Chuck Hagel Condemns Early Judgment Of Bowe Bergdahl As Unfair AP | By Lolita C. Baldor | Posted: 06/04/2014 1:44 pm EDT Excerpts: BRUSSELS (AP) - "U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday it is unfair to the family of released captive Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to leap to conclusions about his behavior in uniform. "We don't do that in the United States," Hagel told reporters at a NATO defense ministers meeting. "We rely on facts." Hagel said the Army will review the circumstances surrounding how Bergdahl left his unit and was captured by the Taliban, and added, "It's not my place as a former sergeant in the Army to decide who's worthy of being a sergeant and who isn't." Bergdahl was released Saturday from five years' captivity by the Taliban in exchange for five top Taliban officials. Asked whether men had died in the efforts to rescue Bergdahl, Hagel said, "I don't know of any circumstances or details of U.S. soldiers dying as a result of efforts to get Bergdahl." Men in Bergdahl's unit have said that some did die in the efforts, even if indirectly. "Those soldiers who died on those missions, they would not have been where they were ... if Bergdahl had never walked away," said Evan Buetow, a sergeant in Bergdahl's unit at the time. "At the same time I do believe it is somewhat unfair for people to say, 'It is Bergdahl's fault that these people are dead.' I think that's a little harsh." The Taliban on Wednesday released a video showing Bergdahl's handover to U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan, touting the swap as a significant achievement. The 17-minute video emailed to media (http://apne.ws/1kKknrJ) shows Bergdahl in traditional white Afghan clothing, clean-shaven and sitting in a pickup truck. More than a dozen Taliban fighters with machine guns, their faces mostly covered by headscarves, stand nearby. Bergdahl blinks frequently and appears to be listening as one of his captors speaks to him. A Black Hawk helicopter lands and two Taliban fighters, one carrying a white cloth tied to a stick, lead Bergdahl halfway to the helicopter. Three Western-looking men in civilian clothes take Bergdahl to the helicopter, where soldiers in Army uniforms are waiting. After his release, the 28-year-old from Hailey, Idaho, was reported to be in stable condition at a military hospital in Germany. The freed Taliban Guantanamo detainees were flown to Qatar, the Persian Gulf Arab country that served as a mediator in the negotiations for the swap." read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/04/chuck-hagel-bowe-bergdahl_n_5446560.html ...... IMO: As a result of Bush's War, a prisoner of war was finally rescued by a deal made by President Obama and the Taliban group for a transfer of prisoners...Bergdahl for five Taliban captives held at Guantanamo Bay Prison. Since the rescue of the American, the republicans in Congress have tried to stir up another manufactured 'scandal' designed to discredit President Obama for his humanitarian action in rescuing the last American prisoner of war from the Taliban group in Afghanistan. I believe that also ingrained in the decision was Obama's thought of providing yet another way to ensure Guantanamo Bay prison will be closer to ending the nefarious Guantanamo Bay historical torture prison for good. Senator John McCain was the usual first to voice opposition to the release of Sgt. Bergdahl in return of 5 Taliban hard core fighters, to be followed soon by his little puppet Lindsey Graham who regularly backs up anything McCain says. Chuck Hagel certainly did a good job with this latest squealing from the republican pig pen.because it is true that in America we don't make fast judgments on anyone until all the facts are heard not just the republican facts, but the true facts are still to be heard. In the meantime, ever patriotic American, instead of listening to innuendos, smears, and disgusting lies concerning Bergdahl in an effort to discredit President Obama, should celebrate in welcoming Sgt. Bergdahl home after his imprisonment of 5 years. WELCOME HOME, SGT BERGDAHL !!! .
Who cares what Hagel says, he was in on this lawless act. You Lefties LOVE traitors and deserters. It's in your DNA.
The Secretary of Defense is responsible for notifying Congress of any transferees from Gitmo. Obama nominated Hagel (Republican) and he took over as the Secretary of Defense Jan 2013. Why would Obama nominate a Republican as the Secretary of Defense for his last term? I think Obama intends to empty out GITMO by just cutting them all loose. If things blow up as they have with Bergdahl (trial balloon) he has a convenient Republican to blame.
..... Hi PP: I find your explanation of why Hagel was given the job of Sec. of Defense quite shallow and totally anecdotal. Do you have any thoughts on the actual article? I think we should ask G.W. Bush what we should do with all his left over prisoners at secret torture prisons before he sneaked out of office with his cadre' of corrupt officials. Congress seems unable to do anything at all concerning letting the prisoners go, so anything President Obama does to close the infamous Bush torture camps will be ok with most Americans that want respect for America back. Congress is full of stumbling, lumbering, out-of-touch, corrupt republicans that can do nothing without being told by their masters...and it is always obstruct, obstruct, obstruct !!
I'll give you a better reason. Hagel is a moron who fits perfectly in an administration filled with incompetents.
The parents of these guys condemn the PRO-TALIBAN DESERTER, Bergdahl's"hero status" per the bumbling Obamaleft, as "unfair":
As I've said before in threads abut this; lets all not rush to judgement until all the facts and evidence are in. Some of the comments made by people in these threads condemning the soldier remind me of a bunch of old opinionated women sitting around a table yabbering, only in this case they are sitting around their keyboard.
I don't lean to the theory that space aliens abducted bergdahl out of the camp and dropped him in the lap of the taliban. So he looks pretty guilty to me.
Or the guys who served along side Bergdahl, INCLUDING THESE GUYS, are all "liars" as the SLIMY OBAMA WHITE HOUSE has begun trying to claim.
Good point. The information, breaking out now suggest, Bergdadl converted into Islam, considered himself mudjahadin, carried a weapon sometimes, fraternized with Taliban... if true, will you condemn Obama's act?
Disgusting. He is a traitor and clearly unpatriotic. Being captured is a risk soldiers take when entering the Army; the government should not be responsible for someone VOLUNTARILY leaving their platoon. I hate to label people, but man, you seem like a person who believes everything the government tells them. That is especially dangerous with the current administration. Please, do yourself a favor and conduct your own, independent research before labeling a political move as a success. Oh, by the way, Huffington Post does not count as a reliable source, LOL. Postscript: I could barely understand what you wrote, due to your various grammatical errors. I am not insulting them; I am merely informing you that it was difficult to read.
Who ever said that Hagel was the brightest piece of chrome in the grill?? And--------------------as someone pointed out, look who he works for!!!!
No, but if proven true, I'll condemn the soldier. That being said, there is nothing illegal in converting to Islam; its not against the law to fantasize that you are a mujaheddin nor carrying a weapon (much like those in the US who open carry). However fraternizing with the Taliban (aside from waving hello or a similar social greeting) might be considered an offense unless the doctors determine that the soldier is insane and in the US, those who are insane do not stand trial. So lets all wait until the facts are completely in prior to condemning anyone.
Chuck Hegel is an effin" sell out piece of garbage and he will say anything to serve his master and stay in his good graces. If Obama and his quislings had one single shred of exculpatory evidence that served Bergdahl's cause you can bet we would have heard it by now. That we haven't says it all.
As far as the article goes, it's just left wing blather disguised as current events. Huffing Paint Post is chock full of opinion pieces from young ignorant authors for the most part. Kids right out of college for the most part who haven't lived enough to have valid opinions based on real life, jusat what some left wing Professor told them was true. Hell, I got shoes in my closet and my car is as old or older than most of them. So I rarely read the article you post and comment on your commentary. They set up Military tribunals to deal with them. They wouldn't be there if they weren't captured for being a combatant. Obama just let 5 very bad men go instead of being tried for their crimes by a military tribunal. One or more of them is wanted by the UN for war crimes and mass murder. You mean the Senate don't you? The Republican led House is doing their job and passing legislation and sending it to the Senate where some old coot seems to be too confused about everything to bring any legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. How many budgets has the Senate passed since 2009? Please tell me again who's obstructing? This is the reason the question shouldn't will the Democrats lose the Senate, but by how many seats of their 21 seats up will they lose.
I know what RINO stands for but I have question: would yall still be calling him that if stood up and bashed this whole thing? I am constantly astonished by the many folks who PROUDLY put that (R) by their name UNTIL one of your own does something you dont agree with.
