death bed.. They can't handle President Obama making a move without their whining disingenuous input.

Not their family, they don't care.

may well be one of the reasons Congress wasn't notified.

Only a handful of people knew about the operation and Hagel said "we couldn't afford any leaks anywhere, for obvious reasons."

done everything they could to sabotage this deal.

doubt that they would do everything in their power to sabotage the deal. And of course, you would've had the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and all the rest of that misbegotten ilk screaming night and day.

They'll still scream about it....but now it's a fait accompli and there's nothing they can do.

there's a trade for an American POW, we can send them Andrea Mitchell.

Along with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Pam Geller, Robert Spencer, Allen West, Louie Gohmert and Ann Coulter.

To name but a few.

They deserve it, but I'm not sure the Taliban does.

the Taliban responding to a proposal to send the Rush Limbaugh, etc., by saying, "Rush Limbaugh? Ann Coulter? Allen West?! Those people belong in a mental institution. Forget it. You think we're crazy or something? To hell with that....you can keep 'em."

you show your humor.....but really, it isn't funny to give praise and comfort to a group that has killed thousands of American citizens. Your joke fell flat with me.

Have you ever served in the armed forces?

Praise and comfort? Really?

but no I didn't serve, but my father, husband, son and grandson have served, so I am proud of them all. Still can't understand your question!

Yeah they deserve no praise.

her. Criticizing the WH is typical for her, but it's also totally disrespectful of the parents, as if they were being used as props.

I find it amazing that a legitimate journalist would feel so comfortable criticizing what surely were complex negotiations about which they have so little info--especially when it brought home a military member.

reporters said the timing of this release was 'questionable' and suggested it was done to distract from Shinseki's resignation. As if something like this could be arranged in a matter of hours.

Either these people are stupid or they think their viewers are. Probably a little of both.

a pow coming home now. It messes with their agenda big time. Bet they never reported on the republicons in Congress voting against the Vets in Feb.

She's nothing but a hack, barely able to contain her distaste for the president.

I would have been fine with that deal.

the Reagan/Bush team with the Iran hostages. The GOP has been doing things like this for political gain throughout my life, this would have been no different.

and his Team.

Congress should have set up some means through which prisoner releases could be quickly done. But we have a no-do, nothing-doing Congress.

A weak executive requires a strong Congress. We have a strong executive and a weak Congress. That does not meet our constitutional goals and standards. But Republicans are unwilling to govern cooperatively or responsibly, so what can Obama do in an instance like this?

I hope the right thing was done. The released prisoners sounded like a dangerous bunch. But I can think of ways it could be done safely.

and someone wanted to take them,

then why were they still there in the first place?

And if they were classified as so terribly dangerous that they could not be released/returned, how can one soldier's safety--among all those who have died already--be worth the danger?

Either way, negotiating away Guantanamo detainees like this doesn't seem to make sense.

always one. geez

Several prisoners may be innocent and that it has been a diplomatic nightmare to try to get another country to handle the trials etc. so it is not at all clear that what you are saying is true.

Are you fucking kidding!

They can't be held forever, because the war is ending (and only a residual force will be left). There's no justification for continuing to detain them, once we're mostly out of that country and regular combat operations cease. We might as well get our soldier back alive, rather than...nothing.

They were POWs just like any war's POWs.

Rules of war dictate that POWs be sent home once hostilities have ceased.

Everything else that is said is political theater.

None of those 5 crossed an Ocean to invade a country

POWs are POWs and they must be released at the end of hostilities. It is not complicated.

EDIT - Unless they committed war-crimes. Then they should receive and fair and speedy trial.

All five prisoners were classed as "high-risk" and "likely to pose a threat" by the Pentagon

...then someone who travels to the other side of the planet to invade a country is high risk too.

The US is not actively fighting the Taliban. The Afghans have suffered far worse than the Americans. It is time to let it go.

Bergdahl was the first topic, and the GOP line has had a constant stream of crazies complaining about Obama "breaking the law" and "he hates the troops".

Typical...

....would be to beat the living s*** out of Ralph Peters.

so called "strategic analyst". O'shitty ..........? SOS. Welcome home Pvt. Fuck these clowns.

They don't have a leg to stand on.

We bashed the h*ll out of GWB and his signing statements, so I don't think it behooves us to use the same line of reasoning.

Republicans are crying, "Wolf." Personnaly, I am sick of September Surprizes. Obama did not allow them advance visits and statements this time.

Pakistani terrorists hijacked an Indian Airlines plane (IC814) to Kandahar. (Which was a rehearsal for 9/11 by the way with the same MO of slashing throats of passengers etc.) and demanded release of five Pakistani terrorists in Indian jails.

We cannot get rid of this cancer unless we put a stop to Pakistan sponsored terrorist operations.

Really, fuck them.

Hooray for bringing Sgt. Bergdahl home!

Hagel and Obama both knew that. They both served in the Senate, they know what sort of treacherous assholes they're dealing with. And it was still a dangerous effort--the exchange could have been an ambush or Bergdahl could have been strapped with explosives. Operational security was critical--you want to let McCain in on it? Inhofe? LOLOLOL.

He knows just what it is to be a POW.

No, it would have been some chickenhawk who talked.

The American media is full of corrupt whores.

For example, I haven't heard a peep about this from any of the right-wingers that pound my in-basket daily.

Almost no Americans have a strong desire to keep Gitmo open. The only issues was that the GOP terrorized the stupidest people in their ranks to get all worked up about trying them as criminals and sending them to American prisons.

And regardless of the circumstances of this soldier's original capture, it is always a good thing (politically) to bring an American soldier home.

So go right ahead, GOP, and try to make a big deal about this. Most thinking people know this is one they can't touch. Obama knows that too, and is smartly raising the ante on the GOP, taking advantage of al;l the hatred and stupidity that exists in the modern GOP

While I haven't seen this from any serious mainstream journalists, I've seen many Facebook posts on pages line "NBC News" in which nutters are pushing the meme that Bergdahl wasn't a captured POW, but rather a deserter who fell into the hands of the Taliban. In this scenario, we shouldn't have traded anyone (their reasoning, not mine).

But, that said, even confused goofy soldiers should come home. 5 years as prisoner is plenty of punishment for his mistakes. He is probably very emotionally damaged now, and will need a lot of support--I think that added to the urgency.

I can't say who or the connection, but I know the person well.

Personally I haven't followed the story very closely so my knowledge of it is very limited.

The responsibility to make sure all of our men and women in uniform return from battle, especially those taken prisoner and held during war, is deeply personal to me as someone who has worn the uniform of my country – and as someone who was deeply involved in those efforts with respect to the unfinished business of the war in which I fought. Our nation has a sober and solemn duty to ensure that every single American who signs up to serve our country comes home. The cost of years of captivity to Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his family is immeasurable. Today, we are heartened that Sergeant Bergdahl will soon be reunited with his family and friends, from whom he has been apart for far too long.

I extend my personal gratitude to the Government of Qatar – and especially to the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – who played such an instrumental role in returning Sergeant Bergdahl home. We work every day with Qatar on a range of critical foreign policy priorities. This effort – one that was personally so close to our hearts here – exemplifies how vital our partnership with Qatar is and will remain.

I spoke today with Afghan President Karzai to brief him on this development and to discuss President Obama’s announcement this week about our efforts there. As we look to the future in Afghanistan, the United States will continue to support steps that improve the climate for conversations between Afghans about how to end the bloodshed in their country through an Afghan-led reconciliation process. As we’ve said, we look forward to working with the next President of Afghanistan and to standing side-by-side with the Afghan Government and the Afghan people as they build a secure, stable, sovereign, and unified country.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/05/227013.htm

================================================================

The reason I call it interesting is parts of the last paragraph. Some may remember that Kharzi and some more moderate elements of the Taliban were to have meetings in Qatar except Kharzi backed out a year ago - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/20/afghanistan-talks-taliban-qatar-cancelled

The last paragraph suggests that with a new President, they might be back on.

the Republican reaction. If Sgt Bergdahl had been killed, they would have blamed Obama for that. They want it both ways. All of them are missing something vital that makes a decent human being.

Thank you, President Obama, for this soldier's life.

Well said!

Or...Bergdahlzi.

He tried to go through Congress the first time, only to have Republicans block it:
http://tomhayden.com/home/republicans-block-release-of-us-soldier-held-by-taliban.html

And I won't get fooled again.

An American is home safe. Is that not enough?

...ain't that right John!

- Only an insensitive prick would complain about bringing a sick and dying POW back home.







K&R

So be it.