Afghans upset U.S. released Taliban detainees to free U.S. soldier

Source: Agence France-Presse

By Agence France-Presse
Monday, June 2, 2014 11:23 EDT

The White House on Monday defended the release of five Guantanamo detainees in exchange for a US soldier held by the Taliban, as many ordinary Afghans criticised the deal for emboldening the militants.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl — the only US soldier held by the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan — was freed on Saturday in a dramatic deal brokered by Qatar.

In exchange, five Taliban prisoners were turned over to the Arab emirate where they will remain for a year, raising hopes for peace as the US prepares to leave Afghanistan.

But the deal has also sparked sparked criticism from some Republicans, who claimed they could return to the battlefield and pose a threat to Americans abroad, as well as revulsion among Afghans in those parts of the country traditionally opposed to the Islamists.

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