Freed POW Father’s Disturbing Tweets, Reports of Desertion Raise Alarms on Obama Terror Swap
By Top Right News on June 1, 2014 i
http://toprightnews.com/?p=3438
bob-bergdahl

by Brian Hayes | Top Right News

Many Americans are questioning Barack Obama’s “deal” to exchange “captured” American POW Bowe Bergdahl for 5 top Taliban leaders being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Here are some very troubling details that the mainstream media (and surprisingly many conservative outlets such as Drudge and Breitbart) are going out of their way to avoid:

(1) POW Bergdahl’s Father’s Bizarre Tweets and Behavior

3 days before his son’s exchange for the Taliban terrorists was announced, Bob Bergdahl posted, and later deleted this disturbing Tweet:

God will “repay”? Rather a disturbing sentiment from the father of a U.S. G.I. But it wasn’t his only one. Such as this one from 3 days ago calling Democracy a “cult of the West”:

This fellow the elder Bergdahl was retweeting (and whom he follows on Twitter) is a radical Muslim prone to jihadist posts such as this:

And of course Bob Bergdahl also finished his White House statement yesterday with a Muslim religious phrase – in perfect Arabic:

At the end of brief event, the soldier’s father, Bob Bergdahl, recited the most frequent phrase in the Koran — “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim” —which means “In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Compassionate.”

After Bergdahl finished his statement and his praise for Allah, Obama hugged him.

The Taliban echoed Bergdahl, saying the trade happened “due to the benevolence of Allah Almighty and the sacrifices of the heroic and courageous Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate.”…

And today at his surreal press conference this afternoon, Bob Bergdahl said: “I’m proud of how much Bowe wanted to help the Afghan people.” Bergdahl did not explain that comment, not did he answer questions about his prior Tweets.

(2) Bowe Bergdahl Sent Emails Before Disappearance Saying He Was “Ashamed to Be American”

CBS News reported in 2012 that Bergdahl sent his family multiple emails, saying he was disillusioned with America’s mission in Afghanistan, had lost faith in the U.S. Army’s mission there and was considering desertion. In these emails, Bergdahl told his parents he was “ashamed to even be American” and was disgusted with the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and with the Army:

“The future is too good to waste on lies,” one email reads. “And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong.” Some of Bergdahl’s reported words read like a suicide note. “I am sorry for everything,” he wrote. “The horror that is America is disgusting.”

He mailed home boxes containing his uniform and books.

(3) Bergdahl Was Not “Captured on the Battlefield” But Deserted His Unit

It has long been pointed our that unlike what Susan Rice said today, Bowe Bergdahl was not “captured on the battlefield”. He left his unit in the middle of the night leaving his his gun behind, after shipping his uniform and belongings back to his family, according to his fellow soldiers who have spoken out.

From the start, the situation seemed a clear desertion, but the Administration and Pentagon kept tight lips about it:

On July 2, two U.S. officials told the AP the soldier had “just walked off” his base with three Afghans after his shift. He had no body armor or weapon and they said they had no explanation for why he left. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Michelle Malkin had a long piece detailing the multiple sources that corroborate the desertion story.

And this morning SooperMexican.com had an entire thread of Twitter messages from a soldier who served with Bergdahl, detailing the weeks and days leading up to his desertion. The highlights:

Bergdahl studied Pashto (the Afghan language) for weeks with Rosetta Stone
Bergdahl sent home nearly all his belongings 3 days before he disappeared
He asked 2 days prior if he would get in trouble if his 9mm pistol or other equipment “went missing”
Bergdahl slipped out around 3:30am local time on a night with “low moon” brightness
He left all his equipment behind, gun, ammo, vest. He only took his “camera, journal and compass”
Described a frantic search for Bergdahl once they realized he had deserted
G.I.’s ran across Afghan villagers who described an American who “spoke English and wanted to meet the Taliban“.

Many other military sources have corroborated these stories over the past 24 hours.

On online military communities, reaction is harsh and divided regarding the portrayal of Bergdahl as a hero. According to Army Times one commenter said:

“He is a dirtbag that now should spend the next 20yrs+ in Leavenworth … his fellow soldiers were affected by his actions, he is a sympathizer and deserves to be tried for desertion,” said Kirouac, whose Facebook profile identifies him as a company commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

While others feel that, regardless of his conduct, we cannot leave any soldier behind.

(4) The Administration Likely Violated the Law By Not Prior Disclosing the Taliban Release to Congress

Well this should surprise exactly…NO ONE, since this Administration is without doubt the most lawless in American history, Nixon included.

According to the Washington Post:

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

Expect many more disturbing details to emerge over the next few days, which may make reality seem like an episode of Homeland – including an adoring, unquestioning mass media.

wasn't Reagan who traded 1500 missiles for one  prisonerRepublicans can’t allow President Obama to be responsible for anything good that happens. If a Republican president had made this same deal to rescue a captive soldier, they would be proclaim this a great day for America.

Interestingly, the Obama administration has turned the Bush era justification for handling detainees on its ear. Defense Secretary Hagel argued on Meet The Press that President Obama had the authority to make a deal for the captured solider under his commander-in-chief powers laid out in Article II of the Constitution. Hagel also said that Sgt. Bergdahl’s health was in decline, “We believed that the information we had, the intelligence we had, was such that Sgt. Bergdahl’s safety and health were in jeopardy. In particular his health was deteriorating. It was our judgment that if we could find an opening and move very quickly, we needed to get him out of there, essentially to save his life.”

The Republican reaction to this good news has been disgraceful, and another example of the fact that the GOP can only see issues in the most partisan of terms. This is more sleazy, and un-American behavior from a party that refuses to get behind the president even when he successfully brings a captured soldier home without a shot being fired.

Just like with the VA, the health and welfare of Sgt. Bergdahl doesn't seem to matter to Republicans. Their only answer to every question is to gin up a partisan scandal. It’s getting old fast, and it is also why Democrats will continue to win elections for years to come.

Once again you missed the whole point, there is alot more behind this soldier than meets the eye

no you and republicans just keep cooking and creating something another Myth   Scandal in the air!!   

Try googling this before your foot gets stuck to far down your throat

your the ones whose foot gets stuffed down your throat, please give me a link I will look

hello I said google it then take you pick, so easy even you can do this

11 Things You Need to Know about Obama’s Exchange of the ‘Last American POW’ for 5 Gitmo Terrorists
By Kyle Becker 4 hours ago
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/143680-15-things-need-know-obamas-exchange-last-american-pow-5-gitmo-terrorists/

Reports are flying around the president’s unilateral transfer of “the last American POW” in the Afghan War for 5 dangerous Gitmo prisoners.

Here are 11 stories that will give you a sense of the controversy and questions swirling around this news:
1. President Obama Almost Certainly Broke the Law

President Obama did not consult Congress when making the transfer of 5 Taliban commanders at Gitmo for Bowe Bergdahl.

The Washington Post raises questions about whether the president violated the law regarding terrorism policy:

Congressional Republicans and others focused on a series of concerns that are likely to reverberate in coming days: whether the deal breached U.S. policy forbidding negotiations with terrorists, whether sufficient safeguards were in place to ensure that the released Taliban prisoners do no further harm to the United States and whether Congress was informed about the prisoner trade, as required by law.

2. The 5 Taliban Commanders Released Were Among the Most Dangerous at Gitmo

Numerous publications note that these detained terrorists were among the worst at the facility. The Daily Beast gets to the point:

The five Guantanamo detainees released by the Obama administration in exchange for America’s last prisoner of war in Afghanistan, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, are bad guys. They are top Taliban commanders the group has tried to free for more than a decade.

.

According to a 2008 Pentagon dossier on Guantanamo Bay inmates, all five men released were considered to be a high risk to launch attacks against the United States and its allies if they were liberated.

3. Soldiers Who Served with Bergdahl are Making Claims He Was a Deserter

CNN’s Jake Tapper reports that soldiers who served with Bergdahl are calling him a “deserter,” not a “hero”:

“I was pissed off then and I am even more so now with everything going on,” said former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl’s platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009. “Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him.”

Vierkant said Bergdahl needs to not only acknowledge his actions publicly but face a military trial for desertion under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

4. Soldiers Who Served with Bergdahl Signed Non-Disclosure Agreements Not to Reveal What Happened

Again, from CNN’s Jake Tapper:

Many of Bergdahl’s fellow troops — from the seven or so who knew him best in his squad, to the larger group that comprised the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division — told CNN that they signed nondisclosure agreements agreeing to never share any information about Bergdahl’s disappearance and the efforts to recapture him.

.

Some were willing to dismiss that document in hopes that the truth would come out about a soldier who they now fear is being hailed as a hero, while the men who lost their lives looking for him are ignored.

5. Bergdahl Reportedly Split Camp with Just a Few Survival Items

Jibing with what was reported earlier on IJReview, Bergdahl seemingly planned leaving his platoon carefully:

According to first-hand accounts from soldiers in his platoon, Bergdahl, while on guard duty, shed his weapons and walked off the observation post with nothing more than a compass, a knife, water, a digital camera, and a diary.

6. Soldier Who Claims to Have Served with Bergdahl Says He Mailed His Valuables Back Mid-Tour

As reported by IJReview contributor Soopermexican, a soldier claims Bergdahl mailed back his valuables mid-tour:

As a soldier going by the moniker of @CodyFNFootball claims about Bergdahl:

“Why would someone pack all of there [sic] belongings and send them home in the middle of a 12 month deployment? Hmmmm.”

In addition, the soldier claims that Bergdahl bought an AK-47, a highly unusual choice for a U.S. soldier.
7. Six U.S. Soldiers Killed in Manhunt to Find the AWOL Soldier

As reported via Gateway Pundit:

PFC Matthew Michael Martinek, Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss, SSG Clayton Bowen, PFC Morris Walker, SSG Michael Murphrey, 2LT Darryn Andrews, were all KIA from our unit who died looking for Bergdahl. Many others from various units were wounded or killed while actively looking for Bergdahl.

7. Bergdahl Reportedly Made Anti-American Statements

According to a Rolling Stone article written by the late writer Michael Hastings, Bergdahl complained about fellow soldiers and had anti-American things to say.

“I am ashamed to be an American. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools,” he concluded. “I am sorry for everything. The horror that is America is disgusting.”
8. The Highly Unusual Behavior of Bowe Bergdahl

Also corresponding with the story reported earlier here, Bergdahl dreamt about joing the French foreign legion, had an interest in fighting warloards in Darfur in Sudan, and also said he had desires to become a mercenary.
9. Father Praises Allah; Has Pro-Islamic Tweets on Timeline

Regardless of what one thinks about Islam, it is quite a coincidence that Bowe’s father Robert Bergdahl’s Twitter account has pro-Islamic statements, along with tweets critical of Gitmo detainment.

At the press conference with President Obama announcing his son’s release, Robert Bergdahl said “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim” —which means “In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Compassionate.”
10. Robert Bergdahl Deletes Extremely Suspicious Tweet

As reported by IJReview contributor Soopermexican earlier, this is what Robert Bergdahl by all appearances deleted from his timeline:
bobbergdahl-deleted-tweet-death-american
11. CIA Station Chief in Kabul is “Outed” by the White House One Week Before Transfer

If numerous military members knew something was awry with the story about Bergdahl’s apparent capture by the Taliban, what would the CIA station chief in Kabul know? As the Washington Post reported:

The CIA’s top officer in Kabul was exposed Saturday by the White House when his name was inadvertently included on a list provided to news organizations of senior U.S. officials participating in President Obama’s surprise visit with U.S. troops.

.

The White House recognized the mistake and quickly issued a revised list that did not include the individual, who had been identified on the initial release as the “Chief of Station” in Kabul, a designation used by the CIA for its highest-ranking spy in a country.

It is debatable that this uneven exchange serves the U.S.’ long-term national security interests, since it encourages our enemies around the world to take more American military members hostage.

Such reports also throw into question the claim that Bergdahl was a “hero” who was “captured on the battlefield,” and there are issues surrounding this exchange that are far from settled.

Nothing can be true coming from emails or tweet,all can be changed, can't they SSC.
maybe the man is a bit bitter having to be incarcerated for five years and he isn't in good health
. I praise Obama for doing the right thing, I am sure his family is glad he is free. again your putting negativity in something that should be a positive. I see Hate And Disdain in almost every post.

Nothing like a president breaking the law, but you applaud this and 5 of the worst terrorists at Gitmo were released, brilliant thinking.

Top right News is a conservative blog? thought you didnt' do blogs..,yes presidents breaking laws should i name them?ijreview! now i do have to laugh at this one  you say Obama should use his golden pen in one post then you complain when he does..

Not when he does something this stupid, use it to help the VA not bring a traitor home, you will see as this unfolds

96% america approves of the trade.

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/01/3443552/republicans-obama-bergdahl/

Pentagon to review claims US soldiers killed during search for Bergdahl
Published June 02, 2014
FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/02/pentagon-to-look-into-allegations-soldiers-killed-effort-to-recover-bergdahl/

The Pentagon said Monday it is reviewing claims that U.S. soldiers were killed in the course of the years-long search for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was released over the weekend by his Taliban captors.

The sense of celebration surrounding the announcement Saturday of Bergdahl's release quickly has given way to controversy -- including questions surrounding his initial disappearance from his eastern Afghanistan post five years ago and the lengths to which U.S. forces went to find him.


The names and faces of six soldiers, who died allegedly during the search for Bergdahl, began to emerge within hours of the soldier's release.

Asked about the claims, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it's "impossible" to confirm right now whether anybody's death was directly linked to the hunt for Bergdahl.

But the Pentagon will look further into the circumstances of the deaths being associated with the search, he said.

Several social media sites have circulated claims that six soldiers died while searching for the captive Bergdahl. They are: 2nd Lt. Daryn Andrews, Staff Sgt. Clayton Bowen, Staff Sgt. Kurt Curtiss, Pfc. Matthew Martinek, Staff Sgt. Michael Murphy and Pfc. Morris Walker.

Fox News has confirmed that all six died in Afghanistan, though any connection to the search is unclear.

The Daily Beast published a first-hand account of the search for Bergdahl as told by a former Army officer, Nathan Bradley Bethea.

Bethea says he served in the same unit as Bergdahl -- the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment -- which lost the six soldiers in the roughly five-week search after he disappeared.

"For five years, soldiers have been forced to stay silent about the disappearance and search for Bergdahl," wrote Bethea, who said he participated in the searches. "Now we can tell our story."

The 28-year-old Bergdahl left his post five days after his battalion's first casualty. Until his return, he was the only U.S. prisoner of the war in Afghanistan. The Obama administration traded five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for the captive soldier, a decision that has also generated controversy on Capitol Hill.

But Bergdahl's conduct, and his writings before his capture, have also raised questions.

According to a 2012 Rolling Stone article, he sent an email to his parents shortly before his capture saying: "I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools."

There are also reports that Bergdahl's father was communicating on Twitter with a man described as a Taliban spokesman.

Sue Martin, who described herself as the Bergdahl family spokesperson, did not respond directly to questions about the criticism of Bowe Bergdahl's conduct.

She said despite the controversy surrounding the prisoner swap and the latest allegations, his town of Hailey, Idaho, stands united behind him.

Though some accounts say Bergdahl fell behind on a patrol or wandered off drunk, the accounts by Bethea and others say Bergdahl left his outpost, OP Mest, in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan under the cover of night.

They also give essentially the same account that Bergdahl left behind his rifle, helmet and body armor, taking only his compass and perhaps a knife and water.

"The place was an Afghan graveyard," wrote one person who identified himself in an online forum as Jeff Howard and suggested he also was part of the unit. "Bergdahl had been acting a little strange, telling people he wanted to 'walk the earth' ... We lost good men trying to find him."

Warren acknowledged the Defense Department has conducted "preliminary" investigations into Bergdahl's disappearance but said the agency has never confirmed whether he is a deserter.

"We've never publicly said anything primarily because we haven't had a chance to speak to Sgt. Bergdahl himself," he said.

Howard lists the same six soldiers and, like others, suggested even more were either indirectly wounded or injured because vital resources -- including drones and air support -- were diverted to the Bergdahl search and troops became easy targets for the Taliban because members knew about their well-known recovery missions.

Bethea gave the following report of the six soldiers killed:

Walker and Bowen were killed Aug. 18 by a homemade bomb while on a reconnaissance mission; Curtis was fatally shot in the face Aug. 26 while searching for Taliban members supposedly connected to Bergdahl's captors; Andrews and Martinek were fatally ambushed Sept. 4 while heading to a village close to where Bergdahl was last seen; Murphey died after stepping on a land mine Sept. 5 near a village also associated with the captors.

Bergdahl, who was returned to a Navy SEAL team near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, is recovering now at the Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany.

Though Warren acknowledged preliminary "looks" into Bergdahl perhaps deserting, prosecution may be unlikely.

"He probably went through hell," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday. "The first issue is his health."

On Monday, senior U.S. defense officials said prosecution is unlikely "given all that he and his family have been through."

Fellow soldiers call Bowe Bergdahl a deserter, not a hero
By Jake Tapper, CNN
updated 4:43 PM EDT, Mon June 2, 2014
Source: CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/01/us/bergdahl-deserter-or-hero/index.html

NEW: A former sergeant accuses Bergdahl of "a very big betrayal"
Soldiers who served with Bergdahl say he should face military trial
Questions surround the circumstances of Bergdahl's disappearance
He was released after five years of captivity in Afghanistan on Saturday

(CNN) -- The sense of pride expressed by officials of the Obama administration at the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is not shared by many of those who served with him, veterans and soldiers who call him a deserter whose "selfish act" ended up costing the lives of better men.

"I was pissed off then, and I am even more so now with everything going on," said former Sgt. Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009. "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him."

Vierkant said Bergdahl needs to not only acknowledge his actions publicly but face a military trial for desertion under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

A reporter asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday whether Bergdahl had left his post without permission or deserted -- and, if so, whether he would be punished. Hagel didn't answer directly. "Our first priority is assuring his well-being and his health and getting him reunited with his family," he said. "Other circumstances that may develop and questions, those will be dealt with later."
Photos: Americans detained abroad Photos: Americans detained abroad
Photos: Released Guantanamo Taliban detainees arrive in Qatar Photos: Released Guantanamo Taliban detainees arrive in Qatar
Guantanamo detainees swapped Guantanamo detainees swapped
Bergdahl swap was only seconds long

After 5 years, what's next for Bergdahl?

Following his release from five years of captivity in Afghanistan on Saturday, Bergdahl was transferred to a military hospital in Germany.

A senior Defense official said Bergdahl's "reintegration process" will include "time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences."

Said Bergdahl's former squad leader, Greg Leatherman: "I'm pleased to see him returned safely. From experience, I hope that he receives adequate reintegration counseling. I believe that an investigation should take place as soon as health care professionals deem him fit to endure one."

Another senior Defense official said Bergdahl will not likely face any punishment. "Five years is enough," he told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Questions surround the circumstances of Bergdahl's disappearance. Conflicting details have since emerged about how the militants managed to capture Bergdahl. Published accounts have varied widely, from claims that he walked off the post to that he was grabbed from a latrine.

According to firsthand accounts from soldiers in his platoon, Bergdahl, while on guard duty, shed his weapons and walked off the observation post with nothing more than a compass, a knife, water, a digital camera and a diary.

At least six soldiers were killed in subsequent searches for Bergdahl, and many soldiers in his platoon said attacks seemed to increase against the United States in Paktika province in the days and weeks following his disappearance.

"Any of us would have died for him while he was with us, and then for him to just leave us like that, it was a very big betrayal," said former U.S. Army Sgt. Josh Korder, who has the name of three soldiers who died while searching for Bergdahl tatooed on his back.

Many of Bergdahl's fellow troops -- from the seven or so who knew him best in his squad to the larger group that made up the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division -- told CNN that they signed nondisclosure agreements agreeing to never share any information about Bergdahl's disappearance and the efforts to recapture him. Some were willing to dismiss that document in hopes that the truth would come out about a soldier who they now fear is being hailed as a hero, while the men who lost their lives looking for him are ignored.

"I don't think I could have continued to go on without being able to share with you and the people the true things that happened in this situation," Korder said Monday. "Because if you guys aren't made aware of it, it will just go on, and he'll be a hero, and nobody will be able to know the truth."

Idaho hometown prepares for homecoming

Many are flocking to social media, such as the Facebook page "Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero," where they share stories detailing their resentment. A number of comments on his battalion's Facebook page prompted the moderator to ask for more respect to be shown.
Bergdahl's parents emotional address
Exchanged prisoners' Taliban ties
Lawmaker on Bergdahl: Obama violated law
Who did U.S. swap Bergdahl for?
Bergdahl's hometown prepares for arrival

"I challenge any one of you who label him a traitor to spend 5 years in captivity with the Taliban or Haqqani, then come back and accuse him again. Whatever his intent when he walked away or was captured, he has more than paid for it."

E-mails reported by the late Michael Hastings in Rolling Stone in 2012 reveal what Bergdahl's fellow infantrymen learned within days of his disappearance: He told people that he no longer supported the U.S. effort in Afghanistan.

"The future is too good to waste on lies," he wrote to his parents. "And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be American. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting."

Bergdahl wrote to them, "I am sorry for everything. The horror that is America is disgusting."

CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the e-mails.

A former member of Bergdahl's squad who has yet to identify his last name publicly but goes by "Cody" tweeted this weekend that before he disappeared, Bergdahl once told him, "If deployment is lame, I'm going to get lost in the Mountains and make my way to China."

Leatherman told CNN that Bergdahl "always looked at the mountains in the distance and talked of 'seeing what's on the other side.' "

Cody noted in his Twitter recollections a story that others from Blackfoot Company relay. While soldiers were searching for Bergdahl, a platoon "came upon some children, they asked him have they seen an American. The children said 'yes, he was crawling on his belly through weeds and acting funny a while ago,' " according to Cody.

Bergdahl's parents: 'It isn't over'

The platoon went to the village where the children said the American had gone. "Villagers said an American did come through the area and was wanting water and someone who spoke English," Cody shared.

Korder says he believes Bergdahl was looking for an adventure "without having anybody to answer to" when he left his post.

"He wanted to go see Afghanistan for himself without the Army stopping him or having to tell him what to do," Korder said.

Former Pfc. Jose Baggett, 27, of Chicago, was also in Blackfoot Company and said he was close to two men "killed because of his (Bergdahl's) actions."

"He walked off," Baggett told CNN. "He left his guard post. Nobody knows if he defected or he's a traitor or he was kidnapped. What I do know is, he was there to protect us, and instead he decided to defer from America and go and do his own thing. I don't know why he decided to do that, but we spend so much of our resources, and some of those resources were soldiers' lives."

Many soldiers on the ground at the time said insurgents were able to take advantage of the intense search for Bergdahl.

"A huge thing in-country is not building patterns. Well when you are looking for a person everyday that creates a pattern. While searching for him, ambushes and IEDs picked up tremendously. Enemy knew we would be coming. IEDs started being placed more effectively in the coming weeks. Ambushes were more calculated, cover and concealment was used," Cody tweeted.

On August 18, 2009, Staff Sgt. Clayton Bowen and Pfc. Morris Walker were killed by an IED in the search for Bergdahl. Staff Sgt. Kurt Curtiss was killed on August 26; 2nd Lt. Darryn Andrews and Pfc. Matthew Michael Martinek were killed after being attacked in Yahya Khail District on September 4; Staff Sgt. Michael Murphrey was killed September 5 by an IED at the Forward Operating Base, Sharana.

Moreover, other operations were put on hold while the search for Bergdahl was made a top priority, according to officers who served in Afghanistan in that time. Manpower and assets -- such as scarce surveillance drones and helicopters -- were redirected to the hunt. The lack of assets is one reason the closure of a dangerous combat outpost, COP Keating, was delayed. Eight soldiers were killed at COP Keating before it was ultimately closed.

One soldier with the 509th Regiment, a sister unit of the 501st, told CNN that after Bergdahl disappeared, the U.S. Army essentially was told to lock down the entire province of Paktika. He described sitting in the middle of a field with his platoon, vulnerable, with capabilities and personnel mismanaged throughout the region. Different platoons ran out of water, food and ammunition.

Two mortarmen -- Pvt. Aaron Fairbairn and Pfc. Justin Casillas -- were killed in a July 4, 2009, attack.

"It was unbelievable," the soldier said. "All because of the selfish act of one person. The amount of animosity (toward him) is nothing like you've ever seen before."

That Bergdahl was freed in an exchange for five detainees at Guantanamo Bay is a further source of consternation.

"I don't understand why we're trading prisoners at Gitmo for somebody who deserted during a time of war, which is an act of treason," Vierkant said.

Here’s What the Taliban Chief Is Saying About the Bergdahl-for-Gitmo-Detainees Deal
Jun. 2, 2014 7:39am Sharona Schwartz
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/02/heres-what-the-taliban-chief-is-saying-about-the-bergdahl-for-gitmo-detainees-deal/

The reclusive leader of the Taliban has issued a rare public statement celebrating the release of five Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay, calling it a “great victory.”

“We shall thank almighty for this great victory,” Omar said in the statement according to NBC News. “The sacrifice of our Mujahedin [fighters] have resulted in the release of our senior leaders from the hand of the enemy.”

The five were released by the U.S. and sent to Qatar in exchange for the freedom of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been in Taliban hands since 2009.

Omar appeared to call for the release of other detainees, that is “all those who have been imprisoned for defending the honor and freedom of their country.”

“May Allah grant all of them with rewards,” said Omar of Bergdahl’s captors and those who worked for the Taliban detainees’ release.

Omar also thanked the government of Qatar for its mediation efforts to secure the exchange deal under which Qatar agreed to take in the former detainees and their families.

The Taliban posted photos of the five former Guantanamo detainees arriving in Qatar. According to the Long War Journal, an online publication that tracks jihadi groups, “all five were closely linked to Al Qaeda prior to their detention and deemed ‘high’ risks to the U.S., its interests, and its allies, according to leaked Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) threat assessments.”

The Long War Journal reported that this picture posted by the Taliban purported to show senior military commander Mullah Norullah Noori.
Former Guantanamo detainee is greeted by supporters in Qatar. Five Afghan detainees were released in exchange for the freedom from captivity of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. (Image source: Taliban via Long War Journal)

Former Guantanamo detainee is greeted by supporters in Qatar. Five Afghan detainees were released in exchange for the freedom from captivity of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. (Image source: Taliban via Long War Journal)

“According to a leaked JTF-GTMO file, Noori has been ‘wanted by the United Nations (UN) for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shiite Muslims,’” the Long War Journal reported, adding that he fought with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan before the September 11 attacks.

The BBC reported that the Afghan government has criticized the exchange deal, about which it was kept in the dark until after the detainees were freed, calling it a “breach of international law.”

The Taliban earlier released a statement that was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group saying its goal is “to also quickly release the [other] imprisoned mujahideen, and wants all international human rights organizations to join in their efforts with the Islamic Emirate and the Afghan people to grant all the prisoners their legal and humanitarian rights, and the freedom to live their lives as they wish.”

The Taliban emphasized that it did not negotiate directly with the U.S., rather relied on the government of Qatar.

CNN Legal Analyst Calls Out Obama on the Air: ‘You’re Accusing the President of the United States of Breaking the Law’
Jun. 2, 2014 7:37pm Jason Howerton

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/02/cnn-legal-analyst-calls-out-obama-on-the-air-youre-accusing-the-president-of-the-united-states-of-breaking-the-law/

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin claimed on Monday that President Barack Obama “clearly broke the law” by failing to provide notice to Congress at least 30 days before trading five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Swatting down the Obama administration’s justification, Toobin argued that a presidential signing statement doesn’t mean the commander-in-chief no longer has to comply with the law.

“I think he clearly broke the law. The law says 30-days’ notice. He didn’t give 30-days’ notice,” Toobin said. “It is true he issued a signing statement, but signing statements are not law. Signing statements are the president’s opinion on what the law should be.”


“The law is on the books, and he didn’t follow it,” he continued.

When CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer pointed out that former President George W. Bush also issued signing statements, Toobin asserted that “liberals were outraged” when he did it.

“You realize, of course, you’re accusing the president of the United States of breaking the law,” Blitzer responded.

Even though it’s unlikely Congress will take any action, Toobin said it still “matters whether people follow the law or not.”

National Review has the video via CNN:

Sources: Intelligence community investigated Bergdahl’s conduct
James Rosen

By James Rosen
Published June 02, 2014
FoxNews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/02/sources-intelligence-community-investigated-bergdahls-conduct/

A senior official confirms to Fox News that the conduct of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl -- both in his final stretch of active duty in Afghanistan and then, too, during his time when he lived among the Taliban -- has been thoroughly investigated by the U.S. intelligence community and is the subject of "a major classified file."

In conveying as much, the Defense Department source confirmed to Fox News that many within the intelligence community harbor serious outstanding concerns not only that Bergdahl may have been a deserter but that he may have been an active collaborator with the enemy.

The Pentagon official added pointedly that no relevant congressional committee has sought access to the classified file, but that if such a request were made, key committee chairs would, under previous precedent, likely be granted access to it. Separately, the Pentagon confirmed Monday that it is looking into claims Americans died during the search for Bergdahl.

The administration announced over the weekend that Bergdahl's release had been secured, in exchange for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. President Obama was joined by the soldier's parents in making a public statement on the release Saturday evening from the Rose Garden.

Sources told Fox News that many officials in the Executive Branch are "quite baffled" by the White House's decision to allow the president to stand alongside Bergdahl's father this past weekend, given the father's history of controversial statements, emails and online posts.

Asked Monday about reports that Bergdahl's father was communicating on Twitter with a man described as a Taliban spokesman, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on those reports but defended the administration's handling of the release.

"The fact is they are the parents of Sergeant Bergdahl. Their son was held in captivity for five years," he said. "And it was absolutely the right thing to do, for the commander in chief, for this administration to take action to secure his release, the last prisoner of war from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars."

Asked whether Obama stands by National Security Adviser Susan Rice's claim Sunday that Bergdahl served with "distinction," Carney said the president "stands by actions that he took as commander in chief" to secure his release.

Another administration official, whose duties are focused on counterterrorism, told Fox News when asked about the status of any investigations into Bergdahl's initial disappearance and his conduct over the last five years: "Everybody's looking at this. He's not going to get a free pass" in the interrogations that Bergdahl will face during his repatriation process. "He's going to have a lot of questions to answer -- a lot. Is he a hero? No."

Although this source had not seen the classified file described by the Pentagon source, the counterterrorism official agreed that given the high priority attached to the Bergdahl case over the last five years, the need for clarity about Bergdahl's actions before and during his time with the Taliban "would have been a high priority for intelligence tasking."

Asked if the process of repatriation would include questioning of Bergdahl geared towards determining whether he engaged in any forms of collaboration with the enemy, the counterterrorism official replied: "Of course. ... It's there. This is extremely untidy."

Officials noted that there were more than 50 cases in the Korean War where U.S. service personnel categorized as POWs were investigated for possibly having collaborated with North Koreans or the Chinese during that conflict.

Certainly not taking long to show another Obama screw up and this one is epic, this is what happens when you have a president that thinks he is god almighty himself and can do as he pleases ...pathetic

Bergdahl uproar halts plan for return celebration
Posted: Jun 05, 2014 2:37 AM CST Updated: Jun 05, 2014 5:23 AM CST
http://www.fox8live.com/story/25698833/bergdahl-uproar-halts-plan-for-return-celebration


By BRIAN SKOLOFF and RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) - There will be no hero's welcome for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in his hometown, no fanfare of parades, music or picnics in the park.
Additional Links
Bergdahl's hometown cancels celebration amid furor
2009 Army review claimed Bergdahl abandoned post

A planned celebration for the end of June marking his return after five years of Taliban captivity in Afghanistan has been scrapped, largely due to security concerns as his release has touched off a nationwide debate. Was he an American prisoner of war who should be welcomed home after years in the enemy's hands or a deserter who abandoned his unit who should be punished accordingly?

For those who knew Bergdahl and his family in this small central Idaho town surrounded by forests and mountains, the politics of war have no place. They just want Bergdahl back home.

"It's like a modern day lynching. He hasn't even been able to give his side of the story yet. This community will welcome him back no matter what," said Lee Ann Ferris, who lives next door to the Bergdahl family and watched Bowe grow up. "He's a hometown kid and he's already suffered enough."

The town of 8,000 has been swamped with hate mail and angry calls, labeling the 28-year-old Bergdahl un-American and a traitor. Given the prospect of large crowds on both sides of the debate, organizers abruptly canceled their welcome home celebration.

"If you had 10,000 people, 5,000 on one side and 5,000 on the other, then just due to the national attention, we don't know what to expect," Police Chief Jeff Gunter said.

Hailey Chamber of Commerce President Jane Drussel said she and the organization have gotten angry mail and calls from people lambasting the town's plans.

"The joy has all of a sudden become not so joyful," she said.

Meanwhile, the Taliban released a 17-minute video of his weekend handover, an exchange for the U.S releasing five Taliban detainees. The footage shows a thin, tense-looking Bergdahl being patted down for explosives by U.S. forces before climbing aboard an American helicopter in the dusty Afghanistan desert.

Bergdahl was captured after walking away from his unit, unarmed, in 2009. He's currently at a military hospital in Germany, where he was reported in stable condition.

His parents have spoken publicly only briefly since his release. Several cars were parked outside their modest home Wednesday behind a closed gate with signs that read, "Guard dog on duty" and "No Trespassing."

U.S. lawmakers and others have complained that Congress should have been consulted about the prisoner exchange, that the deal will embolden the Taliban to snatch more American soldiers, and that the released Afghans will filter back to the battlefield.

In Washington, Rob Williams, the U.S. national intelligence officer for South Asia, told the Senate intelligence committee Tuesday that four of the men are expected to resume activities with the Taliban, according to two senior congressional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was classified. The five include the former Taliban interior minister.

A Taliban statement quoted leader Mullah Mohammad Omar as saying the release of the five Taliban was a significant achievement. President Barack Obama has defended the swap, citing a "sacred" obligation to not leave men and women in uniform behind.

Hoping to ease mounting criticism, officials from the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies briefed senators behind closed doors Wednesday evening. They showed the lawmakers a 1½-minute video provided by the Taliban that proved Bergdahl was alive and indicated to the administration that his deteriorating health required quick action.

U.S. negotiations with the Taliban to secure Bergdahl's release have gathered steam since April. Besides the chance that his health was in decline, administration officials also wanted to make a deal because they knew that the drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan would decrease resources on the ground and reduce the amount and quality of intelligence from the area.

The administration is required to notify Congress 30 days before transferring Guantanamo detainees, but the White House thought waiting was too risky - that too much could go wrong in a month so they went forward with the fast-moving negotiations.

In an interview that aired Thursday on the BBC, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said: "Can you imagine if we would have waited or taken the chance of leaks? Over a 30 day period? ... That would have seriously imperiled us ever getting him out."

Bergdahl was released less than 30 days after the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar that gave the White House assurances that the detainees, after being transferred to Doha, the capital of Qatar, would adhere to a one-year travel ban and other restrictions. Bergdahl was freed just one day after the White House received a green light from the military that the operation was a go - and less than an hour passed between the time the U.S. learned the transfer was about to happen and Bergdahl walked to freedom.

Some of Bergdahl's former comrades have complained that U.S. soldiers died during the search for him after he walked away. The military has not confirmed such a link.

Hagel said the Army will review the case, and cautioned against drawing conclusions.

Traitor turn over, another Obama blunder

As the Bergdahl Heat Increases, Look Who Obama is Throwing Under the Bus Now

June 10, 2014 By Jennifer Burke
http://www.tpnn.com/2014/06/10/as-the-bergdahl-heat-increases-look-who-obama-is-throwing-under-the-bus-now/

Obama stood before the podium and defended his decision to release five of the top Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is believed by many to be at the very least a deserter and at worst a traitor. ABC News reported on Obama’s staunch defense of that controversial exchange, one that puts America and American lives in danger.

“Regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an American soldier back if he’s held in captivity. True. Full stop,” Obama said at a news conference at the Belweder Palace here this morning. “We don’t condition that. That’s what every mom and dad who sees a son or daughter sent over into war theater should expect from not just their commander in chief but the United States of America.

“The United States has always had a pretty sacred rule. And that is we don’t leave our men or women in uniform behind, and that dates back to the earliest days of our revolution,” he said.

Obama continued the defense of the decision by stating, “”We saw an opportunity. We were concerned about Sergeant Bergdahl’s health. We had the cooperation of the Qataris to execute an exchange, and we seized that opportunity. The process was truncated because we wanted to make sure we did not miss that window.” He even later stated that he made no apologies for the decision.

Now, amid animosity about this decision that was made without following the ‘law of the land’ to inform Congress 30 days before the release of any Guantanamo detainees and the questions surrounding Bergdahl’s desertion along with the belief by some top military officials that he was collaborating with the Taliban, the ‘we’ has turned to ‘he’. Barack Obama, who shallowly claims at times that the buck stops with him, is now pinning the decision on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, Obama administration officials told Congress on Monday that the final approval for the exchange of Bergdahl for five Taliban members, dubbed “Taliban Dream Team” was made by Secretary Hagel. If the illegal negotiation was actually finalized through a decision by Hagel, would that not negate the argument that Obama, as ‘commander-in-chief’ had the authority to execute the trade?

Rep. Buck McKean (R-CA) perhaps shed the best light on the cowardly hypocrisy by Obama’s changed claim that Hagel was the decision-maker. Rep. McKean said, “It was the president of the United States that came out (in the Rose Garden) with the Bergdahls and took all the credit and now that there’s been a little pushback he’s moving away from it and it’s Secretary Hagel?’