When i first heard it....i thought it was terrible. If the guy is a traitor, well screw him then, don't waste resources on trying to find him or don't do a prisoner exchange. Then after hearing military experts(not fox news blowhards) I understand it. Apparently, you do whatever it takes to bring home a POW no matter what people might speculate about him....that is the way it's always been from what they are saying.
Think of it this way....if they kill this captive and obama had a chance to get him back, then what? Don't you think the willie, russ, dave repubs would say this death is on obama? I would say without question they would.
so my general thought is....bad deal but i get why they did it.
That's fair. Of course many Republicans would blame President Obama if he had died while a POW. The hard part for me to swallow is what his fellow soldiers have had to say and the fact that 6 soldiers lost their lives looking for him after he allegedly deserted his post. I am not a fan of the decision but it is what it is.
Had it been up to me....I probably don't make the deal.
The other problem is that we haven't heard from him yet. Let's just say he lost his way from the stress of war and wondered away in a terrible state of mind. Does that make him less of an american? Im not sure it does. So I understand why it was done but personally I wouldnt have done it. Again, for all the willies of the world who say that obama makes decisions without all the information...i think they are the ones doing that now. We havent heard anything yet from the soldier involved.
Tough situation. I just know he hasn't been found guilty of anything so at least bring him home and make him face the music here rather than watching him suffer. If the stories are true that guys did die trying to find him after he deserted them that is really sad and I hope he ends up behind bars here for the rest of his life. I just love how the right is making it seem like we released 5 osama bin ladins and these 5 guys are the key to the entire Taliban regime, and that they'll start snatching up Americans all over the world because this makes us seem "weak".
Yeah, the usual nutjobs are doing their usual thing. Can you imagine if this guy was beheaded and then it came out that obama could have saved his life.....think how russ and the crazy loons would be then.....they would mix it in with benghzi and God knows what else.
Good chance those 5 that were released will be on the other end of a drone within a year or so.
I can't argue that. We certainly do not have all the information. I'm not sure if you saw that CNN article I posted in response to TG the other day, but that's where most of the information I am using to form an opinion came from. A lot of comments from his fellow soldiers that served with him. As more information comes out I may change my mind.
Yeah I mean that's all speculation. Is it possible attempted American kidnappings rise, sure, but I would think the Taliban has already been trying to snatch Americans regardless of this situation. That's not really my issue with the situation. I just don't like the idea of trading 5 prisoners for a deserter who led to the deaths of 6 American soldiers, if what his fellow soldiers said is true.
I think you are correct. Leave no man behind, which is understandable. I know in their minds he was still a solider, but I think the difficult part for me is to still see him as solider once he abandoned his post. I will admit I have never served, therefore, their judement is probably better than mine.
EXACTLY Correct. The Deserter/details about why he left his post will come out in a Military trail. Until then, he was a POW, and it was the military's responsibility to bring him home. It's horribly tragic that some of his comrades died trying to rescue him, but that's what soldiers do, try and retrieve their own, as those 6 tragically did. If he was disillusioned with the war, he was not alone, but his anti war feelings are not enough to let him rot in a Taliban Prison. And make no mistake, his known anti war feelings are a reason why the Right wing has turned on him, along with their usual glee at bashing Obama for anything and everything. When soldiers become anti War, or speak truth about the Military, they are savaged unmercifully by the right. As Genuine War Hero Kerry was by the swift boat liars. As Pat Tillman was after his anti war feelings became known. As Jessica Lynch was when she refused to go along with the BS they tried to paint on her. Bergdahl is no hero, but he was an American POW. He got released. America should be rejoicing. America would have years ago.
So you believe we should have left him in Taliban hands to suffer a miserable death without giving him a chance to tell his side of the story? And by the way, the military has stated that they have no evidence that anyone died looking for him. This is very American of you guys, lol. And the sickest thing is the only reason you guys are against it is because Obama did it. Really sick people.
