Sen. John McCain Questions Swap “Highest High-Risk” Terrorists as White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice Defends United States Negotiating with Terrorists over Exchange of GITMO 5 for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT THAT THE US WILL RUE THE DAY …

White House national security adviser Susan Rice went on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ with Candy Crowley to defend the Obama administration’s decision to exchange five GITMO “high risk” Taliban detainees for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Rice also spun the fact that the Obama administration broke the law in not notifying Congress 30 days prior that there was a negotiation in process. But of course, what difference does it make with this administration, all they do is break the law, thumb their nose at separations of power and The US Constitution. Let alone negotiating with terrorists. How and why would something like this be deemed so sensitive that Congress was not notified? ” Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ “What does this tell the terrorists? That if you capture a U.S. soldier, you can trade that soldier for five terrorists Cruz called the prisoner swap “very disturbing.” 

White House national security adviser Susan Rice defended the Obama administration’s decision to exchange Guantanamo detainees for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, amid criticism that the United States negotiated with terrorists in the process.

She also said the “acute urgency” of Bergdahl’s health condition justified President Obama’s not notifying Congress beforehand that Bergdahl was being swapped for five Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

“What we did was ensure that, as always, the United States doesn’t leave a man or a woman on the battlefield,” Rice said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Susan Rice went on to parrot President Obama in saying, “What we did was ensure that, as always, the United States doesn’t leave a man or a woman on the battlefield.” However, there appears to be just one little problem with that statement … Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was not left on the battlefield, by all accounts he left his

From The Daily Caller: CNN’s Candy Crowley Grills Susan Rice: ‘Point Blank, Did The US Negotiate With Terrorists?’

Once again the Obama administration is playing games with words. Newsflash to Susan Rice by the associative property, if a=b and b=c then a=c, you negotiated with terrorists.

CNN host Candy Crowley pressed White House national security adviser Susan Rice on the Taliban prisoner swap conducted Saturday, asking “point blank, did the US negotiate with terrorists” in violation of its long-held policy?

Crowley spoke with Rice on Sunday about the exchange of five high-ranking Taliban detainees — two of which are accused of the mass murder of religious minorities in Afghanistan — for Army Sgt. Bowe Berghdahl, whom many claim was captured after deserting his post and walking into the Afghan wilderness in 2009.

Berghdahl was captured by the Haqqani network, a close ally of the Taliban and an acknowledged terrorist organization according to the State Department.

“Point blank, did the US negotiate with terrorists for his release?” Crowley asked.

“Candy, what we did was ensure that, as always, the United States doesn’t leave a man or woman on the battlefield,” Rice replied. “It’s very important for folks to understand, if we got into a situation where we said because of who has captured an American soldier on the battlefield, we will leave that person behind.”

John McCain went on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ and questioned the swap of “highest high-risk people” for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. McCain called the GITMO detainees, “These are the hardest of the hard core” and added that he was disturbed the Taliban named the prisoners they wanted in exchange for Bergdahl’s freedom.

Current and former U.S. officials welcomed the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan, but voiced concern about the release of five members of the Taliban who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay as part of a negotiated prisoner swap.

“These are the hardest of the hard core. These are the highest high-risk people, and others that we have released have gone back into the fight,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in an interview on “Face the Nation,” adding that he was disturbed the Taliban named the prisoners they wanted in exchange for Bergdahl’s freedom.

Daily Commentary – Monday, June 2, 2014 – Did the President Break the Law In Sgt. Bergdahls Prisoner Exchange?

• Some top Republicans on the Senate and House armed services committees have accused him of just that

Daily Commentary – Monday, June 2, 2014 Download

Thanks Barack Obama: Taliban & Taliban’s Supreme Leader Mullah Omar Celebrate Release of Gitmo Detainees for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

Thanks Barack Obama … Isn’t this special, Taliban’s Supreme Leader Mullah Omar is celebrating the release of the GITMO 5 in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

The Taliban’s supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, hailed the release of the GITMO 5. Why shouldn’t Omar be elated, the 5 terror suspects freed by Obama administration over the weekend were labeled ‘high risk’ in 2008 Pentagon report. Are you serious, Obama exchanged 5 high risk Taliban terrorists for what appears by all accounts to be a deserter? Is it bad enough that the Obama administration just negotiated with terrorists, but compounded matters with selecting a potential deserter as their test case. UNREAL.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire Afghan Muslim nation, all the mujahideen and to the families and relatives of the prisoners for this big victory regarding the release of five Taliban leaders from Guantanamo prison,” he said in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency.

It will be one year and one minute before these five Taliban terrorists are back on the terrorist battle field against the United States. Could Obama have done anything better to inspire the Taliban to continue the fight against America.

From the Islamic Eremite of Afghanistan:

Barack Obama and his misguided administration just created five Taliban rock stars.

We heartily congratulate the whole nation, Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate, particularly the kith and kin of the released ones that five heads of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan namely Mulla Muhammad Fazal Akhund, Mulla Noorulla Noori, Mulla Khairulla Khairkhwa, Mulla Abdul Haq Waseeq and Moulavi Muhammad Nabi who had been incarcerated for the last thirteen years in ‘Guantanamo Jail’ are released due to the benevolence of Allah Almighty and the sacrifices of the heroic and courageous Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate.

These five heads were released in the result of an indirect negotiation between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States mediated by Qatari government. They will remain with their families inside Qatar and will lead a normal life.

To get the preceding five heads released, it is worth mentioning that the Islamic Emirate handed over the American soldier to the US who was captive with us approximately for the last five years.

These five heads of the Islamic Emirate were handed over on Saturday at 07:00 pm Afghanistan standard time to the delegation of Qatar who has been waiting there in ‘Guantanamo Bay’ for the previous three days. This delegation, including five heads of the Islamic Emirate, left Guantanamo at 10:00 pm and will arrive in Qatar today Sunday. They will be received and welcomed by the Political Bureau of the Islamic Emirate inside Qatar and members of the leading council of the Islamic Emirate. Similarly, the American prisoner ‘Bergdahl’ was handed over in the suburbs of ‘Khost’ province to the other side on Saturday at 07:00 pm Afghanistan standard time.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been taking all possible measures since long to get all the Afghan prisoners released whether they are incarcerated inside the country or outside and to let them enjoy a free and peaceful life.

In the future too, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is determined to get all the Mujahidin prisoners released as soon as possible. In this regard, we expect all the legal and human rights societies particularly the United Nations to share and accelerate their efforts with Afghan people and the Islamic Emirate on the basis of human sympathy so that all the incarcerated people are freed and their basic legal and human rights are safeguarded and they could lead an independent and peaceful life of their own accord.

EXIT QUESTION: How soon will the next kidnapping or abduction take place in the Middle East now that Obama has shown that he is willing to negotiate with terrorists in hostage swaps?

Say Hello To the Five Identified Taliban Prisoners Released by Barack Obama from GITMO in Exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl … Meet the GITMO 5

The Taliban FIVE released from GITMO have been identified.

Yesterday, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only living POW held by the Taliban in Afghanistan was freed in exchange for five Afghan detainees from GITMO. Barack Obama was quick to take the praise yesterday and use phrases that began with an “I”.     The president stated Bowe’s recovery is a reminder of America’s unwavering commitment to leave no man or woman in uniform behind on the battlefield, which may have the have an asterisk after it. Who is to say that terrorists do not try an do the same? As reported at TWS, now it is time to meet the GITMO 5, five of the most dangerous Taliban commanders in U.S. custody.

1. Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban army chief of staff)
2. Mullah Norullah Noori (senior Taliban military commander)
3. Abdul Haq Wasiq (Taliban deputy minister of intelligence):
4. Khairullah Khairkhwa (Taliban governor of the Herat province and former interior minister)
5. Mohammed Nabi (senior Taliban figure and security official)

More from The Weekly Standard: Five of the Most Dangerous Taliban Commanders in U.S. Custody Exchanged for American Captive.

The Taliban has long demanded that the “Gitmo 5” be released in order for peace talks to begin in earnest. The Obama administration has desperately sought to engage the Taliban as American forces are drawn down in Afghanistan, but those talks have gone nowhere to this point.  At first, the administration set preconditions for the talks, including that the Taliban break its relationship with al Qaeda. When it became clear that this was a non-starter, the administration decided to make the Taliban’s desired break with al Qaeda a goal, and no longer a precondition, for its diplomacy.

There is little hope that the peace talks will be more successful now. But the president seems to believe that Bergdahl’s exchange for the Gitmo 5 (who are reportedly being transferred to Qatar) may break the ice. “While we are mindful of the challenges, it is our hope Sergeant Bergdahl’s recovery could potentially open the door for broader discussions among Afghans about the future of their country by building confidence that it is possible for all sides to find common ground,” Obama said in his statement.

The Obama administration says that security measures have been put into place to make sure that the Gitmo 5 do not pose a threat to American national security. Let’s hope that is true; it certainly has not been the case with many ex-Gitmo detainees in the past.

Taliban Detainees Turned Over by U.S. in Bergdahl Deal:

MOHAMMED FAZL: A February 2008 Pentagon document said Fazlserved as Taliban deputy minister of defense and as a seniorcommander who was chief of staff of the Taliban army. The U.S.military said he was wanted by the United Nations for possiblewar crimes including the murder of thousands of Afghanistan’sminority Shi’ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001. It said he wasborn in 1967 in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. According toU.S. military documents, Fazl was also on the scene of aNovember 2001 prison riot that killed CIA operative JohnnyMicheal Spann, the first American who died in combat in theAfghan war. There is no evidence, however, that Fazl played anydirect role in Spann’s death.

MULLAH NORULLAH NOORI: A February 2008 Pentagon document said Noori was a senior Taliban military commander in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif during fighting in late 2001 after the U.S. invasion. It said he also was the Taliban governor for two provinces and was wanted by the United Nations for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shi’ite Muslims. It said he was born in 1967 in Afghanistan’s Zabul province.

KHAIRULLAH KHAIRKHWA: A March 2008 Pentagon document said Khairkhwa was a senior Taliban official serving as the minister of interior, governor of Herat and a military commander. It said that after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, he represented the Taliban during meetings with Iranian officials seeking to support hostilities against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. It said he was born in 1967 in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

ABDUL HAQ WASIQ: A January 2008 Pentagon document said Wasiq served as the Taliban deputy minister of intelligence. “He was central to the Taliban’s efforts to form alliances with other Islamic fundamentalist groups to fight alongside the Taliban against U.S. and Coalition forces after the 11 September2001 attacks,” the document said. It said he was born in 1971 in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province.

MOHAMMED NABI: A January 2008 Pentagon document said Nabi was a senior Taliban official who “served in multiple leadership roles.” It said he “maintained weapons caches and facilitated the smuggling of fighters and weapons.” It said he was born in1968 in Afghanistan’s Khost province.

UPDATE I: What the hell was this TWEET from father of released Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Below is the tweet from Bob Bergdahl’s account, which was published May 28 and was deleted Saturday night.  Imagine that? He us still working to free all GITMO prisoners, what is up with this? God will repay the death of every Afghan child? Why didn’t the father of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl just end his tweet with allahu akbar?

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, Realeased by Taliban in Afghanistan Freed in Exchange For 5 Afghan Detainees From GITMO

Sgt. Bergdahl has been freed … in exchange for 5 GITMO detainees.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only living POW held by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been freed in exchange for five Afghan detainees from GITMO. Sgt. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009 in Afghanistan. Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, is believed to have been held by the Haqqani network since June 30, 2009. Officials said that Sgt. Bergdahl was expected to be transferred to Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, for medical evaluations, then on to the United States.

YellowRibbonAmerica.com

The only American soldier held prisoner in Afghanistan has been freed by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Afghan detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Obama administration officials said Saturday.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special operations forces by the Taliban Saturday evening, local time, in an area of eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. Officials said the exchange was not violent and the 28-year-old Bergdahl was in good condition and able to walk.

The handover followed indirect negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, with the government of Qatar serving as the go-between. Qatar is taking custody of the five Afghan detainees who were held at Guantanamo.

NBC News