The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: graywolf on June 02, 2014, 08:30:49 AM
-
Have you seen "Homeland"? Sorry, that's another discussion. Is it just me or do I smell something fishy about this whole story? Did we just trade five senior Taliban commanders and perhaps the most dangerous inhabitants of Gitmo, for a guy who had become disillusioned with America and the mission in Afghanistan and just walked off the base one night?
I will leave the "rest of the story" regarding the Administration's actions on the table for addiltional connversation.
-
I'm with you, GW, this stinks on all accounts.
-
According to Brad Thor's post in yesterday's Firewire, he was intoxicated and wandered away.
Obama has violated US law in negotiating with terrorists by releasing 5 prisoners from Gitmo.
We did not even swap prisoners during WWII when it would have been both legal under US law, and acceptable under the normal usages of war.
-
This is a real disgrace if you ask me. Whose side is the current administration on? If we "accidentally" elected a covert enemy of the US would they being acting any different than what's being done now?
-
El Presidente had to do something to get the VA scandal out of the headlines.
-
Hi;
Barry and Croonies will go down in history as the most corrupt in American political history. What is really going to blow our minds is that Barry is going to write a everyone and anyone Presidential Pardon on his last day in office - then in 6 months to a year later we start to find more scandals that happened on his watch.
It will takes months/years to uncover and more years to correct.
Special Ops will be busy and the body counts keep going up.
-
This is a real disgrace if you ask me. Whose side is the current administration on? If we "accidentally" elected a covert enemy of the US would they being acting any different than what's being done now?
If you still have a question about this, then you just haven't been paying attention.
Crusader Rabbit
-
This is a real disgrace if you ask me. Whose side is the current administration on? If we "accidentally" elected a covert enemy of the US would they being acting any different than what's being done now?
Let's see, He attended a Muslim school as a child in Indonesia,
He celebrates Ramadan every year,
He aided anti Western terrorists in Egypt,
He had US aircraft supply air support to anti Western Terrorists (who he also armed) in Libya,
He is supporting and arming anti Western terrorists in Syria,
He has limited the FBI's ability to combat anti western Muslim terrorists in America,
Who's side do YOU think he's on ?
-
A better trade....Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, Hillary and another liberal to be named later.
-
If you still have a question about this, then you just haven't been paying attention.
Crusader Rabbit
Yep.
Whether Bergdahl is a hero or traitor remains to be seen.
The current govt housing residents @1600 Penn leave no room for doubt.
-
I've seen an article, to which I do not have a link, by Allen West and he is positive there is more there than the media is telling and is pushing to be sure the whole mess is investigated...
And about exchanging Liberal Leaders...it need to be a "remains" exchange for the bodies of our soldiers yet undiscovered.
-
Hi;
Barry and Croonies will go down in history as the most corrupt in American political history. What is really going to blow our minds is that Barry is going to write a everyone and anyone Presidential Pardon on his last day in office - then in 6 months to a year later we start to find more scandals that happened on his watch.
It will takes months/years to uncover and more years to correct.
Special Ops will be busy and the body counts keep going up.
Yeah, I came to that same conclusion a year or 2 ago. Now, anyone want to bet that the American Taliban Lindt is one of them he pardons?
-
My worry is that he won't be out of office at the end of his term.
If half the stories we hear about arming numerous government agencies for armed conflict on US soil, the way is being prepared.
Now, you will notice that with events like the civil disobedience in Conn. and the showdown at the Bundy Ranch and others, along with the continuous illegal acts by the administration tend to keep the civil unrest pot just below a boil...
Could be that close to the election, the heat will go way up, and that pot will boil over into general civil disorder...
Luckily the government has a ton of armed agents in the various agencies prepared to step in to restore order...but first martial law will need to be declared and the elections postponed to insure the safety of the polls and voters, of course.
No telling how long the conflict will last and I'd guess the administration is prepared to stick it out for the long hall...as a matter of fact, I'd guess that the administration is prepared to make sure it lasts for a very long haul.
It is a win-win situation for an anti-American administration.
If the populace becomes so fed up with the travesty, civil war ensues...
If the population capitulates without a fight, the chains are already in place...
At this point, the administration can pack up and head back to their homeland, leaving the US in the throes of a civil war or with an enslaved populace.
In either case, no matter what the outcome, the country will be bankrupt and adrift....
Hard to say what the outcome would be even if the majority of the armed forces and all county sheriffs fought for the Constitution if that would be enough to win....I suspect so, but it would not be an easy fight and the destruction might still be done.
-
"Hearings" and "Investigations" on this matter will wind up in the same place they did on Fast & Furious, the IRS, and Benghazi........NOWHERE.
-
"Hearings" and "Investigations" on this matter will wind up in the same place they did on Fast & Furious, the IRS, and Benghazi........NOWHERE.
Maybe not.
Pentagon inquiry in 2010 found Bergdahl walked away from unit, report claims
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/03/pentagon-inquiry-in-2010-found-bergdahl-walked-away-from-unit-report-claims/
But I wouldn't bet on it...maybe 50/50 on a good day.
-
As soon as he's brought home he should be taken to prison and brought up on desertion charges. He won't be simply because that would bring further embarrassment to an Administration that is already mired in scandal after scandal. He'll most likely get a parade complete with teary eyed parents and relatives.
If anything happens it will be "down the road", long after the news cycle curiosity peeters out. How much are you hearing about Fast & Furious these days? This, much like everything else this Administration handles, has become a total circus. It has done what Obama wanted it to do. Shift focus off the V.A. scandal, and start a new one that won't have the longevity, because it only involves a single American under questionable circumstances that took place a half a decade ago.
-
As soon as he's brought home he should be taken to prison and brought up on desertion charges. He won't be simply because that would bring further embarrassment to an Administration that is already mired in scandal after scandal. He'll most likely get a parade complete with teary eyed parents and relatives.
If anything happens it will be "down the road", long after the news cycle curiosity peeters out. How much are you hearing about Fast & Furious these days? This, much like everything else this Administration handles, has become a total circus. It has done what Obama wanted it to do. Shift focus off the V.A. scandal, and start a new one that won't have the longevity, because it only involves a single American under questionable circumstances that took place a half a decade ago.
Guess you don't remember Bobby Garwood.
Garwood was a Marine Private captured in Vietnam who wound up going over to the Communists and being appointed a Lt in the NVA.
He spent his time trying to co-opt other POW's and after the war stayed in Vietnam well after the US Govt was denying the existence of US prisoners remaining in Viet hands.
Finally in 78 or 79 he got word out that he wanted to come home and was returned to the US.
Remember, this was the middle of the carter administration which, until the current POS took office was considered the most incompetent in US history.
The Marine Corps granted him all his "time in grade" promotions and back pay, he wound up being a Master Sargent, so we're talking a healthy chunk of change .
Then they Court martialed him for desertion, and treason.
He was sentenced to reduction to Private, forfeiture of all pay and allowances (had to give back all that money) and several years in prison.
I don't know how well the media covered the story, but the Camp Lejuene newspaper covered it extensively since the trial took place there.
An incedent that I know did not make the media occured.
Garwood was being held in the base brig.
His lawyer got him released since he hadn't been convicted yet, and his was not a violent offense.
After all those years in Asia, and in the brig he finally got to go into town !
Some one saw him in a cross walk and drove over him breaking at least one of his legs, and on his release from the base hospital he was back in the brig for his own safety and never got out of custody again until the end of his prison term.
The driver was never charged
-
I've seen an article, to which I do not have a link, by Allen West and he is positive there is more there than the media is telling and is pushing to be sure the whole mess is investigated...
And about exchanging Liberal Leaders...it need to be a "remains" exchange for the bodies of our soldiers yet undiscovered.
This may be the article Solus was referring to
http://allenbwest.com/2014/06/objective-military-assessment-bowe-bergdahl-case/
I am writing this because last night I heard Fox News’ Harris Faulkner refer to Army SGT Bowe Bergdahl as a local hero. I just listened to Bergdahl’s father refer to his son’s character.
So, we must have a discussion of the truth here. Army SGT Bergdahl was not “captured” by the enemy in 2009. He abandoned his assigned post on his Forward Operating Base (FOB), leaving his weapon. Several U.S. Army Soldiers lost their lives in search for Bergdahl. His disappearance can only be classified as desertion and the media must not be so giddy about a good news story that they don’t tell the truth — which is apparent to many. The allegation of desertion is serious. It is grave because it occurred during a war, during combat operations.
The U.S. Army must uphold proper order and discipline and this allegation must be investigated — but the truth is already known. I believe the liberal media will attempt to elevate him to some type of status that will cause the Army not to pursue the right direction under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). We who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat areas of operation against radical Islamists know they don’t hold our troops — they are savagely and brutally murdered. They exist to kill Americans.
Are we glad that Bergdahl is home? After five years, yes, but there are many unanswered questions that cannot be dismissed because of emotions.
As well, America has now negotiated with terrorists, because the Taliban is not a nation-state, it is a non-state, non-uniform belligerent organization, a terrorist group. This is a dangerous precedent and was done unilaterally by President Obama.
How many of our troops lost their lives and sacrificed to capture those five senior Taliban leaders? All for naught. I must admit, the only way I would have released these barbarians would have been once a tracking chip/device had been implanted — without their knowledge. I believe there are long-term ramifications that will result from the release of these five terrorists — there was a reason why the Afghan Taliban demanded these five.
And why would we enter into brokerage with Qatar, a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood? I believe we should see them for who they are and cease our air operations from that country.
We all know how the media works — hence why Obama made this move over the weekend, on Saturday, as a matter of fact. The belief is that we will cease paying attention to the story by middle of this week. But we cannot. Bergdahl is home, but emotions cannot allow us to abandon our senses, as he abandoned his post.
Some of you may have forgotten something similar happening during the Clinton administration in the Balkans. I went back and found this in the New York Times by Susan Sachs, May 2, 1999:
Three American soldiers held captive for more than a month were released today and handed over to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson for their trip home. On Saturday President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia agreed to free the Americans after a lobbying effort by Mr. Jackson that was not sanctioned by United States officials.
The soldiers, who were captured March 31, said they had no ill will toward the Yugoslav people and were treated well. Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Stone also said he was thankful for the gesture of goodwill. He and the other soldiers, Staff Sgt. Andrew A. Ramirez and Specialist Steven M. Gonzales, then joined Mr. Jackson for the trip home. After winning Mr. Milosevic’s promise on Sunday to release the men, Mr. Jackson urged NATO to reciprocate by immediately halting further air strikes and opening negotiations on Kosovo.
Of course, the question back then by those of us in the military was, how did these guys get captured and not fire off a single shot or make a radio call for reinforcements? They were taken along with their HMMWV gun truck. The dirty little secret was that they were somewhere they should not have been.
Bottom line, there is always more to the story than what some want you to know — but in the case of Army SGT Bowe Bergdahl, there is a lot to know. The question is, will we allow the typical sound bite liberal media to direct us away from seeking the truth?
-
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/143680-15-things-need-know-obamas-exchange-last-american-pow-5-gitmo-terrorists/
In spite of these facts, the MSM will again make their boy immune to any flack for what he did.
-
That's the one
Thanks Tom.
This is a good example of how inept BO is....
In the last of a list of illegal actions, BO managed to free 5 top ranking Taliban leaders and bring home an Army deserter to be treated as a Hero.
How stupid and bumbling can BO be? Doesn't he know that none of that is anything but bad for the country.
If the MSN cooperates and lays in on thick enough, there might be a chance to land the SOB a job in a sensitive position in the defense industry.. Wouldn't be surprised if BO is that dumb too.
-
Doesn't he know that none of that is anything but bad for the country.
That's exactly the reason why he's doing it.
-
That's the one
Thanks Tom.
This is a good example of how inept BO is....
In the last of a list of illegal actions, BO managed to free 5 top ranking Taliban leaders and bring home an Army deserter to be treated as a Hero.
How stupid and bumbling can BO be? Doesn't he know that none of that is anything but bad for the country.
If the MSN cooperates and lays in on thick enough, there might be a chance to land the SOB a job in a sensitive position in the defense industry.. Wouldn't be surprised if BO is that dumb too.
Dude, you STILL don't get it.
If the Taliban or Haqqani held a bunch of SEALs, or Delta guys wouldn't you trade some useless A hole to be able to get 5 of them back into the fight ?
You keep making the assumption that Obama is a pro Western American, when in fact, all his actions , and many of his own words continue to drive home the point that he is a Muslim "Citizen of the world" no matter where he was born.
The fact that this POS is on the other side should be pretty plain after his support for Muslim terrorists in 3 different civil conflicts in 3 different countries.
-
Dude, you STILL don't get it.
If the Taliban or Haqqani held a bunch of SEALs, or Delta guys wouldn't you trade some useless A hole to be able to get 5 of them back into the fight ?
You keep making the assumption that Obama is a pro Western American, when in fact, all his actions , and many of his own words continue to drive home the point that he is a Muslim "Citizen of the world" no matter where he was born.
The fact that this POS is on the other side should be pretty plain after his support for Muslim terrorists in 3 different civil conflicts in 3 different countries.
I guess I should have been clearer...
I have been posting at every opportunity that BO is an inept President if his goal is to help the country, but he is doing an Ace job at his goal of destroying the country...
Was afraid I was getting boring saying the same thing over and over, so I tried to be facetious for a change....we need a button for that too.
Here is a copy of the text of an email I sent to a friend about this situation.
NEVER think BO is inept.
He appears inept only if you assume his goal is to do what is best for the US.
If, on the other hand, if his goal is to destroy America he is a true craftsman, never making a misstep and out performing anyone in the past by a very large margin.
Take his latest endeavor, for instance.
With the stroke of one illegal action, he has freed 5 of the highest ranking Taliban leaders and brought home a Army Deserter to the throngs of media outlets hailing the deserter as a hero.
Brilliant....and he did it without raising a sweat.
Over and done with before before a hint of an objection could be issued.
We are watching a true genius at work here....we just need to understand his objectives to appreciate his excellence.
Now let us see if he can manage the finishing touch on this masterpiece.
See if he can land the deserter a job in a sensitive positive in the defense industry.
I know it's a long shot, but if anyone can do it, BO can.
-
This whole thing is starting to stink more with each passing hour.
-
This whole thing is starting to stink more with each passing hour.
its going to smell alot worse...
-
Here is a copy of the text of an email I sent to a friend about this situation.
NEVER think BO is inept.
Solus, he IS inept. He is one of the most clueless, graceless, ignorant and incompetent people I have seen on TV in a long time, and if you have watched anything on TV over the past 20 years, that takes a lot! Have you seen him when he is without handlers and a teleprompter? ? ?
The fact that 53% of this country thought he would make a good POTUS underscores my point.
Point of fact, he is simply a puppet, and the people manipulating him are not inept, they are highly dangerous, evil, un-American and our blood enemies.
-
One other thing. USA (ret.)Col Allen West yesterday formally called for the House to profer articles of impeachment on bho.
-
Solus, he IS inept. He is one of the most clueless, graceless, ignorant and incompetent people I have seen on TV in a long time, and if you have watched anything on TV over the past 20 years, that takes a lot! Have you seen him when he is without handlers and a teleprompter? ? ?
The fact that 53% of this country thought he would make a good POTUS underscores my point.
Point of fact, he is simply a puppet, and the people manipulating him are not inept, they are highly dangerous, evil, un-American and our blood enemies.
All true. This man is simply too stupid to have some type of hidden agenda. Let alone the intelligence and political savvy to get it applied. Bill O'Reilly said last night, he has a unnamed source in the White House that told him Obama realizes he is a totally failed President, who no longer cares about public opinion. And who from now on is simply going to do what he wants. Press and polls be damned.
He cares nothing about his political party or the American people. He is a stupid, beaten, bitter man who has been uncovered for what he exactly is. A total idiot. Even his most die hard supporters, including those from the far left, are raising eyebrows at the political blunders and scandals that are now occurring on what seems to be a weekly basis.
Why did Carney quit? Can anyone blame him? The man has become a piñata for the press, trying to defend this ass hat's every move. Of which each one is dumber than the next. Who the hell in their right mind would want that job? It's why Rahm Emmanuel left before his first term was up. He saw all of this coming, and didn't want to be attached to Obama when he cratered. I hate the guy's guts, but it was a very smart move on his part politically. He currently is enjoying the position of mayor of Chicago. A position he could easily hold for life, or until he decides to retire, just like his predecessor did.
Obama is the worst Presidential disaster in the history of this country. His "legacy" is that of an idiot who rose to the level of his own incompetence. His whole Presidency is a bit like turning a running 747-400 over to a pre teen, then wondering how he could have possibly wrecked it.
-
If he is so inept why is he accomplishing so much harm to the country ?
He's like Rommel, he's great at his job, he's just not on America's side in the fight.
-
If he is so inept why is he accomplishing so much harm to the country ?
He's like Rommel, he's great at his job, he's just not on America's side in the fight.
Point of fact, he is simply a puppet, and the people manipulating him are not inept, they are highly dangerous, evil, un-American and our blood enemies.
This, Tom.
And you are right, with his training by his Communist mother and grandparents, not to mention "Uncle Frank (Marshall Davis)", he most certainly is not on America's side in this fight.
And if I were Rommel, I would come back to life just to throat punch you just for comparing bho to Rommel!!! ;D ;D ;D
-
If he is so inept why is he accomplishing so much harm to the country ?
You're giving him way too much credit. An idiot can make a decision to harm this country. Snowden, Assange, and the Walker's did it, and none of them are geniuses. Much like Obama, they just hated America and had the access to damage it. That, and make a few bucks in the process.
-
You're giving him way too much credit. An idiot can make a decision to harm this country. Snowden, Assange, and the Walker's did it, and none of them are geniuses. Much like Obama, they just hated America and had the access to damage it. That, and make a few bucks in the process.
I'd agree if it was just one decision.
But it is ALL of them....
Like it is said, even a broken clock is right twice a day, but BO is wrong on everything...if his goal is to help the country.
He is RIGHT on everything if his goal is to destroy the country... and an idiot cannot be right all the time...every time...successful in methods of subverting the Constitution and congress never imagined by any of his predecessors,
He is so inept at doing what he is supposed to do and required by law to do it cannot be stupidity to get it "wrong" in so many ways.
And as far as him caring about public opinion, he might be very concerned about it. As I posted elsewhere, I have a 'hunch" that he may intend to get public dissatisfaction with his administration to boil over into armed civil resistance calling for Martial Law and suspension of the next presidential election. If true, his concern with public opinion would be to have it bottom out at the right time interval before the election.
-
As I posted elsewhere, I have a 'hunch" that he may intend to get public dissatisfaction with his administration to boil over into armed civil resistance calling for Martial Law and suspension of the next presidential election.
That won't happen. He found out being President is work, and a hard job at the same time. He wants no part of it. Especially now that he's been had, and can no longer blame Bush. People don't trust him, and his "likability" factor is all but gone. Sure, 90% of the blacks want him, but that is only because they are color blind and racist.
No matter how high of an opinion you have of yourself, no one wants to be where they aren't wanted. The military would intervene if he tried suspending elections. I think they might before this comes to an end on it's own. This is getting more insane by the day. His own people are abandoning him. This isn't going to end well. Disasters rarely do.
Nixon resigned the Presidency due to his somewhat minor criminal actions. Is it so far fetched that Obama could be forcibly removed from it because of traitorous acts?
-
I do agree that the President is an enemy of this country and wants to radically change things but I think he's even doing a lousy job at that. Sure he's done plenty of damage America's still isn't dead yet. Despite his best efforts the US has become of the the greatest energy producers thanks to new technology like fracking. On a federal level he's been unable to do little to kill the 2nd amendment. The people on the left aren't exactly thrilled with his record either (but I don't anything makes them happy but that's a different topic). About the only thing BHO has done well is to fool a bunch of clueless people to vote for him.
America is definitely in trouble but we ain't dead yet.
-
Riddle me this. Whose idea was it to put up these 5 guys for 1 American? Was it a condition of the Taliban? Did BHO put forward these 5 because he knew that the Taliban would be incredibly stupid to turn it down? Certainly, there must be many lower value detainees that could have been used. If the circumstances of this weren't so tragic, ie the loss of life to capture these high value targets and the loss of life to look for Bergdahl, this would be the worst transaction since the Red Sox traded the Babe to the Yankees.
-
My Bad!!! I can answer my own questions as posted above. As big fan of Brad Thor novels, I should have recalled reading The First Commandment where the U.S. government releases the five top terrorists in Gitmo! This was written in 2007! (As posted in today's The Blaze)
-
Charles Krauthammer said it best. We come out on the losing end of these kind of deals because we are civilized, and value human life. Our enemies do not. Just like the time Israel traded 1,000 terrorists for one Private.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/06/03/krauthammer_part_of_obamas_arrogance_ignorance_to_celebrate_bergdahl_trade.html
It's not "right", as much as it's the best anyone can do and get the guy out. They know we'll bend as a civil society. And they know Obama can be played at the same time because he's sympathetic to the Muslim cause.
-
This, Tom.
And you are right, with his training by his Communist mother and grandparents, not to mention "Uncle Frank (Marshall Davis)", he most certainly is not on America's side in this fight.
And if I were Rommel, I would come back to life just to throat punch you just for comparing bho to Rommel!!! ;D ;D ;D
I don't know about that, Rommel never made it into Egypt or stopped us at Normandy, but BHO has pretty much wrecked every single sector of the US interests in the same length of time it took Rommel to flash in the pan.
-
http://dailysurge.com/2014/06/remember-jay-carney-said-releasing-bergdahl/#dK88Wkt6mc3dW0Df.01
Remember when Jay Carney said this ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCOnwydEzoE
I know, I know. Far be it for a White House Press Secretary to lie…especially one with as spotless a record of truth-telling as Jay Carney. But there he is back in June of 2013, insisting that no decision or negotiation to release terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bowe Bergdahl’s release would occur without having the express consent of the United States Congress. “We would not make any decisions about transfer of any detainees without consulting with Congress and without doing so in accordance with U.S. law,” asserted Jay almost exactly one year ago.
So what changed? Well, the administration’s spin this week is that there was an “urgent and acute” health matter that necessitated the expedited release of Bergdahl…yet they quite arrogantly refuse to specify what that health matter was:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYBVz4xLsk0
But maybe we’re looking in the wrong place. Perhaps the “urgent and acute” health matter was Obama blowing a brain gasket from all the criticism he’s gotten over the VA scandal. So, you know, he “urgently” and “acutely” needed to side-swipe Congress, so the mainstream media will talk about something else for a while. What’s truly amazing is his willingness to do one stupid thing after another if it means he can change the national topic.
-
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Idaho-Bergdahl-hometown/2014/06/04/id/575187/?ns_mail_uid=94501932&ns_mail_job=1572051_06052014&promo_code=pviuctno
Bergdahl's Idaho Hometown Cancels Planned Celebration
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's hometown abruptly canceled plans Wednesday for a welcome-home celebration, citing concerns over its ability to handle the large crowds — both for and against the soldier — that were expected.
The town of 8,000 has been swamped with hate mail and angry calls over Bergdahl, whose release after five years of Taliban captivity in Afghanistan has touched off a debate over whether the 28-year-old should get a hero's welcome or be punished a deserter.
Meanwhile, the Taliban released a 17-minute video of his handover showing a thin, tense-looking Bergdahl being patted down for explosives by U.S. forces before climbing aboard an American helicopter in the dusty Afghanistan desert.
Just before he was turned over, one of his Taliban captors leaned in and warned him: "Don't come back to Afghanistan. You won't make it out alive next time." His captors waved goodbye as he was led away.
In Hailey, organizers of a celebration that had been scheduled for June 28 issued a statement saying the town doesn't have the means to handle such an event, given the prospect of big crowds on both sides of the debate.
"If you had 10,000 people, 5,000 on one side and 5,000 on the other, then just due to the national attention, we don't know what to expect," Police Chief Jeff Gunter said.
The town has had an event called "Bring Bowe Back" for several years. When news broke over the weekend of Bergdahl's release in exchange for five Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay, organizers had announced it would be a welcome-home party instead.
Hailey Chamber of Commerce President Jane Drussel said she and the organization have gotten hate mail and calls from people lambasting the town and branding Bergdahl un-American and a traitor.
"The joy has all of a sudden become not so joyful," she said.
Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban after walking away from his unit, unarmed, in 2009.
U.S. lawmakers and others have also complained that Congress should have been consulted about the prisoner exchange, that the deal will embolden the Taliban to snatch more American soldiers, and that the released Afghans will filter back to the battlefield.
In Washington, Rob Williams, the national intelligence officer for South Asia, told the Senate intelligence committee Tuesday that four of the men are expected to resume activities with the Taliban, according to two senior congressional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was classified.
The five include the former Taliban interior minister, who was described in a U.S. case file leaked by WikiLeaks as having had close ties to Osama bin Laden; the Taliban's former deputy chief of intelligence; and a former member of a joint Taliban-al-Qaida cell.
The video of Bergdahl after five years in captivity shows a well-choreographed release, with the American sitting in a silver pickup truck while more than a dozen Taliban fighters with machine guns and faces largely covered by scarves stand guard nearby and on a rocky hill overlooking the site.
Wearing traditional loose-fitting Afghan trousers and a long tunic, Bergdahl, his head shaved, blinks frequently and looks tense as he peers out of the truck. At one point, he wipes his eye as if to get rid of some dust.
A Black Hawk helicopter lands, kicking up a cloud of dust. Two Taliban fighters, one carrying a white flag tied to a long, crooked stick, lead Bergdahl, now carrying a plastic bag, halfway toward the chopper.
Three apparent members of U.S. special operations forces approach the group, shake hands with the two Taliban fighters and take Bergdahl toward the helicopter.
One of the three men pats down Bergdahl, while another takes the plastic bag from him and drops it on the ground. Then they all climb into the helicopter.
According to a voiceover on the video, the handover took place around 4 p.m. Saturday in rugged Khost province, near the Pakistani border.
Back in the U.S., Sue Martin, a friend of the Bergdahl family and owner of Zaney's Coffee Shop in Hailey, said Bergdahl's appearance in the video shocked her. She said he looked frail, tired and damaged.
"That's not the Bowe who left here and lived here," Martin said.
Bergdahl was reported to be in stable condition at a military hospital in Germany.
A Taliban statement, also distributed to the media, quoted leader Mullah Mohammad Omar as saying the release of the five Taliban was a significant achievement for the movement.
President Barack Obama has defended the swap, citing a "sacred" obligation to not leave men and women in uniform behind.
On Capitol Hill, Obama's goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba faced re-energized opposition from Republicans and increased questioning from fellow Democrats in reaction to the trade.
Hoping to ease mounting criticism, officials from the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies planned a private briefing with senators Wednesday evening.
Some of Bergdahl's former comrades have complained that U.S. soldiers died during the search for him after he walked away. The military has not confirmed such a link.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday that the Army will review the case, and he cautioned against drawing conclusions until then.
"We don't do that in the United States. We rely on facts," he said at a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.
Lee Ann Ferris, a neighbor of the Bergdahls in Hailey, said the town is trying not to pay attention to the criticism of the soldier and the talk about how he fell into Taliban hands.
"It's like a modern-day lynching. He hasn't even been able to give his side of the story yet. This community will welcome him back no matter what," she said.
-
well there is one way to close Gitmo, let them all out... :-/
http://washingtonexaminer.com/lindsey-graham-impeachment-is-on-the-table-if-obama-releases-more-detainees/article/2549342
Sen. Lindsey Graham is so furious over the swap of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban leaders that he is warning of a GOP impeachment push if President Obama tries to release any other prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.
The South Carolina Republican, a prominent member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a military lawyer, has long supported the idea of shuttering the island prison and at one point a few years ago even served as Obama's point man in Congress for the efforts.
Sign Up for the Politics Today newsletter!
Those negotiations have long since stalled, and Graham this week became one of the fiercest critics of the president's handling of the Bergdahl swap.
“The likelihood of Americans being kidnapped in the future by terrorist organizations to retrieve some of their people held in captivity has gone through the roof,” Graham told reporters Wednesday.
-
well there is one way to close Gitmo, let them all out...
Or line all of them up on the beach in front of a water cooled Browning.
-
"Sen. Lindsey Graham is so furious over the swap of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban leaders that he is warning of a GOP impeachment push if President Obama tries to release any other prisoners from Guantanamo Bay."
That's a total load of bull$h!t. Why doesn't he do it now? That's like a judge saying..."If you rob one more bank, I'm putting you in jail!" The Republican's can't impeach anyone until they get control of the Senate. IF they do. It looks more promising with each passing day. But Graham is just shooting off his mouth...... Again. Gee, what a shocker, more cheap talk with no action from Washington.
-
Hi;
Barry will not be impeached even if Republicans/Conservatives have control of both the Congress and Senate. Being Black will save him. It is better to allow Barry to keep screwing up and then turn the American Public completely against the Progressive/Democrat way of life.
Starting with the college kids who supported Barry and Democrats...Let them feel the impact of his "executive orders". Let them have to live under his laws/rules. Let them have to pay ( financially ) for his actions that they supported by electing him twice.
In time ( a short time ) the kids will want a way out or help. That is when Conservatives better stand up and get the kids to see "the other side" of reality.
* Getting back to this tread; Fox News reporting that a friend of Bergdahl is releaseing some emails he sent back home......Does not look good for him.....
-
"Sen. Lindsey Graham is so furious over the swap of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban leaders that he is warning of a GOP impeachment push if President Obama tries to release any other prisoners from Guantanamo Bay."
That's a total load of bull$h!t. Why doesn't he do it now? That's like a judge saying..."If you rob one more bank, I'm putting you in jail!" The Republican's can't impeach anyone until they get control of the Senate. IF they do. It looks more promising with each passing day. But Graham is just shooting off his mouth...... Again. Gee, what a shocker, more cheap talk with no action from Washington.
As I have said repeatedly before, attempting to impeach Obama now is a waste of time since no matter what the House indicts him for the DEM DOMINATED Senate will refuse to act.
It seems at least some learned something from the wasted effort on Clinton.
-
Barry will not be impeached even if Republicans/Conservatives have control of both the Congress and Senate. Being Black will save him.
Don't bet on it. It will with the media, but it's wearing thin, and getting old with the American people. This guy is fuc*ing up big time on an almost weekly basis. There is still another 2 1/2 years to go with this ass clown. I don't think the nation can tolerate his anti American actions that long. Especially if the Dems take a pasting in November. Look for him to lash out with even more damaging Executive Orders.
-
There is still another 2 1/2 years to go with this ass clown
crap is it that long :(
-
Or line all of them up on the beach in front of a water cooled Browning.
works for me, bit to quick though ..
go medieval ??
-
If the Marine Corps museum will not loan you a water cooled M1917 Browning you can always do like the early Soviets.
Load them onto a vessel (They used barges in the Volga, we could use liners in either ocean ) then sink it in deep water.
-
crap is it that long :(
Here's the countdown clock. 879 days left. http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20161108T07&p0=611&msg=Countdown+until+Obama+is+OUT+OF+OFFICE
-
Don't bet on it. It will with the media, but it's wearing thin, and getting old with the American people. This guy is fuc*ing up big time on an almost weekly basis. There is still another 2 1/2 years to go with this ass clown. I don't think the nation can tolerate his anti American actions that long. Especially if the Dems take a pasting in November. Look for him to lash out with even more damaging Executive Orders.
It's daily, in point of fact. But then, that is his job.
Anyone considering what the next 2-1/2 years will be like? Slick Willy was a frat boy made good, so most of what he did was insulting, demeaning, juvenile and annoying, but basically harmless, like destroying computer keyboards and of course all of the pardons. But bho?
The mind boggles, since he has clearly demonstrated that no one has the balls to indict him, arrest him, prosecute him, and . . . . well, let's leave it at that. Let's just say I have no interest in seeing him and The Mooch behind bars. Deportation?
bho has already trashed the courts and the bureaucracies by stuffing them with progressives who can't be removed, so what's left? My guess is that the blind sheik, the American Taliban Lindt, and other such luminaries will be pardoned and released. The border shenanigans to date will pale as the Border Patrol is ordered to stand down. Any other guesses?
When your mission is to turn America into a 3rd world sh!thole, and there are no effective constraints on you, anything is possible.
-
I never cease to be amazed at the American news cycle. I has just been a few days more than a month ago that the story of the exchange of 5 Taliban commanders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl took place. I have not seen or heard any updates beyond that Sgt. Bergdahl had returned home and entered rehab. Has anyone got an update?
-
I read that they haven't even officially interviewed his fellow squad or company soldiers! The Admin probably stopped any further investigation and the press gives them a pass.
-
I can't wait to see how this works out for the POS.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2691165/Sgt-Bowe-Bergdahl-return-duty-US-Army-MONDAY-one-month-counseling-following-controversial-release-five-years-captivity-Taliban.html
Bowe Bergdahl could receive $350,000 tax-free when he returns to active duty with US Army today with 'desk job'
Sgt. Bergdahl will resume his military duties at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio
Bergdahl will have 'an office job within the headquarters,' Col. Scott Bleichwehl said
He will also have sponsor to help with assimilating
Bergdahl may also receive $350,000 from the US government without paying taxes
$200,000 worth of that money would be from wages earned during his captivity and $150,000 if he is found to have been a prisoner of war
Bergdahl will continue to attend debriefing sessions with his superiors
Comes days after photo of Bergdahl posing with Taliban official posted to Twitter
Bergdahl posed with Badruddin Haqqani, who died in a drone strike in 2012
By James Nye and David Mccormack and Lydia Warren and Zoe Szathmary
Published: 01:05 EST, 14 July 2014 | Updated: 08:02 EST, 15 July 2014
3,515 shares
349
View comments
The US Army confirmed Monday that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is returning to active duty just four weeks on from his return to the United States after five years as a Taliban captive - and will be working behind a desk.
'To use a slang term, he will be working a desk job,' Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told ABC News.
'Sgt. Bergdahl is not restricted in any way,' he said, noting Bergdahl will reside in noncommissioned barracks. 'He is a normal soldier now.'
Col. Scott Bleichwell offered a similar description in a phone interview with MailOnline.
'It's an office job within the headquarters - just general office work,' he said.
Bleichwehl explained that Bergdahl will also have a sponsor, which he described as 'a person who's designated, not only for him, but for every soldier in Army North [...] and assists with assimilating into the unit.'
The sponsor helps with 'very basic administrative functions,' Bleichwehl said, which include '[helping become] a part of the unit, processing records, becoming familiar with the day to day schedule.'
'We're always there for every soldier,' he said.
Bergdahl may also receive $350,000 from the US government without paying taxes: $200,000 would be for wages earned during his captivity and $150,000 if he in fact was a prisoner of war, according to Fox News.
Money earned while in a combat zone is excluded, per IRS regulations.
Responding to that report, Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway told MailOnline 'The Army's determination of Sgt. Bergdahl's eligibility for pay and benefits will be in accordance with the appropriate laws, regulations and policies. Pay is always linked to duty status.'
In a statement, the Army said that the soldier 'has completed the final phase of the reintegration process under the control of U.S. Army South and is currently being assigned to U.S. Army North, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA).'
'He will now return to regular duty within the command where he can contribute to the mission. The Army investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Bergdahl is still ongoing.'
According to the New York Times, Bergdahl was in therapy at Fort Sam Houston.
(edited to wonder if Former Maj. Nidal is handling his case while he awaits his execution ?)
Since his return from Afghanistan, Sgt. Bergdahl has been involved in debriefings with his superiors, the paper said.
Just last week, a photo of Bergdahl, smiling and posing with a former senior Taliban official in Afghanistan was posted on Twitter.
The undated photo, likely taken during Bergdahl’s five years in captivity, was posted on the social media site on Wednesday by @khorasan3, an account associated with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Along with the image were the words ‘#US Solider #Bergdahl with Martyr #Taliban Leader Badar'udin Haqqani(RH) S/O Shaykh Jalaludin Haqqani(HA).’
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) confirmed Bergdahl was photographed next to Taliban Commander Badruddin Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani network in Afghanistan.
The son of Haqqani head Jalaluddin Haqqani, he reportedly handled daily operations and was killed in a U.S. drone strike in August 2012, CNN said at the time.
Former POW Bergdahl was controversially released by the Taliban in May in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Last week it emerged that Bergdahl is being allowed to wander off the Texas base and while under supervision he has visited multiple stores and locations.
Bergdahl alternates between civilian and military clothing and shakes hands with passerby when they recognize him, an Army spokesperson told CNN.
The details have emerged as soldiers who served with Bergdahl before he left his post in Afghanistan in 2009 revealed to Fox News they have still not been contacted by military investigators
The former soldiers told the news channel they believe the Army has already made up its mind about how Bergdahl ended up in the hands of the Taliban - and that they believe he deserted his post.
But when he was swapped for five Guantanamo Bay detainees on May 31, President Obama gave him a hero's welcome and said the switch had been prompted by Bergdahl's poor health.
'I think it's very clear he deserted his post,' Army Sgt. Evan Buetow told FoxNews.com. 'He thought about what he was doing, he mailed some things home, he walked away and we have witnesses who saw him walking away.
'And if you’re walking away in one of the worst, most dangerous areas of Afghanistan without your weapon and gear, I don’t believe you’re planning on coming back.'
Of the investigation, Buetow added: 'They've already concluded what they want to be said. They know exactly what happened.'
Former Army Sgt. Matt Vierkant also told Fox News said he had not been contacted by Army officials - but that here are probably still sworn statements by the unit's members made after he left the post.
'I have confidence that they're going to do what’s right,' Vierkant said. 'I just feel this should've happened a long time ago and it should've been public.'
Both Buetow and Vierkant told Fox they believe Bergdahl deserted his unit.
You bas*ards better appreciate all the pictures, and side bar quotes I had to work around to post this friggin' thing ! ;D
-
Good work, Tom. I wondered where you came across a clean text story that large. Thanks.
Well, I guess he is innocent until proven guilty...tho that isn't always the Military Way...but they should have started interviewing his squad mates by now.
From the stuff I've seen, my call is he deserted, but there is still that 0.00001% chance he did not...I guess.
Releasing the Gitmo Five reeks of treason and everything about Bergdahl stinks pretty much too.
-
My "Blanket party detector" is pinging hard .
Just because he isn't being courtmartialed (yet) doesn't mean there will not be condequences he will not like.
-
My "Blanket party detector" is pinging hard .
Just because he isn't being courtmartialed (yet) doesn't mean there will not be condequences he will not like.
Was thinking the same thing.
The article mentioned that while under supervision he went off post to stores. It was not clear if that supervision went with him or if it was more like an advisor.....but...
Keeping him in the service near active duty soldiers might be the worst thing that could happen to him.
Of course that "supervision" might have a protective role too...if they could find anyone to trust with that job.
Sort of reminds me of when I wondered what John Murtha was thinking when he went to a VA Hospital for surgery after trashing US Soldiers.
-
I probably told the story about how USMC Vietnam traitor Bobby Garwood was tried at Camp LeJuene while I was there in the 70's and got hit by a car in the crosswalk the only time he was allowed out of the Brig.
-
I never cease to be amazed at the American news cycle. I has just been a few days more than a month ago that the story of the exchange of 5 Taliban commanders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl took place. I have not seen or heard any updates beyond that Sgt. Bergdahl had returned home and entered rehab. Has anyone got an update?
It's amazing how the communist media has intentionally let this go completely under the radar. They, (Socialist Democrats & communist media), want this to all go away, and this ass hat to skate.
-
The Department of Democratic Propaganda will never willingly cover anything that does not glorify "The Won".
Heard anything lately about "Fast and Furious", Solyndra, Benghazi, IRS targeting of conservatives , etc, etc, ?
-
Just got a CNN BREAKING NEWS e mail .
...
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, according to Bergdahl's attorney and a congressional source.
It's been nearly a year since Bergdahl returned to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange and since the Army began a formal investigation into his disappearance from his unit.
-
Forgive me, as my military knowledge is somewhat poor. Does this mean an almost certain Dishonorable Discharge is on the horizon for this POS?
-
UCMJ Article 85 Desertion
(b) Any commissioned officer of the armed forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away therefrom permanently is guilty of desertion.
(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct.”
-
Bobby Garwood got a Dishonorable discharge, loss of all rank, some jail time, a fine, and had to refund all the back pay he had received.
Probably be the same here.
-
Not sure if it is classified as a time of war, but the enemy we were fighting killed 6 of our troops who were trying to find this POS, under the assumption he did not desert.
And that number isn't counting any others killed by the 5 Gtgmoees released back in to the Terrorist ranks....but then that hangs upon the neck of a different POS.
My guess is that the safest place for ex-American Berghadl would be in prison...and even then, he would be on thin ice.