Dangerous Fruits of the Bowe Bergdahl Trade
The trade of Bowe Bergdahl for five Guantanamo Bay prisoners set a dangerous precedent in the White House where terrorists – if detained for a few years – are viewed as harmless relics of the War on Terror. The sleeper agent for al-Qaida, Ali Saleh Al-Marri, was released with no oversight from Congress at the request of Qatar. As Noah Rothman at Hot Air points out, the trade may have been illegal because Obama broke the law by not informing Congress 30 days before he released the Gitmo prisoners. Ultimately, the administration’s trade of Bergdahl has only yielded bitter fruit. Bergdahl will be charged with desertion, a charge Obama would rather keep buried for political reasons. “This is shaping up to be a titanic struggle behind the scenes,” retired Lt. Col. Tony Schaffer told Fox News. “Believe me, the Army here wants to do the right thing. … And the White House, because of the political narrative, President Obama cozying up to the parents and because he, President Obama, releas[ed] the five Taliban. … The narrative is what the White House does not want to have come out.” It’s always cynical politics for Obama.
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- Bowe Bergdahl
- Guantanamo