Americans split on prisoner swap of Taliban for U.S. soldier

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So, where are you on the issue?

The Reuters/Ipsos poll of 958 Americans interviewed online found that 44 percent disagreed with the statement that trading Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl was "the right thing to do," with 26 percent of them strongly disagreeing.

Twenty-nine percent of those polled said they thought the prisoner swap was the right thing to do and 27 percent said they were not sure, the poll found.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/06/us-usa-afghanistan-bergdahl-poll-idUSKBN0EH26J20140606

Edited June 7, 2014 by Mr. Big Dog

[OriZ 3,157]

Anyone with a brain knows this was a horrid deal.

[Peikko 1,575]

Americans are only split on this issue because some rather moronic twats are suggesting that the saved soldier is in-American. That's lame.

Edited June 7, 2014 by The Truth™

[mota bhai 2,675]

Depends on whether he deserted. I don't think we should be swapping prisoners for deserters.

[Peikko 1,575]

Depends on whether he deserted. I don't think we should be swapping prisoners for deserters.

Desertion can be down to a number of factors, many of which are nothing to do with cowardice or a genuine desire to join the opposition. No one in their right mind would deliberately get picked up by extremists who are just as likely to kill you as turn you into propaganda fodder or keep you as a hostage.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Depends on whether he deserted. I don't think we should be swapping prisoners for deserters.

I don't think we should swap 5 enemy leaders for any one soldier.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't think we should swap 5 enemy leaders for any one soldier.

Enemy leaders? Really? Can you name each one and what their position of leadership is? Thanks.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I don't think we should swap 5 enemy leaders for any one soldier.

What if it was your son?

[Karee 4,190]

Enemy leaders? Really? Can you name each one and what their position of leadership is? Thanks.

Khirullah Said Wali Khairkhwa

This 47-year-old was once the Taliban's interior minister, actually helping to create the Taliban movement in 1994. His Guantanamo case file, released by WikiLeaks, described him as a “hard-liner in his support of the Taliban philosophy” and “known to have close ties to Osama bin Laden.”

Mullah Mohammad Fazl

The photograph included in Fazi's Guantanamo case file.

Also 47, Fazi was a senior commander in the Taliban army during the 1990s, eventually becoming its chief of staff. He is thought to have personally supervised the killing of thousands of Shiite Muslims near Kabul between 1998 and 2001. His Guantanamo case file also describes him as being present at a 2001 prison riot that led to the death of CIA operative Johnny Michael Spann, the first U.S. citizen killed in the Afghan war. "If released, detainee would likely rejoin the Taliban and establish ties with ACM elements participating in hostilities against US and Coalition forces in Afghanistan," his case file reads.

Fazi surrendered to a Northern Alliance commander in November 2001, and was transferred to U.S. custody in December.

Mullah Norullah Noori

The photograph included in Noori's Guantanamo case file.

Noori, 47, was a provincial governor in several areas during the Taliban regime. He is also believed to have been present during Spann's death and may have also been involved in the Shiite massacre. His Guantanamo case file says that he "continues to be a significant figure encouraging acts of aggression."

Noori turned himself in to a Northern Alliance commander in November 2001.

Abdul Haq Wasiq

The photograph included in Wasiq's Guantanamo case file.

Wasiq, 43, was the deputy chief of intelligence for the Taliban. According to his Guantanamo case file, he “utilized his office to support al Qaeda” and was “central to the Taliban’s effort to form alliances with other Islamic fundamentalist groups.”

Wasiq was detained in November 2001.

Mohammed Nabi Omari

The photograph included in Omari's Guantanamo case file.

Omari, 46, was a member of a joint al-Qaeda-Taliban cell in eastern Khost province, according to his case file, and “one of the most significant former Taliban leaders detained” at Guantanamo.

Omari was captured in September 2002.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/02/bowe-bergdahl-was-traded-for-5-taliban-commanders-heres-who-they-are/

How's that? They seem like pretty high level folks to me

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I'm sure that they have learned the error of their ways and now consider the US a dear friend. They seem like a likable bunch of guys.

How's that? They seem like pretty high level folks to me

Could you be more specific?

Edited June 8, 2014 by spookyturtle

[Karee 4,190]

Could you be more specific?

Somehow I doubt that will be enough for some here.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Somehow I doubt that will be enough for some here.

I'm on the iPad, so no smilies. Hopefully the humor came through.

[Karee 4,190]

I'm on the iPad, so no smilies. Hopefully the humor came through.

It did.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

What if it was your son?

i was a soldier once. I understood what that meant. It means my unit and my country will do everything possible to get me back,, but i would not expect them to swap the leadership of the enemy for me or my son.

The fact he was a deserter adds to that somewhat. I am still in favor of trying to get him back, how about 1 or 2 low level enemy.

I will tell you something many might not know. This emboldened our enemy. Did you see the comment ' Get out of Afghanistan and don't come back". Those guys don't respect good will gestures. They saw what we did as weakness, and it gave morale to our enemy.

[Peikko 1,575]

Quite seriously, I think you overestimate the relevance of militants who have been out of the picture for 10 years and more, more than that, you underestimate the propaganda factor of having these militants incarcerated without trial. Personally, I think it's a good way for the US to rid itself of these problem people before they start dying off in US custody.

Edited June 8, 2014 by The Truth™