POW

Prisoner of War is a term that sends chills running down the spine of most Americans.  No one wants to see any American held captive by the enemy.  So when we heard the news this weekend of the release of Sgt Bowe Bergdahl from Taliban captivity, everyone was understandably elated.  After all, one of our own is coming home!  After 5 long years of being held by the Taliban in what were probably very uncomfortable surroundings he is finally coming home.  You could see the relief on the faces of his Mom and Dad.  And the story of him breaking down when he got in the helicopter is heartwarming.  Now he's being "debriefed" in Germany and I guess that in due course he'll make his way to his home in Idaho to hero status.  Of course, book deals and movie deals and invites to Oprah and Ellen are sure to follow.

But wait...there's more to the story.  It turns out that he wasn't the normal soldier.  His buddies say he had an unusual affinity for the Afghanis.  He drifted around Europe for a while where he tried to the join the French Foreign Legion before joining the Army.  He sounds like a bit of troubled soul.  I'm sure he's a nice enough guy, but we've all know people like him in any group.  A little bit quirky.  And it also turns out that he has had some very uncomplimentary things to say about the U.S.  Like he was ashamed to be an American.  That kind of stuff.  So he was a bit strange and not really in the mainstream.  But that doesn't warrant 5 years in captivity.

But wait...there's more to the story.  There is a lot of discussion on the internet regarding whether he was captured or just disappeared on a walk outside his compound.  A walk outside his compound?  In Afghanistan?  Well that's pretty interesting.  And crazy!  It turns out that he spent a lot of time sympathizing with local Afghanis and maybe went a little too far.  By some accounts he didn't want to be a soldier anymore and wanted to help the Afghanis more than he wanted to be a soldier.  There are reports that he left a note and said he was leaving.  It's clear that he took little with him other than a bottle of water.  So some big suspicions that he wasn't captured in a normal sense, but instead went AWOL and was captured.  Worst case is he went over to the side of the enemy.  Some of the guys in his old unit are saying he deserted.  They are saying he's no hero, but instead is a deserter who should be court martialed.  

But wait...there's more to the story.  It turns out President Obama traded a few prisoners at Guantanamo for him.  5 to be exact.  But these guys aren't some low level Taliban soldiers or middle level functionaries.  They were 5 of the deadliest members of the Taliban in the entire war effort.  They all held high level jobs in Taliban controlled Afganistan and this release is likely to set the war back a significant amount.  And we are just releasing them.  Well, not really releasing them.  Part of the deal is that they will go to Qatar to remain in captivity in Doha, Qatar for a year.   These 4 guys are real desperado's.  They are very bad people.  And you can bet your bippy that they'll rejoin the effort in some manner.  Of course, we're leaving with our tails between our legs in the near future so maybe we can get out before they do too much damage.

But wait...there's more to the story.  And this part shouldn't surprise anyone.  There is a political dimension.  Obama made the announcement on Sunday and he's leaving tonight (Monday) for a trip to Europe.  So the orchestration of everything, and I mean everything, to political benefit continues and is increasing.  By the time he returns much of what went on will have been reported and the details of the sale will be forgotten.  

And you know this one is coming...But wait, there's more to the story.    Congress read about the trade in the newspapers.  This is an excuse that Obama usually uses, so maybe they are trying to one up him.  They are now crying foul.  They have gone so far as to say the law was broken by not notifying Congress.  And they have a point.  Will it go anywhere?  No.  His protectors in the media won't let it.  The whole thing is over.  Period.  

So this whole thing will get reported (lightly) and it will be largely forgotten.  But one thing will linger.  We negotiated with Terrorists!  That precedent is gone.  There is no doubt about that.  Now, having Bergdahl back home will be great and, given the treatment and support, he'll likely be okay.  He'll definitely be rich as a result of book and movie deals.  But how many others are put in jeopardy by the U.S. acquiescing to these assholes.  For my money, as heartless as it sounds, we should've hung tough.    

BTW, you may have heard of the US Marine being held in a Tijuana jail after making a wrong turn and winding up at the border with weapons.  Innocent mistake.  Too bad.  He's been in jail for over two months awaiting trial.  I keep thinking we can release 5 really, really bad guys to get one troubled soldier of questionable loyalties, but we can't figure out how to get an innocent Marine out of the Tijuana jail.  That's just wrong!