I’ve seen a lot of rah-rah about the recent release of Sgt. Bergdahl from the Taliban in exchange for five Taliban prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay. Let me be clear that I wish for no one to be held prisoner by such a criminal, terrorist organization. But the current Whitehouse administration is putting a lot of spin on this story. The Army has yet to release an official statement about any of the controversial information concerning Bergdahl, but let’s look at what his peers in the military have said.
First off, men in Sgt. Bergdahl’s unit say he was AWOL, that, when he walked away from his post in Afghanistan about five years ago, he left a note that stated his disillusionment with the military and with America in general, and that he might seek out the Taliban. This stands in stark contrast to National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s statements that he served both “with honor” and “distinction.” As a POW, he received two promotions and was and is eligible for all military benefits. As a deserter, he is subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and court martial. If he did indeed seek out the Taliban to join them, regardless of the final outcome, he carries the mark of traitor, as well. The Whitehouse has repeated many times that we “leave no one on the battlefield,” but all indications are that Bergdahl was captured after he went AWOL, and he was not taken during a military conflict.
Did you know that six men died looking for him? They were ordered to keep that low-key, but parents of one of the deceased, by the name of Andrews, have come out openly about this on TV.
It is illegal for the President to make such a prisoner swap without 30-days advance notice to and consent from Congress. According to Jay Carney, there was no 30-day window. Yet they fail to mention that there were two or three opportunities over the past five years to make a swap for Bergdahl.
And let’s not forget what was given up for Bergdahl. The five terrorists that were released from Guantanamo have been referred to as a “terrorist dream team,” and many have predicted that they will certainly kill again. This exchange was not supported by the intelligence community.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has defended this move on the basis of Bergdahl’s health. But how does this justify negotiating with terrorists, and releasing this extremely dangerous terrorist group? I think it is inevitable that more Americans will be put in jeopardy or even killed because of this swap. Many say this was an impeachable act. What do you think?
