A Bergdahl In The Hand Is Worth Five Terrorists In The Bush?

Gregory J. Welborn

USA PFC Bow Bergdahl

There’s a lot of controversy swirling around Obama’s decision to trade five hardened terrorists for American Sergeant Bergdahl, shop among which is the concern the President acted illegally by insufficiently consulting Congress.  As a conservative, salve I support Obama’s right, shop as Commander-in-Chief, to make this decision without consultation.  I defended Bush in this regard, and I’ll defend Obama, too.  But that doesn’t mean it was a good decision.  In fact, it may go down as the worst decision this president, this Commander-in-Chief, has made.

The President clearly thinks this was a good decision, offering first that Bergdahl’s health was so badly deteriorated that repatriating him was necessary, but the more compelling, and overriding, reason he offered was that “regardless of the circumstances, we still get an American soldier back if he’s held in captivity, period.  Full stop.  We don’t condition that.”  So really, in the President’s mind, whether Bergdahl was healthy or not, there are no conditions placed on repatriating our soldiers.

Except, there are conditions, and always have been in every war or skirmish we’ve fought.  There have to be.  To believe otherwise is simply a manifestation of typical Liberal naiveté – we will act as we want the world to be, not as it really is.  Consider the following illustration.  What if we had captured Adolph Hitler?  Would we have traded him back for any number of American POWs?  Or if we had captured any of the 9-11 murdering hijackers, would any be released to retrieve any number of American hostages?  The answer to both is of course, no!  There are limits placed on any trade – limits that balance the benefits against the costs to insure that America benefits.  If it is to be done, it must be a sober and purposeful decision.

Bob Bergdahl, father of Bowe Bergdahl

The benefit here is clear to the Bergdahl family, and I wish them no ill.  They have their son back.  We can all empathize with that.  Any family who has lost a loved one, or faces the risk of losing a loved one, wants that person safe and sound.  And it is these forgotten people who will now bear the horrendous cost of this trade.

The trade once again trashes America’s reputation.  The President has affirmed we will not negotiate with terrorists.  Yes we will!  The President said that the five released terrorists will be kept in Qatar and monitored for a year.  No they won’t!  Qatar says they’re free to roam and free to return to Afghanistan or any other hot spot for that matter.  In case our friends needed more reasons to doubt us and our enemies fewer reasons to fear us, the Bergdahl trade further undermines our credibility and emboldens our enemies.

The trade has and will cost the military dearly.  Releasing five terrorists for one apparent deserter, even as we leave stranded a brave Marine in Mexico, devastates morale and certainly hurts recruitment efforts.  Those who have already borne the load will now bear a heavier one in their knowledge that their service is so under-appreciated.  And what of the men who lost their lives trying to “rescue” Sergeant Bergdahl?  When the facts of his “departure” were finally known, a mare hazardous rescue mission was appropriately aborted lest more men die.  To their families, we simply say, “suck it up and salute”?  We will add five more to the ranks of those who will execute further American deaths.

The trade should also prompt us to acknowledge the other westerners who will bear the cost of escalating kidnappings around the world.  If the U.S. will trade one soldier deserter for five hardened terrorists, what might the U.S., or an even weaker western nation, surrender for 10 or 15 kidnapped innocent civilians?  Anyone who believes these boundaries will not be tested by Al Qaeda or the Taliban is dreaming.

GIITMO 5 and Bergdahl

Lastly, the trade has made the world a more dangerous place and insured that thousands more all over the globe will suffer.  The GITMO 5 who were repatriated to the killing sands of the Mideast are all hardened killers serving in senior Taliban leadership positions – among them a military commander, defense minister, intelligence minister, liaison to Iran; all with the blood of thousands on their hands.  These senior terrorist leaders are not going to return to their fields and orchards to raise their families in peace and brotherly love.  They will resume the torture, murder and crimes-against-humanity which landed them in GITMO and should have been sufficient to keep them there for the remainder of their lives.

These men were not simply soldiers under another flag, fighting honorably while steadfastly observing the nuances of the laws of war to protect noncombatants.  They didn’t wear uniforms to identify themselves, purposely hid among civilians to put them at risk, and steadfastly refuse to consider any westerner a non-combatant.  As they’ve repeatedly, and painfully, reminded us, their version of Islam declares all kafirs (non-believers) to be combatants.  They will rampage, slaughter and maim again.  We cannot begin to estimate the number of souls who will bear the cost of this trade.

Was The President authorized to make this trade?  Intellectual honesty demands we answer, yes.  No matter the wording of the statute, the Constitution grants this power to the Commander-in-Chief.  I won’t deny that just because Obama is president.  Was the trade a catastrophe of as yet unfathomed global proportions?  Unquestionably, yes.  Worst decision of his presidency?  God, I hope so.  If there’s something worse than this, I don’t want to know.

Gregory J. Welborn is a freelance writer and has spoken to several civic and religious organizations on cultural and moral issues.  He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 3 children and is active in the community.  He can be reached [email protected]