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MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Deeply Skeptical Of Taliban Prisoner Swap
The Daily Caller ^ | 6-2-2014 | Brendan Bordelon

Posted on 06/02/2014 5:31:30 PM PDT by servo1969

MSBNC host Chris Matthews became the first on his network to express the slightest bit of skepticism over the Obama administration’s deal to trade Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantanamo Bay, with Matthews repeatedly questioning the wisdom of trading an “AWOL” and possibly treasonous soldier for terrorist mass murderers.

Matthews opened his program Monday with a deeply suspicious look into Bergdahl’s statements and actions before he went inexplicably missing from his post in the summer of 2009.

In particular, the MSNBC host highlighted portions of a piece by late Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings, which revealed that Bergdahl repeatedly disparaged the U.S. military, said he was “ashamed to be an American” and talked of simply “walk[ing] off into the mountains of Pakistan.”

He also singled out as “cryptic” a statement by Bergdahl’s father claiming he was “proud of how much you wanted to help the Afghan people, and what [Bergdahl] was willing to do to go to that length.”

“Do you have any idea what he meant there?” Matthews asked The Daily Beast’s Kim Dozier. “Did he mean sort of leaving his post, leaving his rifle and uniform behind, heading off in the direction of Pakistan, being picked up by the Taliban? What did he mean ‘helping the Afghan people’ and that process? I don’t quite get that.”

“Is that the Afghan people they mean?” Matthews continued, questioning whether Bergdahl was in fact moving to join or work with the Taliban when he was captured.

Dozier let that question hang, but spoke forcefully for the prisoner swap. “In terms of why you rescue him, he was a U.S. soldier in uniform –”

“No he wasn’t in uniform, he left the uniform behind,” Matthews interrupted.

“He was a serving U.S. soldier –” Dozier tried again.

“But he left his post and he said — this is what I don’t understand,” Matthews continued. “Was he AWOL? And if not, why not? Why didn’t they declare him AWOL?”

Matthews also expressed profound skepticism over the idea that this trade might be a prelude to a peace deal with the Taliban, after Dozier said this could “possibly kick off reconciliation talks” with the Taliban.

“I just wonder what that could possibly — women have to now be covered up, their faces have to be covered up, no more movies over there, they blow up buddhas again,” he said, wondering what would happen if the Taliban gets power. “Are we going back to crazy Taliban behavior? . . . What kind of deal are we striking with these people?”

Liberal columnist and Marine Corps veteran Goldie Taylor was also grilled by Matthews. “Does this make sense?” he asked.

“I think it makes sense to me, because you know, in my mind, as a former Marine, we leave no man behind. We don’t qualify that –”

“But didn’t he leave his unit behind?” Matthews countered. “He left his uniform behind, he left his rifle behind and he told people if he didn’t like the mission he was headed to Pakistan. What was he doing?”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: awol; bergdahl; gitmo; msnbc; obama; scandals
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Et tu, Chris?
1 posted on 06/02/2014 5:31:30 PM PDT by servo1969
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To: servo1969

Jeez, the tingle is gone???


2 posted on 06/02/2014 5:32:31 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi or Atty General Holder, who brought more guns to Mexico?)
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To: servo1969

Broken clock, blind pig . . . . .


3 posted on 06/02/2014 5:32:55 PM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: NonValueAdded

Chrissy will just pop another shot of jack and a viagra and the tingle will return in no time...


4 posted on 06/02/2014 5:34:38 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: servo1969

What if he would have been gay, Chris? Would that have changed your mind?


5 posted on 06/02/2014 5:34:39 PM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: servo1969

Looks like Barry is starting to scare even the useful idiots.


6 posted on 06/02/2014 5:34:40 PM PDT by headstamp 2 (What would Scooby do?)
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To: servo1969

Bad day for Chris. Even the DUmmies, by the way, are disappointed at how this happy story turned out.


7 posted on 06/02/2014 5:34:54 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: unixfox

I guess you haven’t seen the ballet photos...


8 posted on 06/02/2014 5:35:28 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: NonValueAdded

Cue B.B. King...


9 posted on 06/02/2014 5:36:43 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
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To: servo1969

Wow! He’s been de-tingled! Lordamighty!


10 posted on 06/02/2014 5:36:53 PM PDT by laweeks
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To: servo1969

This will be the ONE and ONLY time where Chrissy Matthews shows the least bit of common sense..trust me it wont happen again


11 posted on 06/02/2014 5:38:36 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: NonValueAdded

If Obama has lost Chris Mathews...................OMG........................


12 posted on 06/02/2014 5:38:37 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego (et)
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To: NonValueAdded

You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows.Just Chris Matthews.


13 posted on 06/02/2014 5:41:32 PM PDT by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: servo1969

Now Jay Carney can say “It’s already been dealt with in the media, so we can move on from this old topic”


14 posted on 06/02/2014 5:42:26 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Cementjungle

is Jay looking for another hug ?


15 posted on 06/02/2014 5:45:03 PM PDT by kingattax (a real American would rather die on his feet than live on his knees.)
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To: RedMDer; KC_Lion

BFD
I don’t give a rip what that creep says or thinks.
He’s only asking “questions,” not condemning his hero, the Marxist.


16 posted on 06/02/2014 5:46:04 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: NonValueAdded

ANGRY PARENTS COMPARE BERGDAHL COVERUP TO BENGHAZI

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/06/angry-parents-compare-bergdahl-coverup-to-benghazi.php


17 posted on 06/02/2014 5:47:10 PM PDT by Hotlanta Mike ("Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu)
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To: kingattax

no, but he sure would enjoy another blown kiss, with a hint of wetness


18 posted on 06/02/2014 5:47:48 PM PDT by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: servo1969

HE FOUND HIS MEDS! GLORY HALLELUJAH!

Praise the Lord and pass the Prozac.

BB King is singing “The Thrill is Gone” and so is the “Tingle”.

Vincent Price is out looking for the “Tingler”

MSNBC is in trouble when it’s leading jerk gains a moment of sanity and actually says something that is relevant.

Next, Al Sharpton on marrying sheep in Afghanistan.


19 posted on 06/02/2014 5:47:49 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: servo1969

Only one reason Chris would take this stance. He was told to do so. Strange


20 posted on 06/02/2014 5:48:51 PM PDT by TBall
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