Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl finally freed!

[SFLiberal]

Well that didn't take long. Nice job Barack!

Freed Taliban Commander Tells Relative He'll Fight Americans Again
By Mushtaq Yusufzai

ESHAWAR, Pakistan - One of the five Taliban leaders freed from Guantanamo Bay in return for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's release has pledged to return to fight Americans in Afghanistan, according to a fellow militant and a relative.

"After arriving in Qatar, Noorullah Noori kept insisting he would go to Afghanistan and fight American forces there,” a Taliban commander told NBC News via telephone from Afghanistan.

Noori pushed to return to Afghanistan after learning that the U.S. had provided written assurances that no country would arrest any of the five freed for a year as long as they lived peacefully, one of his relatives told NBC News by telephone from Afghanistan.

"We thought we may not see them again as once you land in the hands of Americans, it's difficult to come out alive."

Under the terms of the deal, the former commanders would remain under the control of the government of Qatar for one year and be subject to “restrictions on their movement and activities," a senior U.S. official has told NBC News –- including a one-year travel ban. A diplomatic source later told NBC News that their movements within the Arab emirate are not restricted.


The news comes amid a fierce debate on Capitol Hill over whether the Obama administration should have traded Bergdahl for the five commanders held at Guantanamo. Former members of Bergdahl’s platoon have described him as a deserter who walked away from his outpost.

Among the Taliban, the commanders’ release was treated as a victory.

"We thought we may not see them again as once you land in the hands of Americans, it's difficult to come out alive,” Noori’s relative said. “But it was a miracle that Allah Almighty gave us Bergdahl and we got back our heroes.”

All of the five -- Mohammad Fazl, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Noori – were suffering from bad health after their imprisonment and currently being treated in a hospital in Qatar, the relative added.

A senior Taliban commander in the Pakistani city of Quetta said that 12 years of incarceration had also caused some psychological problems for Noori and Fazl.

Noori's relative admitted he was having some health issues, but denied he was suffering from any mental disorders.

The commanders’ families would soon be traveling to Qatar as well, the relative added.

"The wives and children will go there after their travel documents are received. Beside Mullah Fazal, who had two wives, the others have one wife each. They have spoken to us on telephone and seemed very excited," according to the relative.

A relative of Khairkhwa, who also spoke to NBC News from Afghanistan, said he had spoken to his freed family member and been told Qatari government officials had greeted the group upon their arrival on Sunday.

The relative said a statement of support from the Taliban's leadership pleased the freed commanders.

"The most important thing for them was the statement of Mullah Mohammad Omar and congratulations them upon their release. Khairkhwa told me that like him, the remaining people forgot their years of imprisonment and ordeals after they came to know about Mullah Omar's statement," his relative said.

The Taliban commander in Quetta said he was in touch with his men in Qatar and they decided not to talk with the five commanders about their imprisonment and their treatment at the hands of the Americans.

"We decided not to disturb them by asking them about their ordeals as we know it will evoke the worst of their time in prison,” the Taliban commander said. “It will take them some time to become normal and issue formal statements.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/bowe-be...in-n124451

[illcommandante]

When Debs Potts retired from his position in The Oregon State Senate, reporters contacted me from all over Oregon. Wondering why he'd stuffed my commendation from The Marine Corps, into a hole in the wall by his desk. I told them the answer, as it was explained to me by Captain Ford, acting for Admiral McCain. "Very few white men, and no niggers ever, get to wear the medal of honor". My commendation reads "Repeated acts of conspicuous valor, while alone and unarmed, and under withering enemy fire". Prior to the event that made me the gold standard of heroes, I was figuring out how to kill the marines who had been assigned to kill me. And, hand their weapons to The Gooks. Now, Obama is redressing slights against black heroes. And, I turn out to be Scot/Cherokee. You don't need to ask if losing Nelson Mandela for a brother, and gaining a pack of drunks makes me happy.

[SFLiberal]

Retired four-star Army General Jack Keane was on a Sunday talk show yesterday. Here are what he thinks of the swap.

On Susan Rice's comment that Bergdahl served with honor and istinction:

The fact that a citizen volunteers — becomes a soldier, becomes a paratrooper, goes to combat as a result of that, has an unblemished record, is a very good soldier — and then deserts his post, that trumps all previous behavior,” he explained. “So that is a distinction in itself, and he has to be held accountable for that.”

On what he colleagues in the Pentagon think of the swap:

They’re outraged that the president, at the Rose Garden ceremony, was actually promoting an event in terms of public relations,” Keane declared. “And then taking his family — who by the way, the military had advised to maintain a very low profile, and they had maintained a low profile for years.”

“And then to put them in front of the cameras like that and begin a celebration, I think that created not only anguish among those who were his teammates and those who may’ve lost his lives in rescuing him,” the general explained, “but senior military leaders looked at that and just shook their head and said, ‘Why are we doing something like that?’”

[SFLiberal]

According to Susan Rice (Bergdahl served with honor and distinction, "I realize there has been lots of discussion and controversy around this but what I was referring to was the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That, in and of itself, is a very honorable thing") so did Benedict Arnold, Jonathan Jay Pollard, and John Anthony Walker.

As are these guys:

Pvt. Steven Dale Green (convicted of Iraq rape, murders)

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales (convicted of 16 murders in Afghanistan)

Seaman Christopher Browning and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker (convicted of rape and robbery in Okinawa)

Pfc. Rod Rico Harp, Seaman Marcus D. Gill, and Pfc. Kendrick M. Ledet (convicted of rape in Okinawa

Freaking idiot

[cletus1]

Question for SFLiberal and Hugo:

Have either of you served in the military?

[SFLiberal]

Question for SFLiberal and Hugo:

Have either of you served in the military?

Yes.

[chuck white]

Question for SFLiberal and Hugo:

Have either of you served in the military?

Yes.

Which side?

[SFLiberal]

Talk about throwing someone under the bus. Hagel now knows what it feel the be asphalt. When he thought people were going to be celebrating the release of this deserter it was all Obama. Now that things have gone south, Obama says it "wasn't me" and leaves Hagel hanging.

If it wasn't so sad it would be funny how incompetent Obama and his administration is. First he said they couldn't notify Congress of the intent to release the Gitmo 5 because they feared a leak and that Bergdahl was in failing health an he needed medical attention immediately or he could die. Then we find out that his health is fine and almost 100 people in the WH knew of this impending deal. Then they say well Bergdahl was about to be killed by the Haqqani network that were holding him captive (not to be confused with the Taliban. The Haggani are not the Taliban). Then we find that wasn't true and we also find out that Congress had been notified about Bin Laden's whereabouts 11 months prior to the raid and that was never leaked. And then we have that bimbo spokesman

It has been lie after lie.

1) Bergdahl was very sick... lie
2) The Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl...lie
3) The administration informed Congress about the swap... lie
4) The U.S. didn’t negotiate with terrorists... lie
5) Berghdal served with honor and distinction...lie
6) The release of the terrorists poses little to no risk to the U.S........ lie
7) The five terrorists released from Guantanamo Bay will be under U.S. monitoring..lie
8) This was the “last, best chance” to bring Bergdahl home...another damn lie


Some would say it is just business as usual.....

Video:

MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell called out State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf on the air Monday

Andrea Mitchell not buying State Dept.'s spin on Bergdahl Swap

Now the White House says Hagel made final call on Bergdahl as criticism of Obama over prisoner swap mounts

Congress learned on Monday that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gave final approval for the prisoner exchange that freed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Last week, Hagel said the swap was a unanimous decision made by senior officials
Hagel is expected to defend the prisoner exchange on Wednesday in an appearance before the House Armed Services Committee

By Zoe Szathmary

Published: 01:05 EST, 10 June 2014

FInal approval for the prisoner exchange that freed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was made by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, members of Congress learned on Monday from administration officials.

'They indicated (it was) Secretary Hagel (who made the final call),' Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) said after a classified briefing, ABC points out.

'It was the president of the United States that came out (in the Rose Garden) with the Bergdahls and took all the credit and now that there’s been a little pushback he’s moving away from it and it’s Secretary Hagel?'

Last week, Hagel said the swap was a unanimous decision when speaking to the BBC.

'It was the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of National Intelligence, Attorney General,' he said.

'It was our judgement based on the information that we had that his life, his health were in peril,' Hagel also told the channel in defense of not giving Congress 30 days' notice of the plan.

'Can you imagine if we would have waited or taken the chance of leaks over a 30-day period?' Hagel said.

Congress was upset to learn on Monday that 80 to 90 people in the Obama administration knew of the exchange - but that no Republicans or Democrats in the House were told.

'It strikes me as unfortunate that they could have 80 to 90 people in the administration aware of what was happening and not be able to trust a single Republican or Democrat in the House or the Senate,' Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), said, Reuters points out.

''There was a sense of anger that members of Congress didn’t know about this,' Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) said to reporters after the briefing, ABC notes. 'Obviously, if there is secure information — members of Congress knew about the capture of Osama bin Laden — and yet 80 to 90 staff in the White House knew about this.'

Hagel is expected to defend the prisoner exchange on Wednesday in an appearance before the House Armed Services Committee.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ounts.html

[csrowan]

Isn't it amazing how the GOP were up in arms, urging Obama to do "whatever is necessary" to bring home our "POW", Bergdahl... until he actually went and did it!

[SFLiberal]

Def. Sec. Hagel on Bergdahl swap:

I signed off on the decision. The president made the ultimate decision.

and yet after Congress was finally briefed about the details of the swap Obama administration's briefers told the gathered House members that the person responsible for the decision to make the deal was not President Obama but Chuck Hagel.

Just goes to show that every coverup needs a fall guy. Looks like poor Chuckie drew the short straw.

[tvguy]

Def. Sec. Hagel on Bergdahl swap:

I signed off on the decision. The president made the ultimate decision.

and yet after Congress was finally briefed about the details of the swap Obama administration's briefers told the gathered House members that the person responsible for the decision to make the deal was not President Obama but Chuck Hagel.

Just goes to show that every coverup needs a fall guy. Looks like poor Chuckie drew the short straw.

Yep , that's sure what it looks like.

[Someones Dad]

I think it would be a good idea to wait to hear from the Sgt. himself, before judging.

[SFLiberal]

I think it would be a good idea to wait to hear from the Sgt. himself, before judging.

Why? Does it really matter his excuse for walking away from his base in a combat zone? There is no excuse. None. He deserted, period and needs to be held accountable. The only real question is did he collaborate with the enemy as some have suggested. If he did he is not only a deserter but traitor.

[Scrapper]

I think it would be a good idea to wait to hear from the Sgt. himself, before judging.

I agree. People are too quick to judge when they don't have any idea "why".

[Scrapper]

[SFLiberal]

I think Hillary is going to come to regret this statement.

Clinton: Released Taliban Leaders ‘Not a Threat to the United States’

Maybe she doesn't consider US troops in Afghanistan as being part of the United States.