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US soldier freed from captivity in Afghanistan

apdst said:
But I believe we both know they won't.
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I agree that there is such a risk. IMO, that outcome, if it occurs, and not the prisoner deal would pose the largest risk of damaging U.S. interests/credibility.
 
Helix said:
this is a good thing. i can't imagine what he went through. i'm very glad that he is being released.
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Good thing how. We put 5 ranking Taliban commanders back on the battle field. Trading for one clearly disgruntled soldier.
 
shrubnose said:
Wrong.

There have been some POW's who defected while they were POW's.
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A la Patricia 'Tanya' Hearst and the Stockholm Syndrome?
 
jmotivator said:
Do you support him being subjected to a Court Marshal?
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If the JAG feels decides there's enough evidence to prosecute him for court-martial, then yes, absolutely. But what y'all seem to be forgetting is that there may very well be much more to the story that the JAG knows about, much more than we hear from the media...information to which the public would not - and should not - be privy. That's why it's a mistake to convict him here in the court of public opinion.
 
Juanita said:
I disagree. If there is truly evidence that any of this is true, that he walked off post and soldiers were killed trying to find him, then he should be court martialed and all witnesses questioned and all evidence presented. If he is not proven guilty, then he should be released..I have the funny feeling that mental illness will be brought up, but not sure how that would affect a military trial..
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Yes...and no. As I've pointed out elsewhere, there will be information that the JAG would have, that the rest of us do not and should not have. If the JAG believes there's enough evidence to convict, then the JAG should go forward with charges...but it could be that there's more to the story that he or she knows, mitigating evidence or factors that we the general public do not and should not know about. That's why the decision must be made by the JAG, and not by public opinion of the Right or of the Left.
 
apdst said:
It's an Arab country, where the culture appreciates strength vice trying to be Mr. Nice Guy. Believe it, or not, there are cultures around the globe that laugh at Liberal pacifism and see it as a sign of weakness.
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"Liberal pacifism'? You're just trying to be funny, right?
 
Glen Contrarian said:
If the JAG feels decides there's enough evidence to prosecute him for court-martial, then yes, absolutely. But what y'all seem to be forgetting is that there may very well be much more to the story that the JAG knows about, much more than we hear from the media...information to which the public would not - and should not - be privy. That's why it's a mistake to convict him here in the court of public opinion.
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We agree on something! Lets stick to the facts. Its a dangerous political game accusing someone before knowing the entire situation. What we know for sure is the President negotiated with terrorists after his state dept said they dont do that, and the US has a long standing policy of trying to avoid that. We should make every effort to rescue captured soldiers, but the Taliban is not a recognized Geneva convention state, thus standard POW exchanges do not apply.
 
APACHERAT said:
I concur, but the accusations from those with in Bergdahl's unit were made five years ago.

The Army has had five years to look into the matter. Dereliction of duty on the Army's part ?

Why was this guy Bergdahl (don't even want to refer to him as a soldier) promoted twice in rank when he was being classified by Obama's DOD as a POW ? This is totally unheard of in the past 236 years in America's history. Something stinks.

Technically, isn't Bergdahl still in the U.S. military ? Why was he allowed to keep wearing his Taliban beard while being honored at the White House yesterday ? Definitely a violation of Army regulations here. Something stinks.

Aren't Berdahl parents known lefty anti war/military activist ? Nothing smells here.
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Concerning the promotions:

POW personnel continue to be considered for promotion along with their contemporaries. Policy provides for each missing or captured officer/enlisted member to be considered for promotion to the next higher grade when they are eligible. The eligibility for officers is based on the date of rank in their current grade. For enlisted members, eligibility is based on time in grade and time in service.

And FYI, that guy wearing the "Taliban beard" at the White House was Bergdahl's DAD - not Bergdahl himself. But I guess that beards like that are now automatically signs of being part of the Taliban and are now verboten in America - quick - somebody go arrest the stars of Duck Dynasty and half the Harley riders in America!!!!

For the above assumptions you made, AR, you may know install a hinge in your knee so that you can begin kicking yourself in the ass.
 
shrubnose said:
Exactly, a similar deal, I guess.
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When I looked it up, I found there's a similar thing called 'Lima Syndrome' where the captors develop sympathy for the prisoners/hostages.
Maybe the human psyche sometimes tries to make an unnatural situation into something more recognizable.
 
How many soldiers lost their lives trying to find this guy? Anyone think of that? Now the word is he is having trouble speaking English. Maybe this affliction will carry over when he is asked how he was captured?! This sneaking up and pulling the "deal" off with the enemy is way too offbeat and suspicious for me. The White House is claiming it was a cover up because of his health, well, what doctors were examining him and forwarding that info.? Aren't nearly all prisoners of war a little unhealthy? This whole thing stinks and what we will see soon is other soldiers challenging this guys story. After our fearless leader has once again embarrassed our country you can rest assured he will pressure the military to keep all the facts under the rug if it turns out this guy was a deserter.
 
Enola said:
Peronally speaking..I don't want to let it go. No more than I would have "let go" some tnt being bought to put in a Ryder truck...or middle easterners taking flying lessons, for example. Letting it go means whatever is going on, will continue to go on until something bad happens.
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People didn't want to "let it go" after we were already in Afghanistan...and so instead of just focusing on bin Laden, we wound up invading a nation that had nothing to do with 9/11 and presented no threat to America...and 100,000 Iraqi men, women, and children died (and more are still dying) as a direct result.
 
rhinefire said:
How many soldiers lost their lives trying to find this guy? Anyone think of that? Now the word is he is having trouble speaking English. Maybe this affliction will carry over when he is asked how he was captured?! This sneaking up and pulling the "deal" off with the enemy is way too offbeat and suspicious for me. The White House is claiming it was a cover up because of his health, well, what doctors were examining him and forwarding that info.? Aren't nearly all prisoners of war a little unhealthy? This whole thing stinks and what we will see soon is other soldiers challenging this guys story. After our fearless leader has once again embarrassed our country you can rest assured he will pressure the military to keep all the facts under the rug if it turns out this guy was a deserter.
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Heya RF. I found the article that shows the deal that Obama has had going for 2 years.....2 years they have known. The health issue on Bergdahl was a lie. Germany reported he was in good health despite his ordeal.

I got up here.....in Polls. Where I ask. Should Bergdahl be Court Martialed.
 
Glen Contrarian said:
If the JAG feels decides there's enough evidence to prosecute him for court-martial, then yes, absolutely. But what y'all seem to be forgetting is that there may very well be much more to the story that the JAG knows about, much more than we hear from the media...information to which the public would not - and should not - be privy. That's why it's a mistake to convict him here in the court of public opinion.
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Nobody is convicting him. We have the same opinion of him as his platoon mates. The people who watched their friends die trying to find him. The people who watched him ransomed for what amounts to 5 enemy generals, two of whom are UN recognized war criminals, all of whom cost even more American lives to capture.

So no, we aren't convicting him. The deal stinks to high heaven, though, and many men have died for Bergdahl's stupidity. That is not in question.
 
CRUE CAB said:
Good thing how. We put 5 ranking Taliban commanders back on the battle field. Trading for one clearly disgruntled soldier.
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you all had 13 years to put them on trial. neither Bush nor Obama could be bothered to do so.

holding people without trial is unAmerican. Guantanamo should be closed.
 
Helix said:
you all had 13 years to put them on trial. neither Bush nor Obama could be bothered to do so.

holding people without trial is unAmerican. Guantanamo should be closed.
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I don't care if it is un-American. They are not Americans.
 
Helix said:
you all had 13 years to put them on trial. neither Bush nor Obama could be bothered to do so.

holding people without trial is unAmerican. Guantanamo should be closed.
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Do you have a room to rent? We can send you one of the inmates.

If you are one of the first 10 volunteers you can get one that is house broken.
 
CRUE CAB said:
I don't care if it is un-American. They are not Americans.
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that doesn't matter.

hey, you know next time you wonder why you're losing independents? this kind of **** is why. ****, you guys drove me all the way from solid republican to libertarian when you did the patriot act nonsense, and then all the way to left independent due to anti-worker sentiments and nearly obscene levels of corporatism.

****, how much does your party have to suck to do that? i'm not the only one, either. i'm not even the only one on this site. Republicans have gone so insane under Obama that now some of them are pissed off about a POW being released. i mean, i knew it had gotten bad, but this is

absolutely
****ing
ridiculous.
 
Helix said:
you all had 13 years to put them on trial. neither Bush nor Obama could be bothered to do so.

holding people without trial is unAmerican. Guantanamo should be closed.
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They are combatants removed from the battle, not criminals. They should stay contained until they are no longer a threat. HOWEVER, congress passed an Act in 2006 to try them. So fine, declare them threats and keep them locked up. Problem solved.
 
jmotivator said:
Do you have a room to rent? We can send you one of the inmates.

If you are one of the first 10 volunteers you can get one that is house broken.
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sorry. should have tried them. holding prisoners without trial is not American.
 
Helix said:
that doesn't matter.

hey, you know next time you wonder why you're losing independents? this kind of **** is why. ****, you guys drove me all the way from solid republican to libertarian when you did the patriot act nonsense, and then all the way to left independent due to anti-worker sentiments and nearly obscene levels of corporatism.

****, how much does your party have to suck to do that? i'm not the only one, either. i'm not even the only one on this site. Republicans have gone so insane under Obama that now some of them are pissed off about a POW being released. i mean, i knew it had gotten bad, but this is

absolutely
****ing
ridiculous.
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Helix, if you cant debate civilly, then stop posting. Youre a moderator. Follow the rules.
 
jonny5 said:
They are combatants removed from the battle, not criminals. They should stay contained until they are no longer a threat. HOWEVER, congress passed an Act in 2006 to try them. So fine, declare them threats and keep them locked up. Problem solved.
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try them or let them go.
 
Helix said:
that doesn't matter.

hey, you know next time you wonder why you're losing independents? this kind of **** is why. ****, you guys drove me all the way from solid republican to libertarian when you did the patriot act nonsense, and then all the way to left independent due to anti-worker sentiments and nearly obscene levels of corporatism.

****, how much does your party have to suck to do that? i'm not the only one, either. i'm not even the only one on this site. Republicans have gone so insane under Obama that now some of them are pissed off about a POW being released. i mean, i knew it had gotten bad, but this is

absolutely
****ing
ridiculous.
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Independents are nothing by liberals by another name to me.
 
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