Military says those who died chasing Bergdahl died looking for "top taliban fighter".

[koshergrl]

So apparently the military considered him a Taliban fighter once he deserted his post:

"The military told the Andrews family that their soldier died after a mission to capture a top Taliban fighter, Sondra Andrews said."

“Then the guys [Darryn Andrews served with] started contacting me. They said, ‘No, ma’am, we were looking for [Bergdahl].’ ”
"Sondra Andrews said she’s “very angry” that the military didn’t contact the family before announcing Bergdahl’s recovery.

"Within hours of Bergdahl’s disappearance, her son and his soldiers went out on foot patrols to search for him, Sondra Andrews said.
“They found his gear. They knew [he’d left],” she said. “You don’t get captured and leave your gear in neat little stacks. They knew he had walked away from his post.”

Gold Star mom: 'This guy was worth my son's life?' | Military Times | militarytimes.com-

 

[waltky]

An' he let `em go anyway...

Could Taliban He Freed Try to Harm U.S.? Obama: ‘Absolutely’
June 3, 2014 -- President Barack Obama said today in Poland that it was “absolutely” the case that the five Taliban he released from Guantanamo Prison in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl could try to return to efforts to harm the United States.

“Is there the possibility of some of them trying to return to activities that are detrimental to us? Absolutely,” Obama said in Warsaw at an appearance with President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland. “That’s been true of all the prisoners that were released from Guantanamo. There’s a certain recidivism rate that takes place. “

Obama announced on Saturday evening in the White House Rose Garden that he had agreed to release five Taliban detainees from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for the release of Bergdahl, who had been held by the Taliban for five years. “As part of this effort, the United States is transferring five detainees from the prison in Guantanamo Bay to Qatar,” Obama said Saturday. “The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security.”

Citing a former senior military officer, the New York Times reported on Monday that Bergdahl had left his post in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, leaving “behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life.” Reuters reported on Tuesday, that Qatar was letting the Taliban whom Obama traded for Bergdahl move freely in their country. “Qatar has moved five Afghan Taliban prisoners freed in exchange for a U.S. soldier to a residential compound and will let them move freely in the country, a senior Gulf official said on Tuesday,” Reuters said.

In Poland, Obama brushed aside a question about the legality of his move to trade the release of the five Taliban for Bergdahl. Section 1028 of the Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which Obama signed, requires the secretary of Defense to provide Congress with a certification at least 30 days in advance if he is going to transfer a prisoner out of Guantanamo to a foreign country. The law requires that the secretary of Defense in concurrence with the secretary of State and in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence certify that the foreign country to whom the released person is delivered “has taken or agreed to take effective actions to ensure that the individual cannot take action to threaten the United States, its citizens, or its allies in the future” and that it “has taken or agreed to take such actions as the Secretary of Defense determines are necessary to ensure that the individual cannot engage or reengage in any terrorist activity.”

At the Belweder Palace in Warsaw a reporter asked Obama: “Did your willingness to go around that 30-day requirement signal a new urgency to close Guantanamo now that you’re ending combat operations in Afghanistan?”

MORE

 

[Bush92]

Military did not want it getting out that they had a collaborator in their midst.

 

[Siete]

the 5 Taliban members should have been classified as terrorists rather than POW's

 

[KNB]

Reagan was a collaborator. Bush Sr, too. Every American soldier who died after 1979 from the actions of those brave "freedom fighters" is on America's hands.

Both Democrats and Republicans. The "establishment". The American establishment created and supported the modern jihad. This was in your lifetime, the consequences spanning over the last three decades right up to today. You wanted the jihad, Republicans, you got the jihad. Sure, they beat Russia. Now they're beating us at the same game. Keep whining like you're all innocent victims. Just go back to calling the terrorists "freedom fighters" and you can support the jihad again.

 

[Peach]

the 5 Taliban members should have been classified as terrorists rather than POW's

They are not POWs. They are "detainees". That has caused controversy for years; no trials, no due process, they just sit there. This invented classification has cost TAXPAYERS many millions.

 

[g5000]

I would like to thank martybegan for providing the following:

 

[Peach]

Reagan was a collaborator. Bush Sr, too. Every American soldier who died after 1979 from the actions of those brave "freedom fighters" is on America's hands.

Both Democrats and Republicans. The "establishment". The American establishment created and supported the modern jihad. This was in your lifetime, the consequences spanning over the last three decades right up to today. You wanted the jihad, Republicans, you got the jihad. Sure, they beat Russia. Now they're beating us at the same game. Keep whining like you're all innocent victims. Just go back to calling the terrorists "freedom fighters" and you can support the jihad again.

No, not every American. Reagan armed the mujahideen, his fear of "Commies" never ended; despite the Soviets turning toward capitalism. Thus, yes, the US government assisted the extremists. Many thought it might not be in our best interest, but Reagan's idiot grin won the day.

 

[Siete]

the 5 Taliban members should have been classified as terrorists rather than POW's

They are not POWs. They are "detainees". That has caused controversy for years; no trials, no due process, they just sit there. This invented classification has cost TAXPAYERS many millions.

Prisoners of war and detainees protected under international humanitarian law - ICRC


prisoner of war (POW), any person captured or interned by a belligerent power during war. In the strictest sense it is applied only to members of regularly organized armed forces, but by broader definition it has also included guerrillas, civilians who take up arms against an enemy openly, or noncombatants associated with a military force.

 

[koshergrl]

There is no due process guaranteed to them.