WH: US solider held in Afghanistan, Bergdahl, is released after five years

No No No..................he was promoted twice in captivity

And I thought I read he was getting another one now.........

 

Which is amazing because I know he hasnt done any of his annual required classes or qualified on the ranges...

Or maybe he has an the Taliban sent in his scores.

 

Pat Tillman.
Was a great American.

 

or

"Homeland" (the showtime series) is coming to fruition.

 

Al-Qaeda, well the Taliban actually scored more points than the US did with this deal. They got 5 high ranking members, while we got back a little grunt. Reminds me of Gilad Shilet, an Israeli POW captured by Hamas, the Israelis exchanged him for over 1,000 Hamas POWs in exchange for Shilet. Capturing enemy fighters is a huge benefit for a force like the taliban in getting prisoners or concessions made. I don't know why, but the enemy force thats weaker tends to get more out of these types of deals, like with Shilet for an example. I think it's because its rarer for us and Israel, so it's more of a heartache when it happens. A US offical said she/he was concerned of soldiers getting kidnapped and randsomed, knowing the points they can score. Hezbollah tried doing this, and that's what started the 2006 Lebanon war.

By the way, they're not being simply released right to Afghanistan. They're being sent to Qatar, and have restrictions such as a travel ban for one year. The US tried to, early in the concessions, include dialogue that would permanately ban them from travelling back to Afghanistan, but the Taliban isn't ignorant and wants them to come back to Afghanistan, for good or bad. So they have a one year travel ban. They leave the country though after that, say to Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia, it's wise and makes sense for Qatar to alert US intellegence officals to this.

 

How many of you guys remember or even knew, Stalin's own son served in military during WWII and was captured by Germans? Hitler offered to exchange him for Field Marshall Paulus, which Stalin refused, saying "I do not swap Field Marshall for Lieutenant".

That's what Obama just did. It is possible he may have had good intentions, or tried to score on the good side of Americans but as always with Liberals, good intentions without thinking about consequences, cost us dearly. Always.

 

Because the evidence IS that he is a deserter at the least. Also that he had grown fond of the enemies we fought so may have gone to join them which will be harder to prove. But yes he should face an Article 32, should not be brought back as some kind of hero with Obama welcoming him and praising him. Dishonorable discharge and a suspended sentence for desertion.

 

We are negotiating with terrorists, and cut a deal with them freeing five command and control assets for one soldier this was not a good thing now they can kidnap others to get deals we are encouraging them as a nation.

 

He is being promoted.

 

Maybe we should check all our citizenry against your subjective judgment so you can tell us who's worth fighting for and who isn't.

 

Right. Couldn't think of his name and was on my cell.

The military tried to cover up the circumstances surround his death, so I don't see why it is so far fetched to think they would lie to cover up the circumstances surrounding this dumbass' capture.

 

for all you know they hated him and are making it all up

show me some evidence that bergdahl intended to desert and be a traitor

 

You haven't been paying any attention have you? AQ is on the run and has been for the last 8 years. However enter Obama, and now that is starting to now change. We've won nothing? How many Iraqis are free from a murderous dictator? How many women are still being stoned? Girls can now go to school? But, you right we won nothing.

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What is the evidence?

 

We can play this game...

Show me evidence that he didnt desert.

See how it works?

Im going by what the guys in his unit said, and not what our lying government said. I'll take their word over our governments.

 

He left his post, that is enough for desertion.

 

Desertion is two parts, leaving and no intention of returning. Unless he has come out and said I'm not coming back, or things along those lines, at most AWOL.

 

I will assume you have not seen his alleged "last email"

I brings out a lot of cause for speculation.

 

I have "Not The Guardian" on ignore, so I'm usually relieved from having to see his inanity, but I see you copy/replied to his post and I see that he actually mentions me by name. One of the many reasons he is the one and only person I have on ignore; he is obsessed with me. The only reason he is on this site is because he followed me here. The last time someone copy/replied to him with my name it he was lying about me, but this time, it isn't actually a lie. I did say that he left base on his own without authorization. That's what the news reports said, so it wasn't "unsubstantiated." In fact there was a time when Not the Guardian thought that as well. From his blog in 2009:

In case you noticed, I placed the word “captured” between quotes. Why? Apparently, Bergdahl wasn’t actually captured. From the news report:

The circumstances of Bergdahl’s capture weren’t clear.

On July 2, two U.S. officials told the AP the soldier had “just walked off” his base with three Afghans after his shift. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

I can only hope there’s not more to this than what we’re being told.

Apparently Fox agreed with that so lemming that he is, he had to totally change his tune to be on the other side of Fox. So as you see, he's not consistent enough to even agree with himself.


As to Bergdahl's release, it was made clear in the reports that he can expect an extensive debrief. And I would like to find out from his father what exactly he meant with his now deleted Twitter message. Strange things are going on with this case.

 

Plus, the guy abandoned his post. I'm not exactly gushing over his release, especially considering how we lost 5 perfectly good POWs just to get a guy who went AWOL to go on a beer run returned to us. I hope he gets properly court-martialed for putting the lives of his fellow soldiers in jeopardy.

 

No I haven't. Got a link?

 

Yes, AQ are on the run, as we see with the prisoner exchange and America being forced to negotiate with them.
That and you aren't using quite as many body bags this year.
http://icasualties.org/OEF/Fatalities.aspx

You mentioned the illegal American led invasion of Iraq, a war to rid that country of WMDs.
You found nothing but totally destabilised a country, allowing extremist groups to thrive.
As with Afghanistan, you left thousands of dead civilians, thousands of dead members of invading forces and it all cost $ billions to do.
Saddam may well have been nasty, but America paved his way to power, actively assisted him against Iran, then lost control and had to ditch him, but at great cost to all involved.

 

Last email to parents[edit]

On June 27, 2009, according to Rolling Stone,[19] Bowe sent a final e-mai(*)l to his parents: "The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting."

His email went on to describe his disillusionment in the army: "In the US army you are cut down for being honest... but if you are a conceited brown nosing (*)(*)(*)(*) bag you will be allowed to do what ever you want, and you will be handed your higher rank... The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools...I am sorry for everything here. These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live. We don't even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks... We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them...I am sorry for everything. The horror that is america is disgusting...There are a few more boxes coming to you guys. Feel free to open them, and use them."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowe_Bergdahl

Its Wiki but there are probably more

and I am curious what was in the boxes

 

The man deserted his post in combat.

By any definition, and by all accounts, he is a deserter, and he wasn't even technically a 'captive' for lo these past years.
I believe that we will discover that he ran to Al Qaeda with eagerness, and they greeted him with open arms.

This entire affair stinks to high heaven.

 

Unless we planned on executing them, my guess is that they've run out of value by now.

 

This is not the wonderful news you are making it out to be. While I am happy the guy is home, there is a reason we (generally speaking) do not negotiate with terrorists. It is not a matter of stubbornness or pride. Fact is when you negotiate with terrorists, you do nothing but invite more and more of the same.

And that, my ignorant friend, is a very frightening prospect.