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Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl If I

Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

Anyone remember the movie called " The Beast " ?

Its about a Russian soldier that wound up with the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan.

The similarities between this and that Movie are striking
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

TheDemSocialist said:
The trade itself wasnt leaked. "the Obama administration has decided to try to resume talks with the Taliban and sweeten an offer to trade Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the Army sergeant, current and former officials said."

All the link said was the administration is "trying to resume talks". Nothing about if a deal was reached, etc.
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Read you own OP, how about? If the Taliban was threatening to kill Bergdahl if the WH revealed the terms of the release then Bergdahl would already be dead because the details of the trade the happened have been widely known for years.

FFS, DS, the trade that happened was requested by the Taliban, and presented to F-ing Congress. It wasn't a secret so there is no reason for them to keep it a secret. The White House is lying to you.

Also, this doesn't really help Obama's story, or Diplomatic image, if it is true that he was strong armed into a bad deal by some animals in a stone hut in Afghanistan.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

TheDemSocialist said:
Congress not told of swap because Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if it leaked
This news is just now breaking and this is all the info on it now. If this is true, does this change the situation a lot or anything?
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If the law stated the President had to make it publicly known I'd say it'd change the situation. But it's not. He has to alert congress. There's no more guarantee that Congress would've leaked this information than there was that someone in the Administration would've leaked it...it's hardly been an air tight 6 years.

Violating the law in response to a threat doesn't change that it's a violation of the law. I'd possibly be understandable if the threat by the Taliban was "don't tell congress" (in which case I'm wondering why our foreign policy is function off such a weak platform that we're kowtowing to a debately terrorist regime's threats demanding we break our own laws). But that wasn't the threat. The law could've been followed without the threat coming to fruition. This is an excuse, not a legitimate reason, at first glance.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

jmotivator said:
Read you own OP, how about?
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I did. Point being?

If the Taliban was threatening to kill Bergdahl if the WH revealed the terms of the release then Bergdahl would already be dead because the details of the trade the happened have been widely known for years.
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But they didnt release the terms of the release until after the release. They didnt release the date, the deal, etc, until after the release itself.


FFS, DS, the trade that happened was requested by the Taliban, and presented to F-ing Congress. It wasn't a secret so there is no reason for them to keep it a secret. The White House is lying to you.
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It wasnt a secret that we were negotiating. The agreement and all the details however were a secret.
Hell before all this happened the GOP was all over this trying to get him home.

Also, this doesn't really help Obama's story, or Diplomatic image, if it is true that he was strong armed into a bad deal by some animals in a stone hut in Afghanistan.
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He was "strong armed"?
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

What a sad excuse of an attempt to deflect attention from this abortion of a decision. Again.

What a clown.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

That's when you reply "If you kill him, we will view that as an act of aggression and retaliate." Or, he could be weak and circumvent congress and give in to the demands of terrorist groups. Or did they seriously not think they could inform congress without the Taliban finding out either?
 
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Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

TheDemSocialist said:
But they didnt release the terms of the release until after the release. They didnt release the date, the deal, etc, until after the release itself.
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The deal that they agreed to was the same deal they had presented numerous times in the last 2 years. If Obama broke the law by not notifying congress because the Taliban demanded it then he should be impeached tomorrow.



It wasnt a secret that we were negotiating. The agreement and all the details however were a secret.
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Bull**** they were, DS. How many articles do you need to see from the last 2 years that contained the same details as were in the final deal before you admit this is a lie by the WH? This exact deal was rejected by congress TWICE.

Hell before all this happened the GOP was all over this trying to get him home.
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Not by releasing 5 top Taliban leaders they weren't. How can you be so dense that you can't understand how people could support negotiating for Bergdahl's release and still be pissed off by the deal the President agreed to and the cowardly excuses he gives for why he did it?


He was "strong armed"?
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The WH excuse that you just posted admits that he caved to pressure from the Taliban. If you buy the WH excuse de jour then the Taliban dictated the deal to the WH and told the WH to break the law by not telling Congress as required, and Obama did just that.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

nota bene said:
I'm guessing that you are rudely referring to former President Jimmy Carter here. I'm so sick of terms such as "Ronnie Raygun" that lower the discourse bar.
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What?

Carter prided himself on his "peanut farming." It's not my fault he loves peanuts and has earned his nickname though that pride. If I wanted to be "rude" I would start talking about "Billy Beer" and how much **** his president brother got him out of,

I just think it's funny that he believes hes just this "everyday" farmer - when the only president that has actually showed that he is just an "everyday" individual is George W Bush.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

Mr.Nick said:
I don't see how any of this could have or should have been "classified" we swapped prisoners in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam not to mention Iraq and it was all public information.

Barack "Mr. Transparency" Obama did this behind the backs of the American people..... The people should have known about this exchange before it happened, and the only thing that makes this "top secret" is the fact Obama traded 5 terrorists for 1 military dissenter.

The funny part is this is exactly what Peanut Boy Carter would have done.

So now we have 5 terrorists that are obviously plotting their next attack by now all so we can reprimand a US soldier....

What type of trade is that?

I wouldn't even call this a trade I would call it a gift to terrorists.
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What we now have is 5 terrorists back home planning the next 9/11, and an unhappy sympathizing deserter back home free to act as a plant. Said plant now has the ear of the president.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

Mr.Nick said:
What?

Carter prided himself on his "peanut farming." It's not my fault he loves peanuts and has earned his nickname though that pride. If I wanted to be "rude" I would start talking about "Billy Beer" and how much **** his president brother got him out of,

I just think it's funny that he believes hes just this "everyday" farmer - when the only president that has actually showed that he is just an "everyday" individual is George W Bush.
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Oh, yes, attacking a President's siblings or children is definitely raising the bar. :roll:

Oddly, I never really thought of former President Carter as a peanut farmer. Naval Academy, grad studies in nuclear physics, and later, a successful business, then a political career, and then humanitarian work including decades'-long involvement with Habitat for Humanity.

Out of all this, what you got was "Peanut Boy."
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

MaggieD said:
OMFG.

"Let's see . . . what do we have to say to make this go away?" I don't believe it for a moment.

Is this excuse, then, a reason the president may always act unilaterally? It's bull****.
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Heya Maggie.
hello2.gif
Do you think this explain Placing the National Interests and Security of the Country over that of one individual.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

If this is true and Congress was not informed because the Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if that happened, then why weren't the pertinent Congressional people informed of that when the White House contacted them to apologize for not informing them? Not a single one said the White House gave them a good reason for not informing them other than Bergdahl was practically at death's door. Well he obviously wasn't practically at death's door, but only an idiot would believe this new story has any chance to be believable by anybody other than the hard core Obama worshippers.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

danarhea said:
This boils down to a signing statement that Obama had previously made in regard to this requirement, in which he contended that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers and that he therefore could override it.

And here is the irony. When Bush was in power, he executed many signing statements, which Republicans supported, and Democrats pilloried him for it. Now that Obama is in power, Democrats support his signing statements, while Republicans pillory him for it. What's the difference, you ask? The Party holding the White House at any given time, and that president's detractors. "The Hypocrite Boogie" has always been Washington's theme song.
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Well and other than the fact that BO was constantly criticizing Bush over it.....yet then the Bottom line. He signed the bill into law.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

iliveonramen said:
Actually you're just wrong.

The gang of 8 was notified which only included leadership of the parties and the two chairs of the intelligence committees.


http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB410/docs/UBLDocument14.pdf


Not really, the Bin Laden raid was a covert operation and allowed the President to only notify leadership and heads of the intelligence committees. He met the requirements of the law.

This required a Congressional notification not just key individuals. He would of broke the law if he only notified key leadership.


Honestly discussing anything with you is a trial in patience. It's incorrect fact followed by an ad hom attack followed by another incorrect fact.
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Actually.....you are. So says McKeon Chair of the Senate Arms Committee.


The House Armed Services Committee will investigate President Obama’s decision to circumvent Congress in swapping five Guatanomo Bay prisoners for Arm Sgt. Bowe Berdahl, the panel’s chairman said Monday.

“We will be holding hearings. I’m sorry this is being portrayed as a Republican issue,” Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) said on MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown.”

McKeon said Obama “broke the law” by not informing Congress 30 days before he released the five Taliban detainees from Guatanomo and sent them to Qatar. …

McKeon noted that National Security Adviser Susan Rice on Sunday said the deal had been in the works for some time, and said Congress should have been informed along the way.

“I don’t know who they were talking to. I have not been a part of this and I’m the chairman of the committee,” he said.

“Now we’re 72 hours after the fact, and they still haven’t told us how they’re going to ensure that these five, top-level Taliban terrorists are not coming back into the fight,” McKeon said.....snip~

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-po...-mckeon-announces-hearings-bergdahl-swap.html
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

jimbo said:
What we now have is 5 terrorists back home planning the next 9/11, and an unhappy sympathizing deserter back home free to act as a plant. Said plant now has the ear of the president.
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I don't know what the intent of the deserter actually is, however I know what the intent of the terrorists are - unless you believe in reformed terrorists which terrorists cells believe are an asset - otherwise they wouldn't be coveted.

Now you don't trade 5 terrorists with malicious intent for some idiot who probably scored 45 on his ASVAB.

If this was the Cuban Missile Crisis and Obama was in charge the US would be either a nuclear wasteland or we would all be part of the USSR if these are Obama's negotiating skills.

Now the simple fact he traded 5 for 1 goes way beyond his "social justice" nonsense which progressives love and digs deep into weather or not Obama is or ever was a suitable president in the first place.

When it comes to economics and US social policy I can deal with difference of opinion but when it comes to weakness such as this with securities it really paints a picture of how weak we are under this administration. Do you feel safe under Obama?

If you have paid any attention to geopolitics you would realize that Obama is considered an absolute retarded token present, that lets China rip us off and is about to let the USSR rise again.

I don't give a **** if Obama is Purple but his foreign policies are absolutely horrible and if Castro wasn't dead amongst other communist leaders we would have Putin up our ass right now - Thank God Kim Jong-Il has passed because his son Kim Jung-Un doesn't know how to run a country - he's too obsessed with managing his own totalitarian state - if he had more time he would start ****ing with Obama and Obama would know what to do but pay money or **** bricks.

Of course most posters around here only give a **** if Justin Beiber is a racist or not - that's all legal and illegal citizens of the US care about.
 
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Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

jmotivator said:
So wait, the Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if the White House leaked the details of a trade that the White House already told the Washington Post about nearly 4 months ago and had twice been presented to Congress (and rejected) in the last few years?

It was not a secret trade. It was just a dangerously stupid trade that everyone told the President not to make.
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Yeah kind of hard to believe JM :2wave: .....I even have that piece posted up here in Breaking News Blogs forum and at the time in Feb. ;)
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

AlbqOwl said:
If this is true and Congress was not informed because the Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if that happened, then why weren't the pertinent Congressional people informed of that when the White House contacted them to apologize for not informing them? Not a single one said the White House gave them a good reason for not informing them other than Bergdahl was practically at death's door. Well he obviously wasn't practically at death's door, but only an idiot would believe this new story has any chance to be believable by anybody other than the hard core Obama worshippers.
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That's Right AO. :2wave: And we already have the Answer from the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

SF Chronicle.....who she releases her statements too. ;)


Feinstein says White House didn’t notify Congress on prisoner exchange.....

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters Tuesday that she got a call from the White House apologizing for not letting Congress know about its exchange of Taliban prisoners for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a prisoner of Afghan rebels since 2009.

“It’s very disappointing that there was not a level of trust to justify alerting us to that,” Feinstein said. “I had a call from the White House last night, from (Deputy National Security Adviser) Tony Blinken, apologizing for it.”

Feinstein said a prisoner swap was last discussed with lawmakers in 2011. She said Republican opposition to a swap may have contributed to the administration’s lack of notice, adding, “The White House is pretty unilateral about what they want to do when they want to do it.”.....snip~

Feinstein says White House didn’t notify Congress on prisoner exchange - Politics Blog

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-pa...enstein-admits-bo-and-his-team-broke-law.html




Democrat Dianne Feinstein: Obama Broke The Law With Bergdahl Swap....

The firestorm surrounding the Obama administration's decisions to allow five high level Taliban members to go free in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl without the consent of Congress continues to rage on Capitol Hill. As the details of what many see as a bad deal continue to emerge, with many of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers expressing anger and outrage over him being welcomed home as a deserter, many lawmakers are questioning the legality of the swap.

One of those lawmakers is Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Two top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that the Obama administration broke the law by not informing Congress before the prisoner exchange that resulted in Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s release.

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss said the administration violated the law by failing to address serious concerns they had about the deal to swap Bergdahl for five Taliban detainees. Chambliss said he had not had a conversation with the White House about a possible exchange for at least 18 months.

"It comes to us with some surprise and dismay that the transfers went ahead with no consultation, totally not following law," Feinstein told reporters following a closed door meeting. "And in an issue with this kind of concern to a committee that bears the oversight responsibility, I think you can see that we're very dismayed about it ." .....snip~


Democrat Dianne Feinstein: Obama Broke The Law With Bergdahl Swap - Katie Pavlich

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-pa...stein-admits-bo-and-his-team-broke-law-3.html
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

The link does not match the topic of this thread.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

It is bad enough Obama negotiated with terrorists. But what is even worse is that he allowed them to blackmail him. This thread needs a link to the proper article. But if that did happen, he is the weakest president this country has ever had.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

MMC said:
That's Right AO. :2wave: And we already have the Answer from the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

SF Chronicle.....who she releases her statements too. ;)


Feinstein says White House didn’t notify Congress on prisoner exchange.....

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters Tuesday that she got a call from the White House apologizing for not letting Congress know about its exchange of Taliban prisoners for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a prisoner of Afghan rebels since 2009.

“It’s very disappointing that there was not a level of trust to justify alerting us to that,” Feinstein said. “I had a call from the White House last night, from (Deputy National Security Adviser) Tony Blinken, apologizing for it.”

Feinstein said a prisoner swap was last discussed with lawmakers in 2011. She said Republican opposition to a swap may have contributed to the administration’s lack of notice, adding, “The White House is pretty unilateral about what they want to do when they want to do it.”.....snip~

Feinstein says White House didn’t notify Congress on prisoner exchange - Politics Blog

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-pa...enstein-admits-bo-and-his-team-broke-law.html




Democrat Dianne Feinstein: Obama Broke The Law With Bergdahl Swap....

The firestorm surrounding the Obama administration's decisions to allow five high level Taliban members to go free in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl without the consent of Congress continues to rage on Capitol Hill. As the details of what many see as a bad deal continue to emerge, with many of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers expressing anger and outrage over him being welcomed home as a deserter, many lawmakers are questioning the legality of the swap.

One of those lawmakers is Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Two top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that the Obama administration broke the law by not informing Congress before the prisoner exchange that resulted in Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s release.

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss said the administration violated the law by failing to address serious concerns they had about the deal to swap Bergdahl for five Taliban detainees. Chambliss said he had not had a conversation with the White House about a possible exchange for at least 18 months.

"It comes to us with some surprise and dismay that the transfers went ahead with no consultation, totally not following law," Feinstein told reporters following a closed door meeting. "And in an issue with this kind of concern to a committee that bears the oversight responsibility, I think you can see that we're very dismayed about it ." .....snip~


Democrat Dianne Feinstein: Obama Broke The Law With Bergdahl Swap - Katie Pavlich

http://www.debatepolitics.com/us-pa...stein-admits-bo-and-his-team-broke-law-3.html
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But now they magnify the 'crime' with a lie--that they couldn't tell Congress without jeopardizing Bergdahl's life. Come on. After he was safely in custody, and they sent their apology to the pertinent members of Congress, they couldn't have told them that then? Of course they could. But they didn't. So if the OP news story is the real deal, they are just compounding another screw up by trying to cover it with a totally fabricated lie.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

nota bene said:
Oh, yes, attacking a President's siblings or children is definitely raising the bar. :roll:

Oddly, I never really thought of former President Carter as a peanut farmer. Naval Academy, grad studies in nuclear physics, and later, a successful business, then a political career, and then humanitarian work including decades'-long involvement with Habitat for Humanity.

Out of all this, what you got was "Peanut Boy."
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Too much education can indoctrinate yourself er personality. Carter isn't building those homes alone - as a matter of fact I highly doubt Carter could build a ****ing coffee table.

Carter hasn't done **** but play games with Kim Jong-Il, and fudge a massive hostage crisis.

Also, I never intended to label his brother with himself, you or another poster just opened the door for "Billy Beer" or other questionable investments.... However since we're on the subject - How about Bill Clinton pardoning his brother on coke charges???
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

AlbqOwl said:
But now they magnify the 'crime' with a lie--that they couldn't tell Congress without jeopardizing Bergdahl's life. Come on. After he was safely in custody, and they sent their apology to the pertinent members of Congress, they couldn't have told them that then? Of course they could. But they didn't. So if the OP news story is the real deal, they are just compounding another screw up by trying to cover it with a totally fabricated lie.
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Yes, and we even have one of his own Spokespeople Caitlin Hayden. Who aptly points out they assumed and then took for Granted Congress. Then we have Bo apologizing then hurriedly calling for the briefing in front of the full Senate. As you seen as soon as McKeon called for Hearings.


The White House apologized for keeping lawmakers in the dark regarding the exchange of an American soldier for five Taliban fighters, senators said Tuesday, as controversy grew over the issue. Administration officials plan a classified briefing for the full 100-member chamber Wednesday, with lawmakers from both parties fuming over the trade, which saw captured soldier Bowe Bergdahl released Saturday to US special forces in Afghanistan.

Feinstein reflected mounting bipartisan concern as lawmakers questioned the merits of releasing from Guantanamo five hardened Taliban fighters and officials in exchange for Bergdahl.

Seeking to mop up the political fallout, a senior White House official called Senator Saxby Chambliss, the Intelligence Committee's top Republican, late Monday "apologizing for not giving us advance warning," Chambliss said. Senate Democrat Carl Levin said Obama put Congress "on notice" last December in a signing statement saying he has constitutional authority to move quickly on detainees. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was told of the swap Friday and that he supported the exchange. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin called the affair "very disturbing."

But few others openly backed the president. House Speaker John Boehner said the only reason Obama did not give the necessary notice "is because the administration knew it faced serious and sober bipartisan concern and opposition."

The swap will be debated in an open House hearing next week, with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel invited to testify.....snip~

White House apologizes to lawmakers over secret POW swap

http://www.debatepolitics.com/break...pologizes-lawmakers-over-secret-pow-swap.html
 
Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergd...

Maybe President Osama has some relatives in the Taliban and he decided to do them a favor?

That's more realistic than this bull**** excuse that he's giving.
 
Re: Officials: Congress Not Told of Swap Because Taliban Threatened to Kill Bergdahl

MMC said:
Heya Maggie.
hello2.gif
Do you think this explain Placing the National Interests and Security of the Country over that of one individual.
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I'd say it was. Maybe they planted a Trojan Horse. ;)
 
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