Posted on 11/20/2014 5:15:53 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The Pentagon is under fire for making a ransom payment to an Afghan earlier this year as part of a failed bid to win the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, according to U.S. officials.
Sgt. Bergdahl was released in May after nearly five years in captivity as part of a controversial exchange for five terrorists held at the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The ransom payment was first disclosed by Rep. Duncan Hunter in a Nov. 5 letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Mr. Hunter stated in the letter that Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) made the payment covertly as part of a release deal. But the money was stolen by the Afghan intermediary claiming to represent the Haqqani terrorist network.
“Given the significance of this matter, as well as the fact that Pentagon officials have denied that a payment was even considered — and you also said you were unaware of any such attempt — I ask you to immediately inquire with JSOC to determine the specific order of events,” said Mr. Hunter, California Republican and member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Mr. Hunter also asked Mr. Hagel whether ransom payments are being considered for other captives.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
When America was a strong country, it didn’t negotiate ransom or conduct any other type of negotiations with terrorists.
Of course, when America was a strong country, it also didn’t elect the likes of Barack Obama, either.
More øbola enemy islamist shiite!
Their dem conman, gruber.
And “the Pentagon” was duped into staging the big hairy “praise be to Allah” press conference with Obama and the deserter’s parents, too, I suppose.
If history is any indication, it will take something like WWII or the Fall of the Soviet Union. Either way, it will cost a lot of American lives and treasure.
If prophecy is any indication, it never will.
I wonder whether they were duped by the outsider. It seems at least as likely that this was an intentional decision to funnel money to an Obama supporter.
They paid a ransom for this guy, and not even to the right people? I thought the US government policy was to never negotiate with terrorists.
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