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Fifth Column
No, Prisoner-of-War Bowe Bergdahl Did Not Get Americans Killed
2014-06-05
True, Americans died while on operations that directly and indirectly supported the military's prolonged efforts to find Bergdahl. But that doesn't mean soldiers would not have died if Bergdahl had not wandered off.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm-k.
Posted by:Uncle Phester

#24  Yawl watch, this slimer will be on the cover of People within a year.
Posted by: Shipman   2014-06-05 16:52  

#23  Dead on CF. Bergdahl was simply a tool. Champ wants to empty GITMO, possibly end the lease with Cuba and turn it over to Raul and or the Russians.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-06-05 16:47  

#22  That is what I'm starting to think. I read an article the other day where the process for releasing GITMO prisoners was discussed and the WH has been trying to get these 5 released practically since day one. But the pentagon and CIA always said no. This time the president (and State department) bypassed the process and basically told them to suck it up and salute. *That* process bypass isn't being discussed at all - instead what is being discussed is that congress wasn't 'notified'.

I think the real goal was to get the 5 released and not to get the deserter returned - that was a side 'benefit'.

Oh and does this tinfoil hat make my head look fat?
Posted by: CrazyFool   2014-06-05 16:33  

#21  If U.S. SOF knew where Bergdahl was and did not go get him, there was a reason, and that reason was not the fear of casualties.

Bergdahl was needed as a convenient fig leaf to cover the release of the Taliban.

Even now, the misdirection is working as the public is discussing the imperfections of the fig leaf and not paying attention to the real scandal which is the release.
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660   2014-06-05 16:06  

#20  I think these guys are making the arguments they've been ordered to.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2014-06-05 15:48  

#19  by David Axle. Now who does that remind me of... someone famous for orchastrating astroturfing campaigns....

I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't being all orchestrated from the WH or the NYT on the WH's behalf.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2014-06-05 15:33  

#18  FoxNews:Bergdahl's hometown cancels 'Welcome Home' ceremony amid questions
Published June 04, 2014

HAILEY, Idaho – This small, central Idaho city of about 8,000 is wilting in the international spotlight brought by what was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and a much-anticipated celebration welcoming back a long-lost son has been canceled...ut the jubilation that followed his release has given way to confusion and fear, as questions about whether Bergdahl was a deserter have surfaced. City Hall has been inundated with angry letters and emails from around the country. The long-planned "Welcome Back, Bowe" celebration, planned for June 28 in Hop Porter Park, was canceled Wednesday amid growing claims by Bergdahl's fellow soldiers that he deserves no honor.

“This man deserves no welcome," reads one of the many emails City Administrator Heather Dawson has fielded at City Hall. "His reward is being alive, unlike the brave soldiers who actually followed their orders and continued to search for him knowing full well he had deserted his post.”

“You and anyone else involved in organizing this farce of a celebration should be ashamed of yourselves,” reads another.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418    2014-06-05 15:01  

#17  Seems like it should be POS Bergdahl from what I've been reading lately.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2014-06-05 14:46  

#16  This is a meme started by the NY Slimes. I heard it on the radio, credited to the Slimes, then I read it in the Dallas Morning News, which credited the Slimes at the end of the article. Let's see how far it goes.
Posted by: Bobby   2014-06-05 13:09  

#15  The thing that strikes me I that 6 (7?) members of his platoon died looking for him. That's a very high fatality rate for 1 platoon on 1 tour in the 'stan.

While it's true the unit might have suffered casualties anyway if it had been conducting other ops, all you have to do is look at casualties / tour for other paratroop platoons and the delta is the number of troops who died because of Bergdahl.

P.S. the number of dead winds up being slightly less, but it is still too high for a worthless sack of s***. And the cost is still rising, given that the 5 Taliban have yet to kick in.

Posted by: Frozen Al   2014-06-05 11:47  

#14  It's now POW Bergdahl? The people closest to him on the battlefield most likely have it right.
Posted by: JohnQC   2014-06-05 11:46  

#13  WEATHER WARNING #06-02

REQUEST WIDEST DISSEMINATION TO ALL UNITS IVO THE INTERNETS

SHIT STORM WARNING

VALID TIME: 140602/1330D (140602/0900Z) – 140602/1930D (140602/1500Z)

FORECASTER: CWO WEINER/METOC/TACC/DSN: 357-6666

HIGH SPEED SHIT STORMS ARE OCCURRING OR ARE FORECASTED TO OCCUR WITHIN 10NM OF TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND ALL ASSOCIATED SOCIAL MEDIA. FORECASTED WINDS ARE FROM 230°V290° AT 12-18 WITH GUSTS TO 23-27KT ISOLD 30KT. THE POTENTIAL FOR VISIBILITY REDUCED TO LESS THAN 5SM BUT GREATER THAN 3SM EXISTS DURING PERIODS OF BLOWING SHIT. TAKE PRECAUTIONS THAT WILL PERMIT ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APPROPRIATE STATE OF READINESS.

SALSA NIGHT AND THE DAVE ATELL / CLEVELAND BROWNS CHEERLEADERS (THE BROWNEYES) USO SHOW ARE MOVED TO HANGARS 4 AND 6 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OF JOURNALISTS REPORTING BOWE BERGDAHL AS AN AMERICAN HERO IS EXPECTED TO CRASH INTO A POWERFUL STORM OF SOLDIERS WHO SERVED WITH HIM AND CALL HIM A DESERTER AND TALIBAN COLLABORATOR.

FECAL MATTER IS EXPECTED TO ECLIPSE ALL OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES, THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION DEBACLE, THE ONGOING WAR ON TERROR, F-35 ACQUISITION, OUTED CIA CHIEFS, IRS SCANDALS, ABANDONED DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS, PENDING ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, AND ANY MENTION OF FALLEN SOLDIERS OR DEAD VETERANS.

TAKE COVER. THIS IS A WARNING. TAKE COVER NOW.

Courtesy of the DuffleBlog.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy   2014-06-05 08:50  

#12  Written by someone who has absolutely no comprehension of the military culture, as distinct as any color, race or creed. You don't not fight and die for mom, apple pie, or the flag (BTW, mom's getting a government funded sex change operation, the label on the apple pie lists apples as one percent of content, and the flag is imported from China). You fight and die for each other. You have each others back. Your lives depend upon that. The toad's action was a betrayal of that fundamental trust. It's a concept as alien as the dark side of the moon to the author of this tripe.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2014-06-05 08:00  

#11  'War Is Boring' seems to lean towards this mindset. They act 'strategically misinformed".
Posted by: ed in texas   2014-06-05 07:20  

#10  Obean depends on these kinds of people.
Posted by: gorb   2014-06-05 06:53  

#9  It was not Bowe who killed them; it was those damn guns. Guns are the real killers I hear it everyday on the news.
Posted by: Airandee   2014-06-05 06:45  

#8  TheyÂ’re wrong. And shame on them for heaping scorn on a man who undoubtedly has suffered enough for any crime he may have committed.

"He has suffered enough," a theme, which will no doubt be heard often in the coming months. In other words, 'credit for time served.'

Some of the deepest raids and prisoner snatches into enemy held territory in the history of military operations resulted in very few friendly casualties. Son Tay, Cassinga, Entebbe, Abbattabad, are some examples.

If U.S. SOF knew where Bergdahl was and did not go get him, there was a reason, and that reason was not the fear of casualties.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-06-05 05:59  

#7  How many died capturing the 5 taliban that got released? Those should also be added to the count.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2014-06-05 05:19  

#6  What a pile of disingenuous shit. I suppose this guy things our Ambassador wasn't murdered because he would have died of smoke inhalation anyway.

1. BF Bergdahl deserts.
2. Immediately they send out high risk patrols WITHOUT the usual prep and support, due to urgency, taking far more risks due to our personnel needing rescue.
3. Said personnel are wounded and some die.

The moron writing this has no conception of field operations and the difference between planned patrols and ops, and urgent contingency actions - the risks are FAR different. Someone please post that douchebags military experience.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-06-05 02:08  

#5  Wow! Its TRUE! Its on the internet! Not everyone can have a blog ya know... This garbage should be linked to the Russian Troll's post. Seems to be the same crap different day
Posted by: AnyoneCanBlog   2014-06-05 01:40  

#4  Yeah. I'm kind of impressed that anyone is willing to say something that stupid in public.
Posted by: SteveS   2014-06-05 01:35  

#3  This guy is suffering from the same logic delusion that Hillary Clinton is. Unbelievable this guy is in print.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2014-06-05 01:16  

#2  Speaking as your Actuarial Advisor, all those guys would have died eventually, so no harm, no foul, right?

Posted by: SteveS   2014-06-05 00:44  

#1  Depends on what you mean by "if".~
Posted by: Squinty   2014-06-05 00:22  

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