Posted on Jun 2, 2014
Has the swap for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl set a precedent for future POWs?
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Debate Stirs Over US-Taliban Captive Swap. In weighing the swap, U.S. officials decided that it could help the effort to reach reconciliation with the Taliban, which the U.S. sees as key to more security in Afghanistan. But they acknowledged the risk that the deal would embolden insurgents.Republicans pressed that point. "Have we just put a price on other U.S. soldiers?" asked Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. "What does this tell terrorists, that if you capture a U.S. soldier, you can trade that soldier for five terrorists?"Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said, "I'm going to celebrate him coming home," but added that the release of "five mid- to high-level Taliban is shocking to me, especially without coming to Congress."
Bergdahl
POW/MIA
Swap
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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My opinion is we just opened up a whole new can of uncertainty by trading for the yellow puss and letting that coward off with a slap on the wrist!!!
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That would set a bad precedent and gives would be terrorists an incentive to bring us to our knees by capturing American citizens and use them as bargaining chips. The late former President Ronald Reagan probably is rolling around in his grave near Simi Valley.
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There will be a day when we return to sanity. Let the military sort out what this situation is all about. If the soldier deserted, there are appropriate penalties for such action. If he proves to be a traitor, there are appropriate penalties for such action. The only problem in all this is that POTUS celebrated his "accomplishment" before he knew what he had done. An "aim, fire, ready" scenario if there ever was one. Once the media and its treatment has "salved" the American public and the politicians put their "two cents worth" in, and it becomes a joke. As it appears now, POTUS broke the law that he endorsed and signed. As Truman put it, the buck stops at POTUS's desk.
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I think this is one of those scenarios that must play itself over time to reserve judgment. Not one to watch too much news anymore(difference topics, same lyrics), but it certainly appears to be one of those to be added to the long list of Obama disconnects with reality. Do you notice every time any first hand accounts of any event that runs contrary to their political narrative, it's classified as "conflicting" information by the state department and liberal media. The state departments attempt to minimize the statements of those soldiers who had first hand accounts of Bergdahl's defection is another insult to any of us who served.
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Cpl Brett Wagner
Captain did you say this about the story on the soldiers at Abu Ghraib? How about the Marines at Haditha? Blackwater contractors? How about George Zimmerman? Did you let all those stories play out and get all the facts before you had an opinion or made a decision? Should we just discount the six soldiers that served with Bergdahl who say he is a deserter and should be tried as one?
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CPT Vance Walden
Cpl....we are in agreement I think. I opinioned that our soldiers on the ground have more credibility than anyone in the State Department. For straight answers, I always went to the NCO's and enlisted for information.
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SFC Matthew Parker
Cpl Wagner,
The answer to your question to the good Captain is yes. We let it play out before we form an opinion or make a decision.
Cpl, you went AWOL, I know your guilty because I heard some guy in the motor pool say you were. Opinion formed, your a sh-t bag Marine and deserve UCMJ. Problem is the facts later show your Gunny dismissed you from duty to take your wife to a doctors appointment and you were never AWOL, and the guy in the parking lot was the Marine that had to pull your duty.
We may have 90% of the story from the platoon members speaking out but we don't have the 10% we need.
We don't know if the Chain of Command thought he was "odd" needed to see the Chaplain for stress or displayed other problems that were ignored by the squad leader that is now speaking out about him.
Let this play out and lets see what they find and then you can say with 100% that yes he needs to be punished.
Unless you prefer to go to Captains mast for UCMJ actions with a CO who has predetermined your guilt before speaking with you.
And yes I said that about Abu Ghraib and Haditha.
The answer to your question to the good Captain is yes. We let it play out before we form an opinion or make a decision.
Cpl, you went AWOL, I know your guilty because I heard some guy in the motor pool say you were. Opinion formed, your a sh-t bag Marine and deserve UCMJ. Problem is the facts later show your Gunny dismissed you from duty to take your wife to a doctors appointment and you were never AWOL, and the guy in the parking lot was the Marine that had to pull your duty.
We may have 90% of the story from the platoon members speaking out but we don't have the 10% we need.
We don't know if the Chain of Command thought he was "odd" needed to see the Chaplain for stress or displayed other problems that were ignored by the squad leader that is now speaking out about him.
Let this play out and lets see what they find and then you can say with 100% that yes he needs to be punished.
Unless you prefer to go to Captains mast for UCMJ actions with a CO who has predetermined your guilt before speaking with you.
And yes I said that about Abu Ghraib and Haditha.
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No, there has always been a price on the heads of US Service members.
Sen Cruz has never served a day in uniform, has never been in a fight or seen his buddies killed. Until he falls under the jurisdiction of the UCMJ and the Code of Conduct he needs to stand down.
Stop calling them terrorists and it becomes a prisoner swap. Understand they were in Gitmo for 12 years and have no intelligence value at all and you see why we released them to a third party.
US service members have always been targets and will remain targets until the groups and organizations we are fighting cease to be. Taking a soldier and demanding a swap is old news, turns out congress didn't read that part of the history book.
I'm good with getting our soldier back and don't care about five former Taliban we may or may not kill later.
Sen Cruz has never served a day in uniform, has never been in a fight or seen his buddies killed. Until he falls under the jurisdiction of the UCMJ and the Code of Conduct he needs to stand down.
Stop calling them terrorists and it becomes a prisoner swap. Understand they were in Gitmo for 12 years and have no intelligence value at all and you see why we released them to a third party.
US service members have always been targets and will remain targets until the groups and organizations we are fighting cease to be. Taking a soldier and demanding a swap is old news, turns out congress didn't read that part of the history book.
I'm good with getting our soldier back and don't care about five former Taliban we may or may not kill later.
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Do not be surprised when we begin to see news reports of abducted military personnel.
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MAJ (Join to see)
SFC Strong - I was talking to some others about this... do you not think the taliban would be abducting US personnel now and for the last 10 years if they had the opportunity?
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Prisoner swaps have been going on since the revolutionary war. I know most of you are old enough to remember Iran/Contra during Reagan's presidency. Do you remember what those weapons were traded for?
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MSG Mitch Dowler
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a deserter not a prisoner. The Taliban is not a nation conducting war but terrorists.
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MAJ (Join to see)
MSG Dowler - desertion has not been proven (yet). We are a nation of laws, not emotional responses. Until he's convicted in court, he's not a deserter.
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I was in Afghanistan at the time this happened. My unit sent out patrols in the N2KL area, in which many were engaged by different groups. We ended up having two x KIA and 6 x WIA (out of theater) and another 5 x WIA ( that stayed after their wounds). I'm happy for the family and that Bergdahl will get to be with his family again, but I hope we screened and rehabed the five individuals that we are releasing back to the taliban. I know the taliban isn't the large enemy, but I don't see them changing their thought process towards us. I just hope we have changing their mind about their willingness to fight and die, and understands that at this point it's probably not in their best interest. I know with the drawdrawn to 9800 troops that things are going to get harder for us; unless we start to close some areas down and only sit around their capital, baghram, and kandahar... thoughts?
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I can see this being possible, especially with the Haqqani Network which has a history of holding out and negotiating for the release of their captives.
The counter-point would be, how long did it take? Are they willing to expand this tactic if they assume the response is going to be 5 years?
I do have my own personal opinion about who we released and who brokered the deal. I do think we need to be cautious with what precident that we set as we move forward.
The counter-point would be, how long did it take? Are they willing to expand this tactic if they assume the response is going to be 5 years?
I do have my own personal opinion about who we released and who brokered the deal. I do think we need to be cautious with what precident that we set as we move forward.
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Personally I am thankful that a POW was able to return home, however, I believe decision to trade detainees for POWs compromises the safety of All allied troops and civilians serving overseas.
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