General Discussion

kentuck

(111,056 posts) Mon Jun 2, 2014, 11:23 PM Jun 2014

The big picture on the prisoner swap for the American ...

First of all, Obama wanted to get the process started of clearing out Gitmo. It was a bonus that Qatar was willing to be the middle man in the deal. All this Swift Boat talk is nothing more than static.

Secondly, the American military is withdrawing from Afghanistan. The Taliban control almost all of that country, except for Kabul. If there is going to be a working government after the upcoming elections, the Taliban must be involved. This swap was a gesture of good will from the American side. It is a big risk and gamble but it is the only card we have if we withdraw our troops. We can only hope that millions of dollars in aid will be an incentive for the Taliban to work with the newly elected government of Abdullah Abdullah or whomever wins the election.

The bottom line is that the wars will be over and Gitmo will be closed. All this hoopla about whether Bowe Bergdahl was a deserter or whether the 5 Taliban released were the meanest of the lot is only small talk compared to the big picture. The goal is to leave Afghanistan but to leave it in the best condition possible. It's time to get out of there.

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The big picture on the prisoner swap for the American ... (Original Post) kentuck Jun 2014 OP

Well, that makes sense. Thank you, my dear kentuck. n/t CaliforniaPeggy Jun 2014 #1

And Karzai GP6971 Jun 2014 #2

LOL Karzai will be on a boat in the Bahamas. Separation Jun 2014 #8

Didn't he live in San Francisco before... kentuck Jun 2014 #13

I'm not sure Separation Jun 2014 #15

k&r... spanone Jun 2014 #3

We missed an opportunity to swap all the reamining detainees for Bowe Bergdahl. morningfog Jun 2014 #4

Wait wait wait the Taliban is getting millions in aid from the US? 951-Riverside Jun 2014 #5

I think he meant the Afghan government is still getting aid. TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #7

And I would assume they will still get millions after our troops leave...? kentuck Jun 2014 #14

I agree with your big picture--the GOP knew Obama was trying to simultaneously TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #6

Republicans think peace is for the weak. Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2014 #9

Not over. Leaving 10,000 troops there, and they will be fighting and dying, and drones will still jtuck004 Jun 2014 #10

That's not the real big picture! ellisonz Jun 2014 #11

K&R JoeyT Jun 2014 #12

Hell, let's just swap all of the Guantanamo prisoners for 10 lb. of MineralMan Jun 2014 #16

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,534 posts)

1. Well, that makes sense. Thank you, my dear kentuck. n/t

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Mon Jun 2, 2014, 11:25 PM

Jun 2014

GP6971

(31,114 posts)

2. And Karzai

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 12:00 AM

Jun 2014

is pissed that this happened?????? Give me a break.......he'll be toast when we finally pull out.
Oh and my own personal opinion.......these 5 Taliban will be taken out soon after they leave Qutar.....accidents do happen.

Separation

(1,975 posts)

8. LOL Karzai will be on a boat in the Bahamas.

Reply to GP6971 (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 01:24 AM

Jun 2014

Long before the last troops pull out. Don't forget though that 10k military will still be in country, not to mention the countless contractors.

But yea, Karzai will be off with whatever he has stashed and end up in Djibouti, UAE, or some similar country.

kentuck

(111,056 posts)

13. Didn't he live in San Francisco before...

Reply to Separation (Reply #8)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:59 PM

Jun 2014

..he went to Kabul to be a puppet?

Separation

(1,975 posts)

15. I'm not sure

Reply to kentuck (Reply #13)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:58 PM

Jun 2014

I know he has lived in India, Pakistan, and in Europe briefly. But I can't find anything about him living in the states. He does have family that lives on the East Coast. I believe one of his sisters owns a couple of reaturants.

spanone

(135,795 posts)

3. k&r...

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 12:17 AM

Jun 2014

morningfog

(18,115 posts)

4. We missed an opportunity to swap all the reamining detainees for Bowe Bergdahl.

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 12:28 AM

Jun 2014

Guantanamo could be closed today.

951-Riverside

(7,234 posts)

5. Wait wait wait the Taliban is getting millions in aid from the US?

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 12:30 AM

Jun 2014

Did I read that right?

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

7. I think he meant the Afghan government is still getting aid.

Reply to 951-Riverside (Reply #5)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 01:13 AM

Jun 2014

kentuck

(111,056 posts)

14. And I would assume they will still get millions after our troops leave...?

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #7)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:01 PM

Jun 2014

I would be surprised if they did not. The Taliban might like to be in on the gravy train. Just like we did with the surge in Iraq when it looked like all else had failed, we bribed them.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

6. I agree with your big picture--the GOP knew Obama was trying to simultaneously

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 01:11 AM

Jun 2014

close Gitmo, end the war, and get Bergdahl back before we didn't have the resources to do so. They knew this deal was coming, and the "outrage" was all planned in advance, including the sudden trashing of Bergdahl, whose release the Repubs supported, right up until he was actually released, and now they're treating him like Benedict Arnold Junior with information that was already widely known for years.