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Hmm: Did the US Also Pay a Ransom As Part of the Bergdahl Deal? (From 2014)
Townhall ^ | Jun 09, 2014 | Guy Benson

Posted on 03/26/2015 8:26:51 AM PDT by COUNTrecount

This is a theory first floated (to my knowledge) by bestselling author Brad Thor, whose piece I linked last week. Now the Washington Free Beacon has tracked down a senior US intelligence official who effectively endorses the idea as not just plausible, but likely -- a conclusion buttressed by his extensive experience dealing with the Haqqani network. Some context: Prior to his release, Bowe Bergdahl was being held by members of the Haqqani network, a US-designated terrorist organization. Haqqani and the Taliban are not one in the same, with the former group acting as a crime syndicate with a radical Islamist agenda. They're "80 percent Tony Soprano and 20 percent Al Qaeda," is how Thor put it in a telephone conversation last week. According to this official, Haqqani would be more interested in being compensated monetarily than in a prisoner/hostage trade, especially one in which they were not the primary beneficiary. Recall that of the five jihadi commanders freed in the deal, four were Taliban, and only one was (arguably) primarily Haqqani. Fox News also reported that the US paying a cash ransom for Bergdahl was under discussion as recently as December, so this isn't purely or baselessly speculative:

The ransom plan was reportedly abandoned, but the intelligence official insisted that there is reason to believe that cash changed hands as part of the deal. “The Haqqanis could give a rat’s ass about prisoners,” the official said, referring to the Haqqani Network, a designated terrorist group in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the five Guantanamo Bay prisoners who were freed in exchange for Bergdahl’s release. “The people that are holding Bergdahl want[ed] cash and someone paid it to them,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 03/26/2015 8:26:51 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
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To: COUNTrecount

Yes.


2 posted on 03/26/2015 8:28:45 AM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: COUNTrecount
Obama should be compelled to stand for questions about how and why this deal was arranged and what the purpose of his White House love fest with the parents was all about.
3 posted on 03/26/2015 8:32:31 AM PDT by Baynative (You can judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.)
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To: COUNTrecount

cash for clunkers...yes


4 posted on 03/26/2015 8:33:05 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: Baynative

5 posted on 03/26/2015 8:50:09 AM PDT by COUNTrecount (Race Baiting...... "It's What's For Breakfast")
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To: COUNTrecount

obama is giving the Iranians billions of dollars to build nuclear bombs to use on us so yes he did pay money and release 5 terrorists to the Haqqani terrorists for Bergdahl.


6 posted on 03/26/2015 8:51:48 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: COUNTrecount
Probably hush money so the muzzies wouldn't spill the beans on Benghazi.

So Obama gives up his bishops, castles and one knight to recover a white pawn that went over to the dark side. (No way Obama gives up his queen)

7 posted on 03/26/2015 8:55:30 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys-Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat-But they know what's best for you.)
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To: COUNTrecount
Damn, hell of a negotiating job...........five terrorist plus cash for one traitor. Maybe we should hire the other’s side negotiator!
8 posted on 03/26/2015 9:07:25 AM PDT by Lockbox
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To: COUNTrecount

I quickly scanned the original article, and didn’t spot what popped into my mind when reading the excerpt.

Remember the missing 6 million from the State Department? Wonder if there is any connection?


9 posted on 03/26/2015 9:15:23 AM PDT by jacquej ("You cannot have a conservative government with a liberal culture." (Mark Steyn))
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To: COUNTrecount

Obama already paid money to the enemy after our defeat at Benghazi.

The enemy killed our head man there, and had zeroed in on the CIA building. They told Obama he could buy the freedom of the CIA employees and the release of the Ambassador’s body. He did it.

We shipped weapons, armored vehicles and night vision equipment to Libya where it was mysteriously stolen. There has been no court martial for the person who let that stuff be stolen. I saw court martials threatened over three missing .45 rounds. This kind of stuff gets stolen and nobody is in trouble. Baloney.


10 posted on 03/26/2015 9:19:46 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: jacquej

I think that the amount missing is 6 billion.


11 posted on 03/26/2015 9:19:54 AM PDT by COUNTrecount (Race Baiting...... "It's What's For Breakfast")
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To: COUNTrecount

I think the first report of this I heard was that the wh lost million(s”) by giving that sum to a group that claimed responsibility and then absconded with the first payoff.


12 posted on 03/26/2015 9:23:39 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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To: COUNTrecount

‘Millions for tribute, not one cent for defense.’
The Office of the White House Press Secretary


13 posted on 03/26/2015 9:59:06 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: COUNTrecount

“I think that the amount missing is 6 billion.”

I believe you are correct.


14 posted on 03/26/2015 10:43:29 AM PDT by BarbM (Portuguese Dog Kenyan President)
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To: COUNTrecount

You are correct, and thank you for noticing my error. Hard to imagine not being able to locate six billion dollars.


15 posted on 03/26/2015 10:54:00 AM PDT by jacquej ("You cannot have a conservative government with a liberal culture." (Mark Steyn))
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To: jacquej

It can be located, probably has been, will remain “classified” so that we will never know.


16 posted on 03/26/2015 10:56:17 AM PDT by COUNTrecount (Race Baiting...... "It's What's For Breakfast")
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To: COUNTrecount

yes..... $5 BILLION WAS PAID VIA QATAR ....in addition to the release of 5 top level al queda


17 posted on 03/26/2015 12:10:37 PM PDT by zzwhale
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To: COUNTrecount

the $5 billion was usd to TRAIN ISIS.... and if that is not TREASON then what is ???????


18 posted on 03/26/2015 12:12:44 PM PDT by zzwhale
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To: COUNTrecount
Hmm: Did the US Also Pay a Ransom As Part of the Bergdahl Deal? (From 2014)

There have been persistent rumors that yes, they did.
But in the present criminal behavior by the Hussein regime, forget FOIA from the "most transparent regime in American History."

19 posted on 03/26/2015 12:49:31 PM PDT by publius911 (If you like Obamacare, You'll LOVE ObamaWeb.)
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