OPINION

EDITORIAL:U.S. gets short end of stick on prisoner swap

Asbury Park Press

The release Saturday of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after being held prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly five years was a bad deal for everyone except Sgt. Bergdahl.

Insofar as his release came at the expense of the release of five Taliban terrorists, it is not good news for Americans who value their safety.

President Barack Obama announced the lopsided prisoner exchange Saturday, just days after he outlined a plan to withdraw all but 9,800 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and the remainder by 2016. If this was intended as a public relations move by the administration in an election year, it has failed miserably, leaving Obama open to charges of breaking the law, dealing with terrorists and putting our country at risk by releasing five dangerous prisoners to gain the release of a single American soldier.

Even given the often-overheated anti-Obama rhetoric in the Capitol, these accusations are serious and credible. How does the United States claim any sort of victory, moral or otherwise, by trading Bergdahl for five Taliban militants, all classified as “high risk” and “likely to pose a threat” to the United States, its interests and its allies?

Bergdahl himself apparently is not the poster boy for the best and brightest of America’s fighting force. Although details of how he came to be captured in eastern Afghanistan in 2009 are not clear, many U.S. government officials believe Bergdahl was captured after walking away from his unit — essentially going AWOL.

The Taliban did not release this soldier out of the goodness of its heart. There was give and take, which makes Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s statement that “we didn’t negotiate with terrorists” disingenuous at best. The swap, he said, had instead been worked out by the government of Qatar. So, Qatar negotiated with terrorists and we signed off on the deal? That doesn’t matter.

Nor do the assurances Obama is giving that, as dangerous as these released Taliban prisoners are, the United States will be keeping a close eye on them. According to the State Department, the prisoners would not be permitted to leave Qatar for a year, adding that their families had been flown from Afghanistan. U.S. officials said the restrictions placed on them include the “monitoring of their activities.” Swell.

Added to this mess is that the release of Bergdahl was in some ways illegal. As the GOP has been quick to point out, Obama is required by law to notify Congress 30 days before any terrorists are transferred from Guantanamo Bay.

The White House has admitted as much, saying it moved as quickly as possible given the supposedly sudden opportunity that arose to secure Bergdahl’s release, despite the legal requirements.

Bergdahl’s freedom is undoubtedly good news for him and his family. But it is not good news for those who expect Obama to keep us safe.