Bowe Bergdahl

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Wait and see, he will be found a deserter and traitor that an American president traded 5 of our worse enemy while we're still in war. I'll trust those that served with him and knew him over the spin going on now to get Obama out of another mess.

I wasn't aware Bush or Obama were wanted for war crimes by the UN...your facts please?

Yes, he is an American, but a traitor and should be quickly tried by the military, not the WH.....and then quickly executed for his crimes.

Who appointed you judge?

You don't shoot loony bins ... the poor guy is a loony bin

[Bilge_Rat]

I think GOP strategist Frank Luntz put it best:

Pro Tip: Attacking the actions that led to the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a surefire way to lose in 2014.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/20..._of_a_pow.html


This is politics pure and simple.

[Dread Knot]

A point to consider: it isn't that unusual for the occasional sailor, soldier, marine, or airman to hit one of those low points in life, on a deployment, where something sets him (or her) off and there is a rapid transition to "screw this, and anything to do with this" mode. I recall when the ex- NFL player Pat Tillman was the model of the fearless square-jawed, All-American hero. Now it turns out he expressed strong disillusionment with the war in the weeks before his death, too. (knowing that now, would we rescue him if captured?)

With the number of folks who deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the total number we have sent into those cauldrons of stress, it comes as no surprise to me that a few folks lose it. (See also that guy who "lost it" by going out and shooting sixteen Afghan civilians.)

Get whomever back into the system, and figure it out from there. It is long past time for the confinees in Gitmo to be of some use. If that is as trade bait for Berghdal, so be it.

[Wolferz]

Turn them loose with trackers installed and it becomes a simple task to trace them back to their holes for execution via UAV carried hellfire missiles. Whether Bergdahl walked away from his post and got captured or not is not a matter for the news media and Armistead or anyone else to investigate or decide. It's in the hands of the military JAG and the UCMJ.

Try not to be Lemmings y'all. The talking heads lie like a dog on a rug.

If they really wanted to solve the Gitmo problem...they would only need to turn all those prisoners loose on the the island of Cuba and Castro and his ilk would take care of it.

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by Platapus

It should also be remembered that when President Obama signed this law, he also issued what is called a "signing statement" where he informed congress that he felt the law was unconstitutional and was an infringement on the powers of the Executive Branch.

In effect, he was saying that "yes it is a law, but I am not bound by it due to separation of powers". Unfortunately, signing statements have become common (too common) in the past 40 years.

On that, the President is on fairly solid legal grounds. The 30 day notification period is almost certainly an unconstitutional infringement of the President's power as commander-in-chief of all U.S. forces and his power to grant pardons.

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Biige Rat

I think GOP strategist Frank Luntz put it best:


Quote:
Pro Tip: Attacking the actions that led to the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is a surefire way to lose in 2014.

OT: This would make a good thread on it's own merit ... I hope someone starts one. Not me ... I have work to do

[Jimbuna]

I'd much rather any threads relating to Bowe Bergdahl be kept together, otherwise we run the risk of going down the route of gun threads.

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'd much rather any threads relating to Bowe Bergdahl be kept together, otherwise we run the risk of going down the route of gun threads.

Sorry Jim I agree I was more interested in the point Bilge Rat was trying to make:

a surefire way to lose in 2014

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Sorry Jim I agree I was more interested in the point Bilge Rat was trying to make:

No problem at all and certainly no apology needed...I am always open to suggestions.

[Bilge_Rat]

well the GOP is all over the Bergdahl story because they think it will score them points for the mid terms. According to Frank Luntz anyway, he thinks it will backfire. We will see in November.

It is obvious Washington is now in full campaign mode. Obama was in Europe last week trying to shore up a united response to Russian aggression in Ukraine and what was the only topic on everyone's lips? Bergdahl. Who even heard or cared about Bergdahl before he was exchanged?

Putin must be laughing himself silly. He has a free ride until november 5th, 2014.

[vanjast]

You lot shouldn't have been there in the first place...
You suckers have been 'rooted' by your own administration.. like Vietnam, into a 'war' you cannot win.. because you're going about it the wrong way

Why you get so patriotic about this BS is beyond me... Take the guy back home to his family.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Bingo, and if he is charged with desertion he will face a custodial sentence, or dishonorable discharge. Sending death threats to his father and lynching him in the media and social networks is both unproductive and quite honestly an insult to the entire justice system.

It strikes me that this is basically just being used as another stick to beat Obama with, just as it would be if Bergdahl was still sitting in his Taliban prison, people would be beating Obama with the 'Why haven't you gotten him released' 'Bring our boy back home' stick, exactly as I have already demonstrated in this thread with the screenshot from someones twitter account. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, but that's exactly what being a US President is all about.

I don't think anyone was beating Obama about getting Berg free, he's been known about and numerous deals considered and previously refused by Obama, including one to let 3 go. For whatever the push this time seems to be his health, although he looked rather healthy on camera.. Obvious some politics behind doing this now we may know or never about...

[Bilge_Rat]

purely on the legal aspects, Michael Mukasey, Attorney General under President Bush agrees the law is unconstitutional:

“He broke the law, but I believe that the law itself is unconstitutional,” Mukasey said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Article II [of the Constitution] makes him the commander in chief of the armed forces. These people were in the custody of the armed forces.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politi...60.html?hp=l22

The last and only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since 1865 was private Edward Slovik in 1945.

Although over 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion during World War II, including 49 death sentences, Slovik's was the only death sentence that was actually carried out.

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

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Armistead

I don't think anyone was beating Obama about getting Berg free, he's been known about and numerous deals considered and previously refused by Obama, including one to let 3 go. For whatever the push this time seems to be his health, although he looked rather healthy on camera.. Obvious some politics behind doing this now we may know or never about...

Then where does Iran-Contra fall in this state of affairs? One could argue that it was a far greater scandal than this, and a bigger abuse of office by Reagan and his team.

A cautionary saying about stones and glass houses does come to mind when I read of Republican outrage...

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Then where does Iran-Contra fall in this state of affairs? One could argue that it was a far greater scandal than this, and a bigger abuse of office by Reagan and his team.

A cautionary saying about stones and glass houses does come to mind when I read of Republican outrage...

We know both sides are thinking politcal first. One, I don't confuse GOP members in congress with Fox news, although some are out there. Not to forget, several Dems have bashed Obama as well, including liberal Feinstein. No doubt it's the wrong approach. I honestly think there's clear evidence that the military and Obama knew about Berg deserting and probably why nothing was done in 5 years, even though there were better deals for us in times past. So we wait 5 years and do a much worse deal....I think there's a politically motivated reason behind this now.

Personally, I would rather these 5 responsible for 1000's of innocent lives face trial in the US or {cough cough} UN. To release these tyrants back on Afghanistan will prove to be a costly mistake.

As long as the army does an investigation I would be happy. But I think we all know Dem politics will seek to protect themselves and screw the process up...