US swaps 5 Gitmo prisoners for US soldiers release, but many questions remain

[PreachersWife2004]

We?

Are you from Canada, or just display your country as Canada as some type of deception?

read the location...

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

You don't know enough about the points of treason to respect the law as relates to that charge.

Obama's illegal order released five of the most dangerous Taliban leaders on earth back into Afghanistan! Where our troops are still stationed. And we're in a state of war.

In law, precedent matters to understanding the definition of terms. We've paid ransoms and traded prisoners with enemies before, going back to the immediately post-colonial era, and it's a commonly accepted practice in international diplomacy. If doing that counts as giving aid and comfort to an enemy, then the framers of the constitution had in mind a foreign policy drastically different from any that ever existed before or has ever existed since, even under their own administrations. There's no reason to believe that was the case. The more acceptable interpretation is to say that the law prohibits giving citizens supporting an enemy by sending them money or resources with the intention of allowing them to wage war against the U.S.

Treason law is one of the most restrictive laws on the books in the United States. Its definition is intentionally highly circumscribed to prevent "creative" interpretations of a capital crime. We live in a democracy, but ultimately we also live under the rule of law, which has the intention in this case of keeping people from reinterpreting a legal definition that could get people executed according to their own political fancies.

Compared to whom?

To ourselves a year from now.

 

[JustOneWay]

read the location...

Thanks.

 

[cow451]

Bergdahl is obviously not a defector, otherwise he would not want to return. He might have some value to the US from an intel standpoint since he has been with the Taliban for so long. As this article points out, the Taliban are a guerrilla movement, not some small terrorist cell.


The U.S. has all along negotiated with the guerrillas it has fought on the battlefield. William Howard Taft (later president) in the Philippines was all for negotiation with Filipinos who rejected U.S. rule, and he created “attraction zones” to win them over. At the conclusion of the Aguinaldo resistance to US occupation in 1902, Teddy Roosevelt declared a general amnesty for the resistance fighters. These resistance fighters had committed some atrocities, including on captured U.S. troops, but Roosevelt just let them walk free. Talk softly, carry a big stick, and let all the terrorists go, seems to have been his motto.



The U.S. negotiated with the Viet Cong in South Vietnam, who were very much analogous to the Taliban and whom the U.S. would now certainly term “terrorists.” In 1973, the U.S. used intermediaries to negotiate with the Viet Cong for release of captured U.S. soldiers at Loc Ninh. Americans on the political right made a huge issue about 1300 U.S. soldiers never having been released by the Viet Cong (only about 400 were), and the shame that these men were left on the battlefield by the Nixon and Ford administrations. Conservatives seem to want to have it both ways

 

[Sunshine Locket]

We?

Are you from Canada, or just display your country as Canada as some type of deception?

Location: Toronto on contract with a private company. But American by birth & heart.

 

[Sunshine Locket]

Bergdahl is not a defector. More like he's a deserter. He left his post, dropped his rifle, and walked into enemy territory in Afghanistan.

The enablers of his betrayal of his oath, including what are Taliban sympathizers, as someone said, and meaning his family, argue that he did that go go forth and help the Taliban people!

That of course is a lie. He didn't go forth to help the Afghan people. He went betrayed his duty and went to join the Taliban. A Tweet that he posted just days before his capture had him admitting he hated America and our policies. And then shortly after that he abandons his post, leads people to think he's been captured in doing that, and that causes six real heroes to be killed because they were sent to look for him.

Fellow soldiers call Bowe Bergdahl a deserter, not a hero

He absolutely should be tried for desertion. He is not a hero. He's a coward.

Bergdahl's parents emotional address - CNN.com Video


Bowe Bergdahl's parents: 'It isn't over'


And as for treason and that charge being levied against President Obama. Maybe so. He violated the rules of protocol and signed the exchange of five leaders of the enemy of this nation; the Taliban.
So that they can return to Afghanistan and resume their mission against America.

He has, as was said in the first video, has sent a message to every Al-Qaeda group in the world that there is some value now in that hostage in a way that they've never had before.

Obama in effect gave the lives of countless Americans in the future to recover a deserter and allow five enemy leaders to lead terrorists against America in future.

How many Presidents have allowed enemy leaders go so they can lead the enemy against America during a war?

 

[revanneosl]

How many Presidents have allowed enemy leaders go so they can lead the enemy against America during a war?

President Lincoln should have thrown Robert E. Lee into military prison.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

The question I'm hearing over and over is why was a low-grade soldier kept alive for five years? What good was he to the Taliban?

 

[Ronald]

I wouldn't worry about those five terrorists, there are thousands of them. This is another story that distracts the public, like that Malaysian flight that went down, although sad but what about Iran? Obama postponed nuclear talks till next year? HELLO. They are weeks away from a half dozen nukes ready to go. Are five terrorists really a major concern???

 

[Sunshine Locket]

President Lincoln should have thrown Robert E. Lee into military prison.

Yeah, that's relevant in the 21st century.

 

[JustOneWay]

They are weeks away from a half dozen nukes ready to go.

Is that a few weeks or a few hundred, or a few thousand?

 

[Sunshine Locket]

I wouldn't worry about those five terrorists, there are thousands of them. This is another story that distracts the public, like that Malaysian flight that went down, although sad but what about Iran? Obama postponed nuclear talks till next year? HELLO. They are weeks away from a half dozen nukes ready to go. Are five terrorists really a major concern???

When a deserter swap allows five of the most dangerous terrorists on earth according to Donald Rumsfeld, who called them: "most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the earth." Yes!

Obama suspending talks with Iran till next year is typical politics. There has to be an accord between him and the leadership there in order for that to happen. Iran doesn't want to take on America. A sea of glass suddenly appearing in the middle east would be ugly.

And hey, distraction wise it could be worse. We could have media obsessing over the latest Miley Cyrus fiasco or that of Lady Gaga!

 

[revanneosl]

Yeah, that's relevant in the 21st century.

You asked a question about history. I answered with an example. Now you are complaining that it is an historical example.

Obama!

 

[Sunshine Locket]

You asked a question about history. I answered with an example. Now you are complaining that it is an historical example.

Obama!

The corollary, according to your accounting of American history, and to Obama releasing five Taliban terrorists then is that President Abraham Lincoln had General Robert E. Lee in custody during the Civil War.

And President Lincoln, in a prisoner exchange with the enemy south, swapped General Robert E. Lee for 5 Union Army prisoners being held by the Confederates. And this then allowed all concerned to return to their respective side of the war so as to continue the battle of the Civil War.

 

[JustOneWay]

The corollary, according to your accounting of American history, and to Obama releasing five Taliban terrorists then is that President Abraham Lincoln had General Robert E. Lee in custody during the Civil War.

When were these 5 convicted? What were their sentences?

 

[High Fidelity]

These prisoners would have had drones on them the moment they woke up on the day they were due to be released.

The US doesn't care about the internal affairs of foreign countries, so if they want to kill those prisoners regardless of their intent, it wouldn't surprise me.

They've done it before and will likely do it again.

 

[Sistrin]

Bergdahl is obviously not a defector, otherwise he would not want to return.

Why do your links just go back to the CF homepage?

When were these 5 convicted? What were their sentences?

If you are referring to the five terrorist released, that has been detailed earlier in this thread. Post number 18.

 

[JustOneWay]

If you are referring to the five terrorist released, that has been detailed earlier in this thread. Post number 18.

Are there 5 different people Obama used in the trade? If not then it is assumed we are discussing the same 5 people. I see nothing there explaining any convictions.

 

[Sunshine Locket]

When were these 5 convicted? What were their sentences?

They're unlawful enemy combatants. And as such under the Geneva Convention are not entitled to a trial.

 

[JustOneWay]

They're unlawful enemy combatants. And as such under the Geneva Convention are not entitled to a trial.

Thanks for answering. There was no conviction, trial or sentence.