Taliban Commander: More Kidnappings to Come After Bergdahl Deal

TIME - Taliban Commander: More Kidnappings to Come After Bergdahl Deal

A Taliban commander close to the negotiations over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told TIME Thursday that the deal made to secure Bergdahl’s release has made it more appealing for fighters to capture American soldiers and other high-value targets.

“It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people,” the commander said, speaking by telephone on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”

The commander has been known to TIME for several years and has consistently supplied reliable information about Bergdahl’s captivity.

This is being reported all over different news outlets. It's no surprise. Whoever (Obama?) decided to let five Taliban prisoners go in exchange for one American deserter had to have known that more kidnappings would happen because of the exchange. People can't be so stupid as not to know it. There is something going on ...

There is a reason why policy was in place not to deal with terrorists.
Whoever arranged this swap was a freak'n idiot and is doing damage to the USA.
We can now expect more kidnappings and more demands for GITMO terrorists to be released.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
TIME - Taliban Commander: More Kidnappings to Come After Bergdahl Deal

A Taliban commander close to the negotiations over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told TIME Thursday that the deal made to secure Bergdahl’s release has made it more appealing for fighters to capture American soldiers and other high-value targets.

“It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people,” the commander said, speaking by telephone on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”

The commander has been known to TIME for several years and has consistently supplied reliable information about Bergdahl’s captivity.

This is being reported all over different news outlets. It's no surprise. Whoever (Obama?) decided to let five Taliban prisoners go in exchange for one American deserter had to have known that more kidnappings would happen because of the exchange. People can't be so stupid as not to know it. There is something going on ...

There is a reason why policy was in place not to deal with terrorists.
Whoever arranged this swap was a freak'n idiot and is doing damage to the USA.
We can now expect more kidnappings and more demands for GITMO terrorists to be released.

What I find more interesting is when he says "it's better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people".

I am sure others have caught this, but wouldn't this imply that Bergdahl does indeed have some major use for the US outside of what they are portraying in the media?

Wouldn't this also imply that they are going to quit not kidnap anyone outside of the US armed forces?

And how was this a kidnapping? Did something else happen that we are not aware of? Can it be called a kidnapping if the participant was seeking you out, or did they really kidnap him from the base and that is being covered up for some reason? The story says this guy was close to the whole deal so why so many mistakes in the details?

a reply to: FlyersFan

Well I don't know about soldiers being captured, but private contractors will be gone soon enough.

Thanks Obama, enjoy the media joy of your great negotiations. Approval ratings far lower now and we have a new threat to boot.

Great Job.

Visa croe may be right about being suspicious of the "informant"
This may all be a ploy to Garner support for the idea that he was kidnapped and didn't join the enemy.

It would help the case that he was "saved" by top notch negotiating.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Well, Obama really did us in this time... Now it's going to be fair game on american's who look to travel abroad in semi-questionable regions... If our Govt's stance forever is never negotiate with terrorists, you don't just go out and decide to negotiate with terrorists, it makes us look weak. I'm sure there will be a heavy uptick in kidnappings in the months/years to come... I guess Obama wanted to take attention away from his VA problems right now and figured this would distract the public enough.

Well if you negotiate with terrorists the opportunities are limitless.... By the sounds of it, Obama's heroic deal just put many American lives abroad at risk.

Well, I must say there isn't much hope in this change.

Perhaps we need to rethink all that secret deal stuff? This is the second time in a few months one has ended up badly, to be real nice about describing profound fail.

I'll even grant they had the best of intentions. Some on our side likely did and the "ends justify the means' thinking leads to crap like this. Many of us have been saying this, as that sick way of thinking has emerged in smaller ways. If you can justify wrong to accomplish right? Then the greater the right, the greater the wrong which can be justified and tolerated.

In this case...We've put countless good people in danger down the road, for the safety of one. There is a REASON other Presidents have faced similar problems and never chosen this particular route. Reagan came the closest but he was trading old HAWK Missile systems and TOW's to use against Iraq not humans for humans in a very high value trade to the other side.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Cry havoc and let slip the predators in the sky.


Dear Obama,

Please resign.

a reply to: FlyersFan

You have to keep Americans afraid. It's the only way that government can get away with creating new laws and new restrictions to our freedoms.

Who knows....maybe this was part of a ploy to keep Americans in America and limit the amount of foreign travel to certain regions so their economy takes a tourism hit....though I can't imagine a lot of tourists from the US are headed to this area in general.

Fear....it's what's for dinner (and breakfast and lunch and some snacks in between)

My concern ... tourists and relief workers.

Tourists in edgy places like Turkey or Egypt or Israel ... Not war zones (if they are in Afghanistan or Pakistan then they are nuts). But other places where tourists go.

There are a lot of nuns and missionaries who have big hearts who are helping in villages all over the world. Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's nuns) are everywhere. It could be open season on relief workers.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
My concern ... tourists and relief workers.

Tourists in edgy places like Turkey or Egypt or Israel ... Not war zones (if they are in Afghanistan or Pakistan then they are nuts). But other places where tourists go.

There are a lot of nuns and missionaries who have big hearts who are helping in villages all over the world. Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's nuns) are everywhere. It could be open season on relief workers.

From what the guy said I am thinking they are solely pinpointing those that are in some form of military/intelligence for the US. I can't imagine anyone would be traded for a run of the mill citizen....

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I can't imagine anyone would be traded for a run of the mill citizen....

I didn't think we'd trade five mass murdering terrorists for one deserter. But we did. I'm just really concerned about the soft targets. A bus load of nuns being held hostage. Doctors without borders. Engineers without borders. Peace Corps. That' kind of thing.

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I can't imagine anyone would be traded for a run of the mill citizen....

I didn't think we'd trade five mass murdering terrorists for one deserter. But we did. I'm just really concerned about the soft targets. A bus load of nuns being held hostage. Doctors without borders. Engineers without borders. Peace Corps. That' kind of thing.

I know what you mean....and I think there is a lot more to Bergdahl than is being publicized at this point. I mean you have to ask WHY is he even still alive? Why didn't the taliban kill him as usual? What is so important about him that they kept him alive...I can't imagine it was just out of hope that they would get some of their own back....I would think that would be the last option that they would think the US would consider.

I would like to know who put that option out there first...the Taliban leaders or the US.

THIS is exactly WHY we shouldn't negotiate with Terrorists! Thanks Obama! The NEXT American soldier kidnapping is on Your Head!

a reply to: FlyersFan

Only an idiot wouldn't see this outcome. Obviously it's part of the plan that treasonous POS Obama is pushing for his masters.

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I can't imagine anyone would be traded for a run of the mill citizen....

I didn't think we'd trade five mass murdering terrorists for one deserter. But we did. I'm just really concerned about the soft targets. A bus load of nuns being held hostage. Doctors without borders. Engineers without borders. Peace Corps. That' kind of thing.

I'm going to start an organization: "Surveyors Without Borders". Not sure if it will be a success.

Has anyone considered the possibility that Bergdahl is CIA and this was an elaborate intel op to infiltrate the taliban?

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Thanks Obama! The NEXT American soldier kidnapping is on Your Head!

CONSPIRACY ANGLE ... Obama has to know that's going to happen. That this would trigger more kidnappings. Only a complete dolt couldn't see it coming. So his action has to have other motives. Why would he want to risk more kidnappings? To have an excuse to 'go in' somewhere? To have an excuse to let more terrorists go from GITMO? Something ....

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
a reply to: FlyersFan

Only an idiot wouldn't see this outcome. Obviously it's part of the plan that treasonous POS Obama is pushing for his masters.

Cheers - Dave

"I didn't see this coming"

~Idiot

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: FlyersFan

You have to keep Americans afraid. It's the only way that government can get away with creating new laws and new restrictions to our freedoms.

The problem with that strategy is eventually the people will start to wonder why the government is so incompetent and will eventually replace them with people who can protect them without locking them inside a room for their own good.

Obama and his actions reminds me of the story of the French Radical.

Otherwise you're like the French radical, watching the crowd run by and saying, "There go my people. I must find out where they're going so I can lead them."

Even his own cabinet members told Obama no.

While he is the President and makes the choice I fail to understand the logic behind it. As for the health justification there is now speculation the Taliban may have staged his appearance to hasten a possible exchange.

Its one thing for the President to ignore Congress and go it alone.

Its brought to a whole new level when you also ignore your own Cabinet Secretaries and advisors.

Leadership is Responsible — Leadership is responsible for everything the organization does or fails to do. Leadership is more than a wooden figurehead. A leader is not a position, job title, or in this case, the captain of the ship. Leadership is not about power, ego or pride. Leadership is ever-present, touching, motivating, talking, checking and removing barriers, training, preparing, breathing and moving about.

- Gregory P. Smith

a reply to: FlyersFan
If the Taliban think they got THIS great a deal trading for a deserter...imagine how much they think they'll get for a caPtured soldier who ACTUALLY served with "Honor and Distinction"!

As to your point:
Given the precedent Obama has just set...I imagine Barry figured that another captured soldier or two...should effectively allow him to COMPLETELY clear out GITMO.