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Report: US Wants to Swap Taliban for Bergdahl.....

MMC

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The Obama administration has decided to revive talks with the Afghan Taliban in an effort to free the only known American soldier in captivity in exchange for the release of Taliban prisoners held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, The Washington Post reported late Monday.

bowe_bergdahl-ts300.jpg


Five Taliban prisoners who have been held at Guantanamo for years would be released to protective custody in exchange for the release of Bergdahl, who was captured in Afghanistan in 2009, the newspaper reported, citing current and former U.S. officials familiar with the decision.

The Post reported that senior officials from the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies decided within the past month to allow the release of all five prisoners at the same time, though the exchange offer has not been formally made.

The report comes a month after U.S. officials confirmed they'd received a video showing Bergdahl, 27, in poorer health than previous footage taken in the years since he went missing in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. Bergdahl was based on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska when he was captured.

The effort to revive talks comes amid U.S. frustration over Afghan President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign a long-term security agreement with the U.S. that he agreed to last year. The pact would provide the legal basis for any U.S. forces to remain in Afghanistan as trainers and advisers after the international combat mission ends in December.....snip~

Report: US Wants to Swap Taliban for Bergdahl | Military.com


We need to get this trooper back.....that's a fact. But it is clear we are not fighting a opposing Army or soldiers. The Taliban are terrorists, and now Obama says it is okay to negotiate with them. Now how does us releasing 5 for 1.....represent an equal exchange of prisoners? Which if we look at thru this lens.....are we not then identifying them as Enemy Combatants for a battlefield?
 
I agree we need to do everything reasonably possible to get this US Soldier back. However, I do not believe that we should begin negotiating with the Taliban as if they were an organization which deserves legitimization and recognition. Once we do that, we have crossed a line which will not be easy to move back from.
 
I agree we need to do everything reasonably possible to get this US Soldier back. However, I do not believe that we should begin negotiating with the Taliban as if they were an organization which deserves legitimization and recognition. Once we do that, we have crossed a line which will not be easy to move back from.

Well I think we are doing a "divide by zero" moment here, but I agree with you with fully here.
 
I agree we need to do everything reasonably possible to get this US Soldier back. However, I do not believe that we should begin negotiating with the Taliban as if they were an organization which deserves legitimization and recognition. Once we do that, we have crossed a line which will not be easy to move back from.


I wonder if we even have any people looking for him. If they are not Soldiers they are terrorists. Which means then Team O.....is throwing out the rule book about negotiating with terrorists. This is not a Law Enforcement Matter.
 
Even if the exchange was 1 for 1 that makes the US appear to recognize the Taliban as a nation/government rather than a terrorist organization. If capturing a US service member becomes grounds for obtaining the release of one (or more) terrorists/enemy combatants and elevating a group of terrorists to nation status then we have lost the "war on terror".
 
Even if the exchange was 1 for 1 that makes the US appear to recognize the Taliban as a nation/government rather than a terrorist organization. If capturing a US service member becomes grounds for obtaining the release of one (or more) terrorists/enemy combatants and elevating a group of terrorists to nation status then we have lost the "war on terror".

Mornin' Ttwtt.....well, it says Karzai is their president. Which we know he has nothing to do with the Taliban. We trusted him to have signed that paper. He hasn't. After 4 urgings. Now we all of a sudden are going to trust the Taliban?

Karzai is already opening up the Prisons in Afghanistan and these guys who have killed our People will be allowed to return to the killing fields. This time with less of our forces there. Less of our people there.

Note.....the Taliban has refused to negotiate. Yet now they would do so winning the war over 1 American all because Obama keeps trying to get them to the table. Their Demand.....they want us ALL out, NOW!
 
In the past the US has not negotiated directly, but through 3rd party countries.

This should stay the same.
 
Here was some info on how they released the other 65 inside Afghanistan already.


Afghanistan releases 65 prisoners accused of being Taliban fighters, despite US warnings they will kill NATO forces
Released the accused militants from Bagram detention facility
U.S say the men are Taliban fighters who will likely return to the battlefield

Karzai ordered the detainees released several weeks ago
Decision made after his government took over the prison from U.S. troops


Read more: Afghanistan releases 65 prisoners accused of being Taliban fighters, despite US warnings they will kill NATO forces | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
 
Well I think we are doing a "divide by zero" moment here, but I agree with you with fully here.



Maybe we should have put up a poll.....we have tried before in getting the Taliban classified or identified as combatant or terrorist.
 
If we trade prisoners, the terrorists will make sure there are more prisoners for which to trade in the future. Can't do it. The only solution is a rescue.
 
We need to get this trooper back.....that's a fact. But it is clear we are not fighting a opposing Army or soldiers. The Taliban are terrorists, and now Obama says it is okay to negotiate with them. Now how does us releasing 5 for 1.....represent an equal exchange of prisoners? Which if we look at thru this lens.....are we not then identifying them as Enemy Combatants for a battlefield?

The general public doesn't know what the context of this internal discussion is. Obviously, we have no idea where this guy is being held or who he is with. An exchange could prove much more beneficial for us in the end.
 
these are some high level Taliban in defense and intelligence. We are leaving end of this year, with a possible residual force, but not sure yet.
We don't want to leave a POW behind. Should we trade high level Taliban for one of ours?? If we do, it's a slap in the face to those who fought and died there; if we don't we leave one of ours behind.


Logic says do not trade, but it's very hard to walk away from a POW. More blowback from our war there....I can't make up my mind, I just want us out of there
 
Maybe we should have put up a poll.....we have tried before in getting the Taliban classified or identified as combatant or terrorist.

the are enemy combatants. They may shelter AQ (I do not know for sure) if so that makes them terrorists, according to the old Reagan definition.
In reality they are part of Afghanistan's civil war. Because we back a "side" we get dragged into this mess.

Hit high value AQ only, stay out of that civil war ( looking back, not much we can change now).
 
these are some high level Taliban in defense and intelligence. We are leaving end of this year, with a possible residual force, but not sure yet.
We don't want to leave a POW behind. Should we trade high level Taliban for one of ours?? If we do, it's a slap in the face to those who fought and died there; if we don't we leave one of ours behind.


Logic says do not trade, but it's very hard to walk away from a POW. More blowback from our war there....I can't make up my mind, I just want us out of there



Mornin' AT. :2wave: 5 years this Trooper has been captive.....5 years. Someone should have been tracking him down. We should have got him back already. To do this now means we will be stepping back from what we have told the world. When it comes to terrorists.
 
Mornin' AT. :2wave: 5 years this Trooper has been captive.....5 years. Someone should have been tracking him down. We should have got him back already. To do this now means we will be stepping back from what we have told the world. When it comes to terrorists.
morning MMC. I would assume he was on the radar screen, in that we had to be trying to find/aquire him. Ass U me.

Yes. It is dealing with so called "terrorists", unless one calls the Taliban "enemy combatants ( to split hairs, but language is important).
I just saw a quick synopsis of the 5 Taliban, and these are more then just mujahideen.

Some serious dudes. Heavy land forces led to this conditions (ISAF) - for me the bigger point is what to do next, but 5 years is a long time to be captured.
 
morning MMC. I would assume he was on the radar screen, in that we had to be trying to find/aquire him. Ass U me.

Yes. It is dealing with so called "terrorists", unless one calls the Taliban "enemy combatants ( to split hairs, but language is important).
I just saw a quick synopsis of the 5 Taliban, and these are more then just mujahideen.

Some serious dudes. Heavy land forces led to this conditions (ISAF) - for me the bigger point is what to do next, but 5 years is a long time to be captured.

Yeah, I didn't think the Taliban wouldn't be sending word thru Karzai as to who they wanted to be released.
 
Video footage shows the moment a US air strike accidentally targeted American soldiers | News.com.au

Honestly, we had dropped so many bombs up to that point that the thought never even crossed my mind that this could even happen, especially with all the checks put into place,” the man who shot the footage has told Funker 530.
After spotting Taliban fighters on a distant ridge, the soldiers called in an air strike. But apparently the aircraft mistook the Americans’ position for one occupied by the enemy, and dropped a bomb there by mistake.
not worth a separate thread, but this might be of interest..
 
I think th US should put trackers onthe 5 being released and when the soldier is back, send in the drones. Problem solved and they will not try that again.
 
I think th US should put trackers onthe 5 being released and when the soldier is back, send in the drones. Problem solved and they will not try that again.

Heya Mason. :2wave: Have they ever tried to find this guy.....is there any type of news info as to what we was done to try and find him?
 
Heya Mason. :2wave: Have they ever tried to find this guy.....is there any type of news info as to what we was done to try and find him?

I haven't Heard anything about that, but it has only been 5 years. You can't rush things like a search.
 
I haven't Heard anything about that, but it has only been 5 years. You can't rush things like a search.

One would think something.....Intel, Military or otherwise. Military and Civilian? Has our Embassy people said anything? Reported anything to the MS media?
 
President Obama announced Saturday the release of U.S. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl who had been held captive nearly five years in Afghanistan.

"On behalf of the American people I was honored to call his parents to express our joy that they can expect his safe return," Obama said in a statement distributed by the White House.
U.S. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl freed in Afghanistan

It's a done deal apparently, finally.
 
great news.

now let's go kill those(terrorist) who just got released.

his life is worth a hundred times over what these 5 terrorist lives are worth.

one more thing, its also about reduces the number of people at gitmo!!
 
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