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June 03, 2014 06:40 AM UTC

Tuesday Open Thread

  • 46 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“What is right to be done cannot be done too soon.”

–Jane Austen

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46 thoughts on “Tuesday Open Thread”

  1. Did Obama provide material support for terrorists by exchanging Taliban commanders for a deserter?

    http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/06/02/judge-nap-admin-provided-material-support-terrorist-org-bergdahl-swap

    Napolitano explained, “He violated the law by allowing assets to go back to a terrorist organization. You can’t erect a telephone pole, you can’t repair a laptop, you can’t repair a tooth if you’re a dentist for these organizations without violating federal statute.”

    2. That's "alleged deserter" to you and to all of us. As his case has yet to be decided by the military, he is still a member of our armed forces in good standing and, last time I checked, we commit our country to leaving no man behind. Even had his case been decided, we've done prisoner exchanges for deserters in the past. Bergdahl's case will be heard under the UCMJ, and it's possible he'll face time in a military prison, or less than honorable discharge from the military before all is done. As an American who did not actually leave to join the Taliban, he is still "one of ours".

      Further, the Taliban isn't on the US list of terrorist organizations. At the time of our invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban were the legitimate rulers of the country; as such, legally this exchange is a straight prisoner of war exchange between two governments – or one government and one former government, anyway. This kind of exchange is both proper and expected under the international rules of war.

      Shame on those using the long wished-for return of a POW – and a legitimate POW exchange – for political gains.

      1. +12

        There are many folks who just don't wish there to be any success, anywhere in the world, as long as President Obama is in the White House.

        The President in many instances has undertaken efforts which just don't fit in with a "show 'em who is boss, fuck them up" attitude so prevalent in our nation. We, the US, have really gained by dealing with the world as it is under this president. Ukraine/Putin are a very good example of where we have won, or Putin has not gained, that probably would not be the case if we had followed the Bush/McCain/Palin/Limbaugh/Hannity doctrine

      2. I do now recall the incident at the time and it was widely reported then by those he served with that he had strong objections to the war and just picked up and left after which they were tasked with searching for him for two months during which they say six of them were killed in the process. Haven't run across any examples of a different view of the matter by anyone in a position to know. 

        I'm not venturing any judgements (I'm certainly in no position to know jack about it) but the whole thing, from start to the recent release of five allegedly high value Taliban in exchange for him, strikes me as odd. I can't help wondering if there isn't more to this than meets the eye. It just doesn't smell right.

      1. A1987, please explain your position on the Bowe Bergdahl situation, rather than just posting a link from a satire site (oaf) and then skedaddling.

        Here's what I find funny: The very people who were embracing Phil "Duck Dynasty" Robertson, with his unkempt face fur, find the beard of Bob Bergdahl's father to be "highly suspicious".

        And then, Mr. Bergdahl had the nerve to speak Arabic at the White House! He'd been studying it for years in hopes of being able to speak with his son.  Mr. Bergdahl said in Arabic:

        I'd like to say to Bowe right now, who is having trouble speaking English — (speaks in Pashto) — I'm your father, Bowe. 

        To the people of Afghanistan, the same — (speaks in Pashto) — the complicated nature of this recovery was — will never really be comprehended.  To each and every single one who effected this, in this country, in the service branches, at the State Department, throughout the whole of American government, and around the world, international governments around the world, thank you so much.  We just can't communicate the words this morning when we heard from the President.

        So we look forward to continuing the recovery of our son, which is going to be a considerable task for our family.  And we hope that the media will understand that that will keep us very preoccupied in the coming days and weeks as he gets back home to the United States.

        Perhaps Mr. Bergdahl will start a fashion fad among Taliban fanatics – shaggy crumbcatcher beard, but also the ponytail holding the hair back, necktie, and wife in a short, sleeveless dress – look for this to become de rigeur  amongst your local Islamist  peeps. You won't be able to tell the foot traffic on the Boulder mall from  that in Qatari.

        Phil Robertson would also be right at home, as a fashion icon. After all,  as a patriarchal religious fundamentalist, he has a lot more in common with the Taliban than not. 

        The rightie conspiracy sites are blowing up, claiming that Mr. Bergdahl "claimed the White House for Islam". Sheesh. 

         

         

         

         

         

            2. So asking someone to explain their position – or to do more than post a link – that's an "attack"?

              I do have to correct my own prior post, in case anyone read it. "Qatari" should read "North Waziristan".  "Islamist" should be "Taliban tribal warlord". I don't want to perpetuate stereotypes.

              I did actually read the link A1987 posted. It's confusing, because oafnation is a satire/  spoof site, which takes military photos and puts fake captions on them. Therefore, I would question how reliable it is as a source on Bowe Bergdahl. 

               

                1. And besides, asking them their position is unreasonable. Agent 1987 just wanted to drop a little turd of "info" without having to take a position, and thus, any responsibility for agreeing or disagreeing with it.   

              2. OAF is a humorous website ran by members of the SOF/PMC community. They do have a certain sense of humor and have “military pictures with fake captions” but the contributors are legitimate and their stories are real. In my opinion he is a deserter and will be tried accordingly and will hopefully found guilty.

      2. Then I read this New York Times aticle today…

        But a review of casualty reports and contemporaneous military logs from the Afghanistan war shows that the facts surrounding the eight deaths are far murkier than definitive — even as critics of Sergeant Bergdahl contend that every American combat death in Paktika Province in the months after he disappeared, from July to September 2009, was his fault.

          1. The Bush administration was never really good at negotiation – the danger of this happening under 43's administration was somewhat short of nil.

            And no – if Bush were President at a time when Afghanistan hostilities were nearing an end, Dems would have cheered the opportunity to close one more outstanding issue that kept the war going and return an American to US soil.

          2. But Bush would not have done it.  

            Something about putting terrorists back on the battlefield to kill more Americans did not make sense to him.

            1. Accept that he did. There were indeed releases of prisoners while Bush was President who later turned up on battlefields. Google it, asshole.

              1. Dipshit, When Bush let people go they were sent to countries that were supposed to ensure that did not happen. The terrorists just released were thought to be too hard core to let go.  Google it. Asshole.

                2. Google "Taliban" – they aren't Al Qaeda, they're not terrorists and the US does not consider either them or the individuals returned as such.

                  And Google the names of the released prisoners. They were each and every one government officials. One was a military leader, the rest served in various government posts.

                  Finally, note that the terms of their release include some form of house arrest for a year in Qatar – where they are not even citizens.

                  1. The trolls supervisor must have chewed his ass for his incredibly weak performance here, of late. Getting himself in a bind yesterday with Ralphie wasn't the smartest thing he could have done..either…

                    Mr. Decorum has lost his cool. Name calling..really? I thought only liberals did that…

                    Well, are you gonna answer Phoenix?…or just bail like you always do? I don't see how you keep this job, AC .I would have fired your ass a month ago.

                     

                    2. I think the possiblity of being outed scared him, until someone explained that TOS of this site that he loves to crap on were protecting him. Now, he's all kinds of brave. 

  3. Imagine my surprise when I read this this morning's headline and story in the GJ Sentinel…

    Hautzinger backs Quick for state attorney general

    "Pete Hautzinger, the Republican district attorney for Mesa County, isn’t in the same political party as Don Quick, the Democrat running for Colorado attorney general.".

    http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/hautzinger-backs-quick-for-state-attorney-general/

    The link is behind a paywall (sorry) but It goes on to explain they are old friends from Hautzinger's Democrat days when he ran for the state senate and lost in Republican strong hold, Mesa County.  His party change, in my mind, was always more expeditious than philosophical so I have to ask, is Pete's endorsement once again a self-serving move now that he's going out of office?

     

    1. It gets even better.  According to the Post, Marc Holtzman, BWB's '06 nemesis, has donated to Hick's campaign!  Politics does indeed make for strage bedfellows.

      1. And I have always subscribed to that phylosophy but the Republicans have made it more and more difficult as their tent became smaller and smaller.

  4. just returned from a week long camping trip. Observations: Alamosa has really grown. Along 285 into NM all rivers are full, in NM all rivers are full, the Arkansas is full. In Mora and San Miguel counties in NM the fight over fracking is going on. Many signs small and mid-sized, saying "Ranching not Fracking", "Water not fracking". Not much written in the 2 issues of the Santa Fe New Mexican that I managed to peruse.

    Now, after a week, to not let anyone harsh my mellow…

    1. Maketa is still disgusting. Since he can't be fired, and it's too much trouble to recall him, let him stay in office and watch his back. According to the Gazette, two former employees are suing him for sexual harassment at $750,000 each:

      Also, two former Sheriff's Office employees filed notices to sue in March alleging "a pattern of harassment and emotional abuse" by the sheriff. Emory Gerhart and Charles Kull told The Gazette earlier this year that they resigned after repeated interrogation about a missing internal affairs file on Bill Elder, a candidate for sheriff. Gerhart and Kull's attorney Shimone Kohn said Monday that his clients are "alleging $750,000 in damages" each.
      Read more at http://gazette.com/watch-maketa-sends-video-apology-to-employees-of-el-paso-county-sheriffs-office/article/1520875#5wYKDDVBd8y9wo4X.99

       

      I just feel bad for the El Paso County citizens who are being so ineptly "protected" by their Sheriff.

  8. Surprise, surprise. Regardless of what the facts of the Bergdahl case turn out to be, Republican pols, incuding the deluded blowhard McCain who hasn't noticed that nobody gives a shit what he says anymore, have once again demonstrated their utterly cynical, politically motivated hypocrisy.  What else is new? Apparently, they keep forgetting that stuff they say on TV and such sticks around. 

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/03/bowe-bergdahl-release_n_5439644.html

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