President Barack Obama defended his decision to release five detainees from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl today, saying the country had an obligation to not leave its military personnel behind.
'Is there a possibility of some of them trying to return to activities that are detrimental to us? Absolutely,' Obama said during today's press conference of the recently released detainees.'That's been true of all the prisoners that were released from Guantanamo. There's a certain recidivism rate that takes place.'
But the president added, 'I wouldn't be doing it if I thought that it was contrary to American national security.' Continue...
President Barack Obama defended his decision to
release five detainees from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for U.S. Army
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, saying today that the country had an obligation to
not leave military personnel behind
Speaking at a press conference in Warsaw,
Poland, Obama said his administration had consulted with Congress about
the possibility of a trade 'for some time'
Days after his rescue, Bergdahl (pictured in a
video released by the Taliban in 2010) was in stable condition at a U.S.
military hospital in Germany
The Pentagon concluded in 2010 that Bergdahl walked away from his unit, and, after an initial flurry of searching, the military curbed any high-risk rescue plans.
'Regardless of the circumstances, whatever those circumstances may turn out to be, we still get an American solider back if he's held in captivity,' Obama said. 'We don't condition that.'
President Obama meets with U.S. and Polish airmen in front of a F-16 fighter jet in a hangar at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Poland
Obama, center left, pictured with Poland's
President Bronislaw Komorowski,center right, at Belweder Palace in
Warsaw, Poland, has suggested lawmakers were aware of the prospect that
the U.S. could agree to a prisoner swap with the Taliban
Obama is visiting Warsaw, Brussels, Paris and
Normandy this week where he is expected to elaborate on the U.S.
commitment to counter Russian moves against Ukraine
Obama (pictured with Polish President Bronislaw
Komorowski at a hanger at Warsaw Chopin Airport) defended how his
administration handled the formal notifications, saying that when the
opportunity to free Bergdahl presented itself, 'We seized that
opportunity'
Questions have also mounted at home over the way Bergdahl's freedom was secured: Five high-level members of the Taliban were released from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and sent to Qatar.
The five, who will have to stay in Qatar for a year before going back to Afghanistan, include former ministers in the Taliban government, commanders and one man who had direct ties to the late al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.
Republicans in Congress criticized the agreement and complained about not having been consulted about the terms of Bergdahl's release.
They say that by unilaterally negotiating the term's of Bergdahl's release, the President broke a federal law that requires him to notify members of Congress 30 days before releasing anyone from Guantanamo Bay.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee said the Pentagon notified the panel by phone on Saturday that the exchange was occurring in the next five hours.
Obama said Tuesday that lawmakers were aware that the U.S. could agree to a prisoner swap with the Taliban 'for quite some time,' and he defended how his administration handled the formal notifications, saying that when the opportunity to free Bergdahl presented itself, 'We seized that opportunity.'
That's not true, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said this morning after Obama's news conference.
'I don’t know what he means by consulted Congress for some time,' Rogers told MSNBC. 'In 2011, they did come up and present a plan that included a prisoner transfer that was, in a bipartisan way, pushed back. We hadn’t heard anything since on any details of any prisoner exchange.'
U.S. President Barack Obama is greeted by Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski upon his arrival in Warsaw
U.S. President Barack Obama disembarks from Air Force One as he arrives at the Okecie Airport in Warsaw, Poland
U.S. President Barack Obama waves alongside Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski as he arrives at Belveder Palace in Warsaw
Officials said delaying Bergdahl's transfer in order to comply with the congressional notification rules would have interfered with two of the president's constitutional authorities: protecting the lives of Americans abroad and protecting U.S. soldiers.
'Because such interference would significantly alter the balance between Congress and the president, and could even raise constitutional concerns, we believe it is fair to conclude that Congress did not intend that the administration would be barred from taking the action it did in these circumstances,' National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released shortly after Obama's news conference.
Obama has previously expressed concern about the congressional notification requirement, which was passed as part of the 2014 defense bill.
The Pentagon concluded in 2010 that Bergdahl
walked away from his unit, and, after an initial flurry of searching,
the military curbed any high-risk rescue plans
On Saturday Obama called Bergdahl's parents Jani
and Bob shortly after he was secured to give them the good news.
Together they officially announced the release of Bowe in the White
House Rose Garden
In a statement that accompanied his
signing of that legislation, he said the executive branch must have
flexibility 'to act swiftly in conducting negotiations with foreign
countries regarding the circumstances of detainee transfers.'The U.S. and the Taliban negotiated the prisoner exchange indirectly, with the government of Qatar serving as an intermediary.
The five Afghan prisoners are now in Qatar and are banned from travelling outside the country for a minimum of one year.
Prisoner swap: Abdul Waq-Hasiq, left, and Norullah Noori, right, have been freed from Guantanamo Bay
Former combatants: The prisoners, including Khirullah Khairkhwa, left,
and Mohammed Nabi, right, will remain in Qatar for at least next year as
part of the terms of their release
Mohammad Fazi is believed to have been at the command of a mass killing
Republicans have also criticised the Obama administration actions as capitulating to terrorists.
Former
secretary of state Hillary Clinton however gave a measured defence
yesterday of the Obama's administration decision to swap the detainees
for Sgt. Bergdahl, noting many of America's allies make similar deals.
Clinton
said she did not second-guess people who make such tough decisions and
added the American tradition of caring for its citizens and soldiers
was a 'noble' one when she was asked about the exchange at an event in
Denver.
'This
young man, whatever the circumstances, was an American citizen - is an
American citizen - was serving in our military,' Clinton said. 'The idea
that you really care for your own citizens and particularly those in
uniform, I think is a very noble one.'
Clinton
said the most important thing will be to get as much information as
possible from Bergdahl about his time in captivity, saying he could be a
valuable intelligence asset and shed light on the Taliban's workings.
Days
after his rescue, Bergdahl, 28, is reportedly in stable condition at a
U.S. military hospital in Germany. It is unknown when he will return to
the U.S., but when he does, he will most likely be sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antoni, Texas, a Department of Defense official told CNN.
'The
recovery and reintegration of Bowe Bergdahl is a work in progress,'
Bergdahl's father, Bob, said on Sunday at a press conference in Boise,
Idaho.
'It isn't over for us. In many ways. It's just beginning for Jani, [Bowe's mother] and I, and our family. There's a long process here.' he said.
'It isn't over for us. In many ways. It's just beginning for Jani, [Bowe's mother] and I, and our family. There's a long process here.' he said.
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