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Objective military assessment: Bowe Bergdahl case
allenbwest.com ^ | Jume 2, 2014 | Allen West

Posted on 06/02/2014 7:55:21 AM PDT by don-o

I am writing this because last night I heard Fox News’ Harris Faulkner refer to Army SGT Bowe Bergdahl as a local hero. I just listened to Bergdahl’s father refer to his son’s character.

So, we must have a discussion of the truth here. Army SGT Bergdahl was not “captured” by the enemy in 2009. He abandoned his assigned post on his Forward Operating Base (FOB), leaving his weapon. Several U.S. Army Soldiers lost their lives in search for Bergdahl. His disappearance can only be classified as desertion and the media must not be so giddy about a good news story that they don’t tell the truth — which is apparent to many. The allegation of desertion is serious. It is grave because it occurred during a war, during combat operations.

The U.S. Army must uphold proper order and discipline and this allegation must be investigated — but the truth is already known. I believe the liberal media will attempt to elevate him to some type of status that will cause the Army not to pursue the right direction under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). We who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat areas of operation against radical Islamists know they don’t hold our troops — they are savagely and brutally murdered. They exist to kill Americans.

Are we glad that Bergdahl is home? After five years, yes, but there are many unanswered questions that cannot be dismissed because of emotions.

As well, America has now negotiated with terrorists, because the Taliban is not a nation-state, it is a non-state, non-uniform belligerent organization, a terrorist group. This is a dangerous precedent and was done unilaterally by President Obama.

How many of our troops lost their lives and sacrificed to capture those five senior Taliban leaders? All for naught. I must admit, the only way I would have released these barbarians would have been once a tracking chip/device had been implanted — without their knowledge. I believe there are long-term ramifications that will result from the release of these five terrorists — there was a reason why the Afghan Taliban demanded these five.

And why would we enter into brokerage with Qatar, a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood? I believe we should see them for who they are and cease our air operations from that country.

We all know how the media works — hence why Obama made this move over the weekend, on Saturday, as a matter of fact. The belief is that we will cease paying attention to the story by middle of this week. But we cannot. Bergdahl is home, but emotions cannot allow us to abandon our senses, as he abandoned his post.

Some of you may have forgotten something similar happening during the Clinton administration in the Balkans. I went back and found this in the New York Times by Susan Sachs, May 2, 1999:

Three American soldiers held captive for more than a month were released today and handed over to the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson for their trip home. On Saturday President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia agreed to free the Americans after a lobbying effort by Mr. Jackson that was not sanctioned by United States officials.

The soldiers, who were captured March 31, said they had no ill will toward the Yugoslav people and were treated well. Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Stone also said he was thankful for the gesture of goodwill. He and the other soldiers, Staff Sgt. Andrew A. Ramirez and Specialist Steven M. Gonzales, then joined Mr. Jackson for the trip home. After winning Mr. Milosevic’s promise on Sunday to release the men, Mr. Jackson urged NATO to reciprocate by immediately halting further air strikes and opening negotiations on Kosovo.

Of course, the question back then by those of us in the military was, how did these guys get captured and not fire off a single shot or make a radio call for reinforcements? They were taken along with their HMMWV gun truck. The dirty little secret was that they were somewhere they should not have been.

Bottom line, there is always more to the story than what some want you to know — but in the case of Army SGT Bowe Bergdahl, there is a lot to know. The question is, will we allow the typical sound bite liberal media to direct us away from seeking the truth?


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; allenwest; bergdahl; bobbergdahl; bowebergdahl; gitmo
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To: don-o

Bowe Bergdahl and Hussein Obama both should be incarcerated at Gitmo.


21 posted on 06/02/2014 8:28:21 AM PDT by matthew fuller (Firing Shinseki won't help- it's time to outlaw government unions AGAIN.)
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To: All

WH Press Briefing at 12:45 ish, in case anyone might be interested.


22 posted on 06/02/2014 8:30:47 AM PDT by don-o (He will not share His glory and He will NOT be mocked! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!)
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To: wtd
Recall dear leader was in Afghanistan on Memorial Day Sunday,

It seemed strange that Obama went there when he did. I just figured he had a fundraiser to attend somewhere in the region.

23 posted on 06/02/2014 8:33:04 AM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Baynative
His promotion to SGT* is a slap in the face to all current and former NCOs, of all branches. For that matter, his promotion to SPC is a slap in the face to all current and former E-4s, of all branches. If what his platoon mates say is true, he deserves to go in front of a court martial, and the full weight of the UCMJ be brought against him, on the charge of desertion during a time of war.

But that probably won't happen. The Obammunists will continue to make this guy out to be a hero, and the gullible, low-information American Sheeple will go along with it.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

* for promotion to Sergeant, a soldier must do at least three things...attend Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC), successfully appear before a promotion board, and attain enough promotion points (given for awards, schools attended, etc.). As a PFC, Bergdahl would not have done the first two, and it's doubtful he earned the points before he deserted. His two promotions were PR stunts, designed to make low-information types think this administration actually cares about our servicemen and women.

24 posted on 06/02/2014 8:33:20 AM PDT by wku man (Veterans, it's up to us to save the Republic...let's roll.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
Why did O negotiate for Burgdahl? Perhaps that is the wrong question.

The question should what could O negotiate with to release the 5 Taliban commanders from Gitmo. O has been responsible for destabilizing countries in the ME. It was reported that prior negotiations had stalled for years and Karzai snubbed Obama @ this last visit. An Afghan CIA operative was outed coincidental to O's Memorial Day visit. Did O negotiate directly w/terrorists in order to free the Taliban5 for future further destabilization of Afghanistan?

25 posted on 06/02/2014 8:39:24 AM PDT by wtd
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To: matthew fuller; don-o
"THE ANSWER IS FREE REPUBLIC!"

BZZZZZT...nope, sorry, try again. While I love FReep, this forum is a place for preaching to the choir and rallying the troops. Most low-information types have never heard of Free Republic, and if they have, it's because the Huffy Puffy Post or Jon Stewart bashed us.

How do we keep the Obammunist lickspittle media diverting attention away from seeking the truth? The same way we need to do with all issues, such as VAgate, IRSgate, NSAgate, Benghazigate, Solyndragate, Fast and Furious-gate, et al...we troll their sites. We write letters to the editors of their papers. We engage them at every opportunity, preferably in public where low-information types may be listening in, and flatten them with the truth. Preaching to the choir has gotten us nowhere in the 15 years I've been on FReep...except further in the hole. We have to quit thinking defensively and go on offense. We have to quit avoiding a fight, and start punching.

And for cryin' out loud, can't we get some people who can communicate with low-information types in language they understand, instead of overly-educated eggheads who use the biggest words they can find, trying to impress everyone with how smart they are?

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

26 posted on 06/02/2014 8:46:03 AM PDT by wku man (Veterans, it's up to us to save the Republic...let's roll.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
You have to ask yourself the question of why did Obama even negotiate for Bergdahl’s release in the first place.

The answer to your question is fairly easy. Obama wanted a photo-op with Bergdahl's grateful parents to show America that no soldier is left behind. His intention is to distract us from the way our ex-military has been treated by the VA, and how he and Hillary negligently and dishonestly allowed the situation in Benghazi to occur.

With a compliant media on his side, the dem talking points are: "It doesn't matter what we had to give up to get an American hero back. He is now happily going to reunite with his family."

The fact that Obama broke the law by not giving Congress 30 days' notice will be explained away ("exigent circumstances; Bergdahl's health was in danger") and glossed over by the lamestream media.

The fact that the trade sets a dangerous precedent is also being overlooked. The most ridiculous parsing of words I heard from yesterday's designated dem liars was: "We did not negotiate with terrorists. We negotiated with the government of Qatar." Right! That's what I call a distinction without a difference.

27 posted on 06/02/2014 8:46:48 AM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree (Jay Carney: The (Benghazi) emails weren't about Benghazi.)
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To: TruthShallSetYouFree

Allen West was right when he said the Taliban are not a nation state, they have no uniforms etc. They are simply a group of organized terrorists. So Obama was negotiating with terrorists plain and simple and the GOP should be raging about it. But they are gutless and they wont’.

Barry is probably using this as an excuse to empty Gitmo and we will see other releases coming in the next few mos.


28 posted on 06/02/2014 8:53:12 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Breto

Valerie Jarrett to Obama: “We must get him at all costs. He hates America just as much as we do!”


29 posted on 06/02/2014 9:19:38 AM PDT by Codeflier (Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama - 4 democrat presidents in a row and counting...)
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To: silverleaf; First_Salute
omg talk about bds and wildly inappropriate moral relativity

No kidding! They had two choices; land at that Chinese airfield or crash into the sea.

30 posted on 06/02/2014 10:16:26 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2
Barry is probably using this as an excuse to empty Gitmo and we will see other releases coming in the next few mos.

This is exactly right and this POS deserter is all the Taliban had to trade because they execute real US soldiers.

This scum needs to be watched closely because he could also be coming home to commit domestic terror acts or to coordinate or assist already placed jihadis.

31 posted on 06/02/2014 10:31:24 AM PDT by Valpal1 (If the police can t solve a problem with violence, they ll find a way to fix it with brute force)
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To: TigersEye

we got back the entire crew and we got back the aircraft too (albeit in pieces)

we lost intelligence equipment on the (unarmed) P-3- which the Chinese probably could have fished out of the wreckage if the aircraft ditched

worth all those lives and the aircraft?
not

but some troll wants to equate Bergdahls actions to that of this P3 crew and obama to Bush recognizing the heroism and judgement of the P3 crew and how they conducted themselves in captivity??

(shakes head)


32 posted on 06/02/2014 10:51:05 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: Cementjungle

LOL! Yeah potus had a fundraiser at Bagram alright

a fundraiser for the Taliban or the Afghan mafia
or whoever brokered the deal

WHICH WAS DONE TO MAKE OBAMA LOOK GOOD and take the heat off him for exposing his callousness toward veterans


33 posted on 06/02/2014 10:53:44 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: silverleaf

Amazing isn’t it?


34 posted on 06/02/2014 10:55:46 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: don-o
I am writing this because last night I heard Fox News’ Harris Faulkner refer to Army SGT Bowe Bergdahl as a local hero.

Harris just being Harris - way too nice.

35 posted on 06/02/2014 6:06:42 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Do The Math)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Obama will prevent the Army from bring desertion charges against Bergdahl.

This will crush morale.

36 posted on 06/02/2014 6:12:13 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Do The Math)
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To: Mike Darancette

As if all the other things (homosexual troops, abandoning Afghanistan and Iraq. etc) haven’t?


37 posted on 06/02/2014 6:19:41 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Haven't you lost enough freedoms? Support an end to the WOD now.)
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