no?

[Mermaid]

I don't think you guys really understand what the controversy is. 

Condescending.

[Alaric I]

Just because men died after he walked off his base (a shit and probably criminal act) doesn't necessarily prove responsibility on his part. The argument has been that his disappearance made the military's movements more predictable and easier to ambush, but that isn't as easy an argument to make as some want to pretend. To some degree, needing to leave their bases and driving on roads would have made the troops just as easy to ambush regardless why they were driving anywhere. Any operation taken at that time and location--searching or Bergdhl, searching for enemy/weapons, transporting supplies, visiting local elders--may have resulted in exactly the same deaths.

They left the base for the sole purpose of searching for him.  We don't know what their missions would be that day obviously, we do know they left searching for him.  His leaving caused them to follow his movements.  Whatever they may have done that day it how dangerous it was, their actions that day were caused by his leaving.  Therefore he is responsible for their deaths.

[Alaric I]

Condescending.

Not condescending, an observation based on reading the comments.

[Alaric I]

Then it is even better that he is now in our custody to face the consequences, no?

It would be ok except for two things,  we traded 5 if the top officials of the enemy in exchange for him and certain people would like you to believe he's a damn hero.  Had it been 5 bomb makers I'm sure there wouldn't be such an outcry.  If they were listening to the men that served with him about the circumstances and didn't act as if it wasn't a big deal and that he should be able to go home to see his family the controversy wouldn't be as bad as it is.  I get not leaving any service members, but not by releasing 5 top officials.

[Poison Tree]

They left the base for the sole purpose of searching for him.  We don't know what their missions would be that day obviously, we do know they left searching for him.  His leaving caused them to follow his movements.  Whatever they may have done that day it how dangerous it was, their actions that day were caused by his leaving.  Therefore he is responsible for their deaths.

It's not true that those who died "left the base for the sole purpose of searching for him" when they died. The first two, killed 49 days after Bergdahl's disappearance, were on a mission examining polling places for the upcoming election. The next died on a mission to capture a high ranking Taliban--one whom they did think had ties to Bergdahl's capture, but it is not as if they'd ignore a high value target who didn't. Two more died while on patrol--soldiers with them maintain that they wouldn't have been patrolling that area except for Bergdahl (that they would have been redeployed elsewhere otherwise), but they would have been patrolling somewhere and, unless they were just going to abandon that area to the enemy, some US/NATO troops were going to have to maintain a presence there, right? The last of the six (67 days after Bergdahl left) was killed while trying to meet with/sooth locals in an area where they'd previously searched for Bergdahl--were they angered specifically because of/during the search? Maybe, but plenty of Afghans have been angered by others actions and the military has met with/soothed plenty of locals in areas far removed from Bergdahl.

I agree with you that Obama and his administration shouldn't have done a victory lap over this but I don't really have a problem with bringing Bergdahl back even at the "cost" of 5 Taliban. I'd have preferred if Mohammad Fazl and Norullah Noori hadn't been among the 5, but I've not lost any sleep over it

[Alaric I]

It's not true that those who died "left the base for the sole purpose of searching for him" when they died. The first two, killed 49 days after Bergdahl's disappearance, were on a mission examining polling places for the upcoming election. The next died on a mission to capture a high ranking Taliban--one whom they did think had ties to Bergdahl's capture, but it is not as if they'd ignore a high value target who didn't. Two more died while on patrol--soldiers with them maintain that they wouldn't have been patrolling that area except for Bergdahl (that they would have been redeployed elsewhere otherwise), but they would have been patrolling somewhere and, unless they were just going to abandon that area to the enemy, some US/NATO troops were going to have to maintain a presence there, right? The last of the six (67 days after Bergdahl left) was killed while trying to meet with/sooth locals in an area where they'd previously searched for Bergdahl--were they angered specifically because of/during the search? Maybe, but plenty of Afghans have been angered by others actions and the military has met with/soothed plenty of locals in areas far removed from Bergdahl.

I see your point.