I’m glad that Bowe Bergdahl has been released. I’m glad no one lost their lives getting him released. Enough troops lost their lives in the search for him, already – apparently those losses should be laid at Bergdahl’s feet – they were killed looking for him. But some Republican lawmakers are charging that the whole exchange process – Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners in Guantanamo – was illegal, according to the Associated Press;
Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon of California and Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma said in a statement that Obama is required by law to notify Congress 30 days before any terrorists are transferred from the U.S. facility. They said Obama also is required to explain how the threat posed by such terrorists has been substantially mitigated.
McKeon is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Inhofe is the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The White House admits that they acted outside of the requirements because the circumstances warranted their quick actions.
The White House agreed that actions were taken in spite of legal requirements and cited “unique and exigent circumstances” as justification.
Regardless, the laws are there for a reason. The Long War Journal says that these five who we released in exchange for Bergdahl weren’t just a couple of run-of-the-mill sheepherders who were swept up in a raid. They were all top officials of the Taliban – a governor, a senior commander, a senior intelligence official and a deputy defense minister – folks who probably would have remained incarcerated if they hadn’t been exchanged for Bergdahl.
So, aside from the troops who gave their lives looking for Bergdahl, the exchange to get him back costs us something in regards to the success of the mission in Afghanistan. I’m not going to criticize the White House for bending some laws to get Bergdahl back, but I’m sure partisans will, just like partisans against President Bush would have under similar circumstances.
But, Bergdahl needs to pay a price for wandering off and costing the US so much – including the lives of the folks who tried to rescue him in the early days of his capture.
And it will be up to the US Attorney General to charge and seek a trial for this offense.
Which means, just like everything else, it won’t happen.
Yet another political back n’ forth because of DC.
I am eager to hear his explanation that won’t be sufficient so we can hear his side then have him Court Martialed.
This entire exchange was nothing more than a staged event to take the heat off President Mom-Jeans for the numerous scandals that he and his clown-car posse administration are responsible for.
This exchange was likely waiting in his hiop pocket until he really needed a distraction and so he played it. He didn’t care about the lives lost, or the danger to other lives those released Taliban represent. he didn’t care about Bergdhal, and he could give a damn less about the law.
He did this because he knew it would make him look good and take up all the questions on the Sunday talk shows.
Obama had ZERO authority to act outside the law, not that it’s stopped him these past six years, but could maybe NOW we have the House draw up impeachment articles against him & Biden?
How much more lawlessness, how many more citizens, need to be sacrificed before Congress says enough! ?
Agree on every point.
Congress will never say enough with this guy. I read the President does not believe he has to follow this particular law because of his position as CIC. But since he has only followed most other laws when it is convenient, this should come as no surprise. So now every American soldier, sailor and Marine is at real risk for kidnapping and some sort of exchange. Nothing good will come of this.
Unfortunately, the Glorious Leader has priors on every count, and he’s gotten away with all of them, more or less. If Bush had done even half of the unconstitutional shit Obama has pulled, there would have been torches and pitchforks on the White House lawn. But he gets away with it somehow!
Agreed, Tim. Then there is this, from Bergdahl’s dad’s Twitter account, that he posted, then deleted:
I am still working to free all Guantanamo prisoners. God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen!
http://twitchy.com/2014/05/31/working-to-free-all-guantanamo-prisoners-tweet-from-account-of-released-soldiers-father-deleted/
I’d point out that that Tweet was written on Wednesday (May 28th) three days before Bowe was released.
I would like to point out that the family at that point already knew their son was coming home and conveniently were already in the D.C. area to be on hand for the press conference.
Wait, it wasn’t a coincidence that mom and dad just happened to be in D.C. at the time? Why, one would almost think that there was, indeed, enough time to drop a dime on the Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority leader, and perhaps the heads of the military and intelligence committees?
And now we can listen to Barry tell us how he killed Osama AND got our one pow back.
I may very well be wrong, but I don’t remember Bush claiming personal credit like that. The Glorious Leader and his minions love to talk about how “he killed Osama” and all that shit.
Okay, then. If Obama killed Bin Ladin, then Reagan flew the Space Shuttle. Bush Sr. swung the sledgehammer that broke the Berlin Wall. Nixon walked on the Moon. FDR raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi, chased the Nazis out of France in his wheelchair, and built Hoover Dam with his own two hands. Abe Lincoln stopped the Rebs at Little Round Top and burned Atlanta to the ground with his cigar. Thomas Jefferson kicked down the door to Derna Fortress and then took a two-year sightseeing trip with Sacajawea. They just don’t get it.
I am a history teacher, and I pay you respect. Oh, and I laughed my ass off.
dutch508…Saw a bumper sticker the other day. It read, “Obama got Bin Laden…and a U.S. Ambassador”
Stealing.
Yes, this sucks on steroids. But, my question is: when would these terrorists have been released had it not been for this exchange? Was “the plan” to keep them indefinitely at Gitmo, like forever?
Impossible.
Obama said the first thing he would do once elected is close Gitmo.
Oh wait.
Disregard.
You know how you can tell when Barack Obama is lying? If his lips are moving and noise comes out.
Har gar. Awesome “Dad” joke.
One of the reasons that democratic governments do not (officially and openly) negotiate with terrorists is that such negotiations run counter to democratic principles. If kowtowing to violence or its threat is rewarded, then, it stands to reason, the rule of law is compromised and individuals or groups can bypass the law and its procedures to obtain what they seek. Now, I understand that unofficially democratic governments have, on occasions, dealt with terrorists over a table, through intermediaries, and secretly. Is doing so openly therefore okay? Hell no. In this instance, the White House acknowledges that it, presumably indirectly, negotiated with terrorists, resulting in the release of five of them. Its doing is anathema both to democratic principles and to the prospect of discouraging terrorism as a useful tool to accomplish political goals. Oh, the US policy on paper is intact but policy comes in two recognized flavors: That which is published and that which is practiced. The latter is what counts in the real world. In this instance, the Obama administration’s policy is to negotiate with terrorists. It is also its practice to circumvent US law in doing so. The immediate result of the instant negotiating was to secure one soldier’s release. His Iowa town is preparing a parde and celebration in his honor. His family and friends are no doubt overjoyed. That’s great, I guess. Yeah, great if one turns a deaf ear to democratic principles and is willing to pay a tremendous costs in lives in the future.
“The White House agreed that actions were taken in spite of legal requirements and cited “unique and exigent circumstances” as justification.”
This is the Emperor, once again, thumbing his nose at U.S. law. In his mind, it does not apply to him, his administration or their desires. If his whims, to deflect attention from scandal, for a short moment of glory, his glory, is justified in his mind then to heck with U.S. laws. He will do as he pleases. Since his AG will never take him to task for violating the law, maybe it is time Congress did.
Need to get enough GOP votes in the Senate to convict him during impeachment (2/3 vote). Even if there was enough evidence that O’Doofus was guilty, the Donks won’t cross the aisle and vote for conviction – to them it’s all about their “legacy” as the party of the “little person”.
Personally, there are some GOP senators that I wouldn’t trust in an impeachment trial because of their RINO ways…
“The White House agreed that actions were taken in spite of legal requirements…” You gotta love that verbiage. “In spite of legal requirements” is a roundabout way of saying ILLEGAL. But this illegality certainly won’t trigger any impeachment action, especially while John “I-just-had-lunch-at-the-White House- and-I-swear-it-really-is-only-mayonaisse-on-my-mouth” Boehner is Speaker.
2/17 Air Cav…I wouldn’t trust Boehner to change my tire or operate a roll of Saran Wrap.
The current controversy will be as nothing compared to the discussion after he applies for travel vouchers and household goods shipment for a wife, three kids and mom-in-law. (and amended back pay for dependants and separate housing.)
Hey now, I sure these five worthy individuals have seen the error of their ways after time spent at GITMO, and will return to A-Stan to write their memoires and open a shop in the carpet souk, or perhaps a restaurant in Kabul specializing in goat.
Riiiiight…….
The problem isn’t the degree of lawlessness within the government-bad as it is-but the lawlessness within the larger society. To the average American the release of Bergdahl is a “feel good” story. “Hurray, this American who was held captive is being released-that’s nice, I feel good about that. What?!? Those nasty Republicans are raising a legal point about the circumstances of his release? That doesn’t make me feel good-boo them.”
I think the average American would be genuinely perplexed that many of us in uniform are less than thrilled with Bergdahl. But I think the expression from a few years ago is correct-we’ve been at war, they’ve been at the mall.
68W58…As I heard it put, “All of the world is watching America and all of America is watching…TV”.
Sign the whitehouse petition demanding an Article 32 hearing for Bergdahl. WHile you there sign the petition to nominate Chaos 6 for Sec VA.
Jarrett may have overreached on this one.
And Carney may have said even he could not sell it…
The WH says that it acted unilaterally because the soldier’s physical health had deteriorated. I’m sure that it learned this from legitimate, trustworthy channels–you know, just as it learned that the Benghazi attack was a spontaneous reaction to a video. The WH never makes things up to shield itself from criticism. (Hey, I’k like to think that Jay Carney was aware of the pending news and resigned, rather than lie through his teeth again. I’d like to but I can’t. He was such an accomplished bullshitter: Why would he have a pang of conscience now?)
I’m going to guess that he was worn out and had enough of the daily debates with the press.
Even Dana Perino says that its not a job you usually do for more than a year or two because it wears on you that much. So he was well overdue for stepping down.
Not that I’m defending him for deflecting the BS and lying about anything and everything, but that’s just what I’ve seen, which makes sense.
Interesting. Where were the checks and balances of power regarding the military obeying unlawful orders? Looks like Obummer has the military obeying him personally.
I hope there is an investigation. Who am I kidding……
There’s an “investigation” for everything, but they usually end up having the agency or boss of whatever it was investigate and they say “nothing to see here sir, move along.”
Then they can say, see? We investigated, nothing is wrong.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/bowe-bergdahl-must-be-held-accountable-deaths-his-desertion-caused-he-should-face-article-32-hearing/0BD0xzZw
Appears 0bama traded 5 jihadists for 1 jihadists. His parents just happened to be in DC? Father wrote a lot about the Afghan Tree project. That is out of Boston; bombings anyone? Not to worry, the so called news media is still in 0bamas back pocket and will cover for him any way possible.
ohio…I wrote this earlier. Five years now? Obama has had and kept this in his pocket for “scandal insurance, deflection” for a long time. This offer was on the table two years plus ago by the Taliban. Obama cashed this check now for political reasons only. He garnered support from the ill informed masses with a “feel good, I am a strong, determined, no man left behind kind of leader”. The ill informed and left are lapping it up because it is a “sound good solution, to a feel good issue”. Period. If the guy had been beheaded, Obama would have spun that to his benefit as well. The family would have been at the White House for the Purple Heart Award ceremony. Both these men, Obama and Bergdahl have a lot to answer for. We have not only not heard the last from the five released, we have yet to hear the beginnings of their plans for retribution and terror against Americans in Afghanistan and here at home.
Everybody repeat after me “15-6 investigation”…okay, now “article 32 hearing”…
Civilwarrior…Here-Here. Yes please. A legitimate one as well. Not a “gimme pass” orchestrated by the White House and their lapdogs in the Pentagon.
Okay so lets fast forward. Even if the republicans seek an impeachment and the house votes yes the senate votes no.
I just saved you two years of news.
The House votes to impeach, and sends it on to the Senate. The Senate considers, appoints a prosecutor and defense. Then, eventually, the trial starts.
Meanwhile, on the off chance that something might happen, O, Jarrett, Da Mooch and his cabinet spend the next 6 months deleting emails, shredding documents, holding fundraisers and playing golf. Nothing gets done and the country begins to recover from the 8 years of misdirection, misinformation and malfeasance. Win-Win.
No, this slime ball will start a conflict or war. National Emergency to stop process.
Well, if this isn’t tooooooo perfect. None other than Susan Rice is saying that the US did not negotiate with terrorists to obtain the soldier’s release. Well, I’m sure you’ll agree that if Ms Strapon says so, that’s good enough for all of us.
well after Jan 3 2015 IF we have a new Senate Majority Leader (with balls and a backbone) look for the appointment of several independent counselors and special prosecutors.
I wonder if the administration is going to let the Army do a complete and unbiased investigation into how Berdahl ended up in the Taliban’s hands.
To be honest it looks like a flat out case of desertion to the enemy.
Big F’ing Deal. A whole ton of stuff this President and his Administration have done is illegal. Why do we think anything will be done over this? Just more handwringing by the feckless Repub Establisment. I’m surprised more of them have not trotted out the “history will judge” hoary chestnut.