Bo Bergdahl

[SFC B]

I will make a very short statement on this one because it has been burning my ASS!!! Be sure, I will tell you with ABSOLUTE certainty, this shit-bird walked away thinking that Haj would embrace his desertion. Be SURE that many lives were lost trying to extract this excrement to go along with the millions of dollars. No excuses, period. He should be prosecuted for desertion and put out with a DHD. It won't happen though because this admin made a very measured move to make this happen when it did and will not do the right thing now. I am sick to my stomach.

 

[jryoung]

Why is there a Marine sitting in a jail within minutes of the border then?

Not to take this on a tangent, but was he performing military duties? Was he in battle?

 

[OriginalOscar]

The President should freeze all money transfers from the U.S. to Mexico until our Marine is safely handed over to the Border Patrol., with an apology and a check for his pain and suffering.

What would Reagan do? Iran released the hostages day 1 of his presidency and anyone who messed with Americans knew they were going to get bombed or invaded.

 

[RobG]

Why is there a Marine sitting in a jail within minutes of the border then?

According to the article you posted the reason is that he broke Mexican law while in Mexico. There really isn't any comparison.

 

[bigskyblueman]

You are correct, and so I cast my ballot for him in November 1980. Incidentally, the Iranians were never fully punished for their brutal crimes then, and henceforward.

 

[jryoung]

How many layers of tinfoil do I need to think that we are tracking the five released terrorists and their every movement and leveraging that intel?

 

[schmalts]

According to the article you posted the reason is that he broke Mexican law while in Mexico. There really isn't any comparison.

And millions of Mexicans are breaking American laws while in America and yet ICE reports they were freed when they should have been jailed or deported. Did you see the report from ICE?.

 

[Southwind]

Not to take this on a tangent, but was he performing military duties? Was he in battle?

If reports are true, both are active duty and neither were performing military duties.

tinfoil or not, the tracking and intel on the fives location will probably come in the form of death and destruction to others and especially Americans.

 

[Curtis.mullin]

I was headed to Afghanistan shortly after this happened. This guy makes me so angry. I truly believe that he abandon his brothers and on top of that he is directly responsible for those five losses of life. He needs to be court martialed and his fate should rest on that. As angry as I am with this situation, we are a civilized society and the laws and rules that have been established here and under UCMJ need to be followed.

 

[fowladdict]

I truly believe that he abandon his brothers and on top of that he is directly responsible for those five losses of life.

I thought it was 6? I wonder how many soldiers lost their lives hunting for the five terrorists that we gave up for Bowe. We probably will never know.

 

[Curtis.mullin]

It may have been 6. The last report I saw I thought it said 5. Might have been my bad.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

This guy went native and walked away from his brothers. Multiple soldiers lost their lives looking for this guy which is a travesty IMO. Then this guy gets a trip to the white house? Only thing missing was Jane Fonda.

 

[ERSS]

We didn't leave him behind...he WILLINGLY walked away

All information I have heard, leads me to believe this as well.

Southwind asks all the pertinent questions

Will be interesting to see how this plays out, If facts lead to him being a deserter and Taliban sympathizer, will be interesting to see how fast the current administration covers that up.

What ramifications does this hold for the future, are small roving patrols now at greater risk of capture and ransom?

My hope is that he is just a guy that ended up where he was not supposed to be, and is now back with his family and country. But sure are alot of unanswered questions.

 

[JoseCuervo]

he is directly responsible for those five losses of life. .

Do you have a credible link to that claim?

That Faux News talking point was kind of getting rebutted, last time I checked.

 

[RobG]

And millions of Mexicans are breaking American laws while in America and yet ICE reports they were freed when they should have been jailed or deported. Did you see the report from ICE?.

Look, this whole thing is looking like yet another BHO CF, but bringing him back was probably the right thing to do if for no other reason to give him his constitutional right to due process for his alleged crimes against the US. That is the fact that everyone should be focused on instead of rumors. Yes, they screwed it up in so many ways as people are so eager to point out, but how is it that you guys are so easily distracted if Obama did it? The ICE report has nothing to do with anything...

This isn't that hard. Bowe was held captive by a government we are at war with. He is a prisoner of war and it took us five years to get him turned over to us.

On the other hand, the marine clearly broke the law in a country we are not at war with. Furthermore, Mexico is actively trying to deal with gun smuggling, which is basically what the Marine did, accidentally or not. We don't put our citizens above other country's laws, but if appropriate we do try to get them back. He appears to be getting more attention that other people have in the past. It has been about 60 days and you guys are wondering why we haven't busted him out, even though doing so would be a violation of a friendly nation's sovereignty. Ask that question in five years. Then it might even be comparable, but not now.

 

[WV Hunter]

http://time.com/2826442/taliban-kidnappings-bergdahl/

From the link:

A Taliban commander close to the negotiations over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told TIME Thursday that the deal made to secure Bergdahl’s release has made it more appealing for fighters to capture American soldiers and other high-value targets.

“It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people,” the commander said, speaking by telephone on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”

 

[Nemont]

This isn't that hard. Bowe was held captive by a government we are at war with. He is a prisoner of war and it took us five years to get him turned over to us.

Just to be clear he was never listed as a POW by our government. As for bringing him back, regardless of what he did or is alleged to have done he remains an American citizen and if nothing else he needs to be returned so the USMJ can deal with him.

Nemont

 

[RobG]

Just to be clear he was never listed as a POW by our government. As for bringing him back, regardless of what he did or is alleged to have done he remains an American citizen and if nothing else he needs to be returned so the USMJ can deal with him.

Nemont

Thanks for the clarification on POW.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I was headed to Afghanistan shortly after this happened. This guy makes me so angry. I truly believe that he abandon his brothers and on top of that he is directly responsible for those five losses of life. He needs to be court martialed and his fate should rest on that. As angry as I am with this situation, we are a civilized society and the laws and rules that have been established here and under UCMJ need to be followed.

This is a moot point regarding how he should be treated. It is one of the few perks of the job, your brother will die trying to recover you regardless the circumstances, even if it is just to return your remains to your family.

IMO, he did nothing heroic, and at a minimum was derelict in his duties. When he left his post, regardless of the reason, he left his commrades exposed, and his buddies still did the honorable thing and sacrificed to try and bring him home. He shouldn't get a parade, an invite to the White House (this would just be a media stunt anyway), and should just feel lucky he got home alive.

 

[SFC B]

Do you have a credible link to that claim?

That Faux News talking point was kind of getting rebutted, last time I checked.

I can tell you from direct knowledge that he DID leave of his own volition and that servicemembers lost their lives in operations DIRECTLY focused on recovering his useless ass. There have been a TON of other resources ( human, equipment and analysis assets) spent as well. Period. No desertion = no operations with loss of life and assets to try and recover said deserter.