Ace:
I mentioned this in the last post, but it’s more important than a brief update.
The deal to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban detainees held by the U.S. military nixed a broader effort by the Department of Defense to include other U.S. citizens held by the Taliban and its allies, according to a top congressional aide.The Department of Defense had a “broader goal” of including Caitlan Coleman of York , Pa., her baby who was born in captivity and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle, in a deal to free Bergdahl, said Joe Kasper, chief of staff to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who sits on the House Armed Services Committee.
Among Americans held captive is Warren Weinstein, a contractor from Rockville, Md., who was abducted in 2011 in Pakistan and is detained by al-Qaeda militants aligned with the Taliban.
“The DoD was looking at this in the whole scope of things, to deal with these people as well,” Kasper said. “Instead of five for one, why not five for five?”
Well, because the President wants to give up more Taliban prisoners for those people. This is not about getting Americans back; this is all Stagecraft for the real goal, which is of getting Gitmo prisoners out.
Even Chuck Todd says he’s been hearing that on background, and now a State Department official says it on the record.
Emptying out Gitmo is what it’s all about. Juan Williams on Hannity last night said if even if it means trading KSM to get one of ours back, you make the deal.
Because they’re not in Taliban hands. The phrase “the Taliban and its allies” is totally misleading, suggesting some sort of formal relationship between groups that all cooperate with one another and are all responsive to some central command authority. No such situation exists. The various Islamic extremist groups cooperate only to the extent that it’s currently expedient to do so. The Taliban and al Qaeda don’t share the same leadership and don’t have the same goals.