Link here. Short version: HONOR AND DISTINCTION. Also, ‘desertion’ and ‘misbehavior before the enemy.’ It’s the latter one that can get you a life sentence, by the way – and yes, the Army seems a bit keen on reaching that point.
Tag: bowe bergdahl
Report: Bowe Bergdahl to be tried for desertion.
Oh, dear.
Attorney tells @ABC‘s @LMartinezABC Army has informed him Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be charged w/ desertion and misbehavior before enemy.
— John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) March 25, 2015
So it is apparently now the official position of the US military that the US government went out and traded five terrorists for a deserter. I’d almost – almost – be close to maybe understanding it if we were at least planning to hang the guy afterward, but let’s be realistic. Bowe Bergdahl, even if convicted for desertion, will not be executed for it. He’d probably spend a lot of time in jail, but he’d be unlikely to be hung, shot, or given the needle. Continue reading Report: Bowe Bergdahl to be tried for desertion.
Barack Obama hides behind signing statements to justify #Bergdahl / Taliban swap.
So, it turns out that the Obama administration was legally required to at least notify Congress before it actually traded Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban terrorist commanders*:
Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred.
The law requires the defense secretary to notify relevant congressional committees at least 30 days before making any transfers of prisoners, to explain the reason and to provide assurances that those released would not be in a position to reengage in activities that could threaten the United States or its interests.
Continue reading Barack Obama hides behind signing statements to justify #Bergdahl / Taliban swap.
Three things about this Bowe Bergdahl / Taliban prisoners swap.
Short version: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009. Today, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reported that the US government had made arrangements via the government of Qatar to exchange five Taliban terrorists held at Gitmo for Sgt. Bergdahl. The swap was duly made and Sgt. Bergdahl is now on his way home.
I say the following fully respecting the fact that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl*and his family/loved ones might have an extremely understandably different opinion on the situation:
- The people we exchanged for Sgt. Bergdahl will end up running terrorist operations in Afghanistan if we’re lucky, and Afghanistan and abroad if we are not. And they will likely be doing it considerably sooner than a year from now.
- The Taliban will step up their kidnapping campaigns, because from their point of view said campaigns have been proven to work.
- Democratic, liberal, and progressive partisans will freak if you point out either #1 or #2 to them. That particularly smarmy freaking that the more obnoxious examples do when they think that they’ve got the moral drop on you.
Continue reading Three things about this Bowe Bergdahl / Taliban prisoners swap.