Trading 5 Gitmo alumni for Bowe?
Tman sends us a link from Agency Press France which reports that the Obama Administration is in talks with the Haqqani network or someone to trade SGT Bowe Bergdahl for 5 graduates of the Guantanamo Advanced Studies group;
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told AFP that she could not discuss details of US efforts but that “there should be no doubt that we work every day — using our military, intelligence and diplomatic tools — to try to see Sergeant Bergdahl returned home safely.”
According to the Post, the offer has not been formally made, adding that Bergdahl is thought to be held in Pakistan by the Haqqani network.
The US Army sergeant is the only American soldier held captive by Taliban militants.
In January the United States obtained a “proof of life” video of Bergdahl — the first providing evidence he was still alive in more than three years.
I don’t like that we’re negotiating with these clowns from a position of weakness, I mean 5 for 1? But as long as we get him home. As I’ve said before, I’ve heard the stories about his capture, but he doesn’t deserve to be beheaded for it. Let’s get him home and work out the other issues later. I also hope that they ‘tag’ those five so we can find them again.
Category: Terror War
If they ‘tag’ them, make it where they can’t feel it and just tell them it’s an immunization shot.
I agree, bring Bergdahl back home and work out the rest of it after he’s back.
@1 I am with Ex on this. I want to see him come home. Yes it is not hard to “tag” an individual and “get” them later.
Tag ’em like they did to Kurt Russell in “Escape From New York.”
Get Sgt Bergdahl back then… Glass Parking Lot.
I’ll be that guy: Yep-get him back first and foremost, but then-if what has been said about his capture is true-there need to be consequences for him to face. Because-if what is said is true-we are being forced into the position of having to make this trade because of his misbehavior.
Now, I’m not talking about him doing any rock busting time necessarily, but it seems to me that some sort of UCMJ and some loss of benefits would be appropriate. That isn’t going to be popular or easy because he is going to have plenty of horror stories that will make him more sympathetic, but we all know that if you play stupid games you win stupid prizes and he has apparently played a very stupid game indeed.
WTH happened to “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”???? Of course I want Bowe to be home, (don’t know enough about all the initial circumstances to voice an opinion) but am also concerned about the obvious precedent set here. It is already documented how the current ROE hamper the safety of our Troops. If this goes through, that tells the enemy that kidnapping any of our Troops gives them ‘negotiating’ power against us….Puts yet more danger in the path of our deployed..
Tough call, and no, I do not trust BHO to know what the hell he is doing.
@5–I’d say he’s suffered quite enough, wouldn’t you?
Sparky-I guess that’s how most people will feel, but-if what is said is true-we are in this position because of his stupidity. The hard work and sacrifice of thousands (at least) of Americans, military and civilian, are being compromised-at least to the extent that we are turning over individuals that we’d just as soon maintain control over. Call me whatever you like, but I think he ought to have to answer for that.
Your last paragraph is spot on, Jonn.
C’mon, folks. Get the guy back first. I think we can table a discussion concerning the circumstances of his capture until after he’s back.
I disagree with a trade. How about no more money for Pakistan until he’s returned safe and sound. If that doesn’t work, how about TAKING him back?
surprisingly, saw an article in the local paper saying Pakistan/Taliban negotiations were breaking down.
@11: I believe they already tried taking him back and took some KIAs in the process. I remember in 2006 when the US Soldier walked off the FOB in Iraq and we emptied all the FOBs looking for him.
I understand the sentiment but @6 raised a good point. As soon as we cut a deal, we put an even bigger bounty on the head of every troop we have in harms way now. Bad enough that we have “insider killings”, I don’t want to see a wave of “insider kidnappings.”
maybe once we pull the troops out of A-stan, we revisit the issue but until then I would not even negotiate for the simple reason that it makes a bad security situation even worse.
You already know my opinion: he made his bed, let him sleep in it.
That not being allowed, if what Twist recalls is accurate, a General Court is the minimum I’d be ok with.
However, Big Army leadership these days appearing to have little to no integrity, I would be unsurprised if some sort of cover up effort was done so Army wouldn’t “look” bad. We may never know what really happened, but I guess time will tell.
I hope this doesn’t mean we are going down the same road as Israel where bus loads of scum are traded for one. That just encourages scum to scum.
Traditions must be maintained. And, for nearly the last handful of decades, our tradition has been to teach our enemy how to defeat us.
Lets put this into actual perspective.
We’re trading 5 known terrorists for a deserter.
We used to put deserters up against a wall and shoot them. But, that was when we were actually concerned about things like winning wars.
You dont negotiate with terrorist. #6 and #11 I agree – no more money for the Pakis… or start carpet bombing until they bring him back. No matter how much of a shit stain he is he is our shit stain and we take care of our own – but not to sell out others in the future.
Since the administration already has a “Catch and Release” program going on with the guests at Gitmo, we might as well get something out of it.
I look at this a bit differently, and see it as a message to Karzai. “Hey bud, you want to let bad people out of prison? You don’t want to sign a SOFA? You want us all to leave? Well, two can play at that game.”
If we’re pulling out of Afghanistan completely, as seems to look more and more probable, and if Karzai seems to think that it’s OK to let the scum of the earth out of jail, why not let five more Afghani Taliban free, if we get Bergdahl back?
Make them Karzai’s problem. He made his bed, let him sleep in it.
I wouldn’t do anything to punish Bergdahl; as has been said by some of you, he’s had several years to reflect on the error of his ways–probably in much worse conditions than anything Fort Leavenworth could offer–and I think it would be a public relations disaster for the Army to go after him. We went after few, if any, POWs in Korea or Vietnam or Desert Storm whose misbehavior might have resulted in their captivity, or who misbehaved in captivity. So prosecuting him would be a press agent/defense attorney’s dream case. Just let him fade into obscurity.