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Taliban's Mullah Omar Celebrates Prisoner-Swap 'Victory'
The BBC ^ | Sunday, June 1, 2014

Posted on 06/01/2014 9:12:23 AM PDT by kristinn

Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has issued a rare public statement hailing the exchange of five Guantanamo Bay detainees for a Taliban-held US soldier as a "big victory".

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, 28, was handed to US forces in Afghanistan on Saturday.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has defended the exchange amid criticism Congress was not given 30 days' notice before the detainees were released.

He said the US had to act quickly to save the soldier's life.

Sgt Bergdahl, who is said to be in good condition and has been flown to Germany for more treatment, was the only US soldier being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire Afghan Muslim nation," said Mullah Omar, who has made no public appearances or speeches since fleeing Afghanistan in 2001 when US-led forces toppled the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks in the US.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; awol; bergdahl; bobbergdahl; bowebergdahl; deserter; gitmo; mullahomar; nationalsecurity; obamaforeignpolicy; obamascandals; secdefhagel; taliban5; terroristnegotiation; waronterror
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1 posted on 06/01/2014 9:12:24 AM PDT by kristinn
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To: kristinn

“Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar”

Sadly, one of GWB’s biggest failures. We got close but never managed to nail this SOB. He should have been in the ground at least 11 years ago.


2 posted on 06/01/2014 9:14:29 AM PDT by I cannot think of a name
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To: kristinn

The taliban seem to like their friend & comrade, Clown Prince nobama.


3 posted on 06/01/2014 9:15:14 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: kristinn

Oh my! This was unexpected. /sarc


4 posted on 06/01/2014 9:15:54 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (They are called "Liberals" because the word "parasite" was already taken.)
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To: kristinn

Didn’t Israel conduct a similar swap for one of their own?


5 posted on 06/01/2014 9:17:07 AM PDT by ex-snook (God forgives and forgets.)
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To: kristinn





6 posted on 06/01/2014 9:17:13 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: kristinn

So help me out. Are there any of our enemies that arn’t celebrating one kind of victory or the other over America these days?

Russia?
China?
Iran?
Al Queda?
Taliban?
Mexican Cartels?


7 posted on 06/01/2014 9:18:51 AM PDT by Breto (Stranger in a strange land... where did America go?)
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To: kristinn

His health and language skills were at risk according to Hagel. So he had to quickly make the deal so he could get in line at his local VA hospital.


8 posted on 06/01/2014 9:19:20 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: kristinn
But Mr Hagel, who reportedly met some of the special forces team involved in the operation on a visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, said the military believed the soldier was in danger, and had to act quickly "essentially to save his life".

Translation...no longer useful, but the timing was to get the other scandals off the headlines.


9 posted on 06/01/2014 9:19:34 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Forgive but don't forget)
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To: kristinn
from the article:

President Obama said on Saturday that he had received security guarantees from Qatar - which mediated the deal and where the five Afghan men have been flown - "that it will put in place measures to protect our national security".

oh well, there went the last vestige of Americans being ever safe again.

10 posted on 06/01/2014 9:19:51 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: kristinn

Well, it is a victory.

They get five of their baddest bad guys back , we get a guy who deserted his post and went awol and who , for all intents and purposes, seemed to be a Taliban sympathizer back


11 posted on 06/01/2014 9:19:53 AM PDT by rdcbn
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To: ex-snook

Israel swapped prisoners for a deserter?


12 posted on 06/01/2014 9:19:54 AM PDT by jimbo123
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To: ex-snook

Except Bergdahl doesn’t appear to be ‘one of our own’.


13 posted on 06/01/2014 9:20:12 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Breto

Obama is focusing all his efforts on defeating the GOP. All others get a pass.


14 posted on 06/01/2014 9:20:38 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (The new witchhunt: "Do you NOW, . . . or have you EVER , . . supported traditional marriage?")
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To: kristinn

It’s a victory all around for the Taliban. This deserter schooled the Taliban in American doctrine and techniques, fed the propaganda machine for years and now gives them back some important leaders who will return in rather short order from a temporary stay in a sympathetic Islamic country.


15 posted on 06/01/2014 9:21:10 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: jimbo123
A bunch of America haters for an America hater (or so it is being said)...


16 posted on 06/01/2014 9:21:25 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: kristinn
They traded a deserter...

...for some seriously bad dudes.

What video will Ubama blame when US soldiers and citizens are kidnapped for more trades?

17 posted on 06/01/2014 9:22:11 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government." --Tacitus)
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To: kristinn

“....the exchange of five Guantanamo Bay detainees for a Taliban-held US soldier as a “big victory”.”

.
Hell yes, it certainly was — we’ll give you one muzzie in return for five muzzies.

Next time we’ll see you and raise your bet.


18 posted on 06/01/2014 9:23:35 AM PDT by 353FMG
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To: no-to-illegals

“President Obama said on Saturday that he had received security guarantees from Qatar”

And we all know Muslims never lie to infidels.


19 posted on 06/01/2014 9:25:55 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Mullah Mohammad Fazl was wanted by the United Nations in connection with the massacre of thousands of Afghan Shiites during the Taliban’s rule.


20 posted on 06/01/2014 9:27:11 AM PDT by Chad_the_Impaler
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