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Last soldier held captive in Afghanistan released.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:13 pm
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:13 pm
Once he was on an American helicopter, Bergdahl, 28, used a paper plate to communicate because of the noise. He wrote, "SF?" meaning, "special forces?"
One of the operators sitting with Bergdahl responded loudly: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time," according to the official.
Bergdahl broke down crying.
Parents 'cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son'
Held captive for nearly five years -- welcome home.
One of the operators sitting with Bergdahl responded loudly: "Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time," according to the official.
Bergdahl broke down crying.
Parents 'cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son'
Held captive for nearly five years -- welcome home.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:15 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
The cost was too high for him.
Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban army chief of staff): Fazl is “wanted by the UN for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shiites.” Fazl “was associated with terrorist groups currently opposing U.S. and Coalition forces including al Qaeda, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), and an Anti-Coalition Militia group known as Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami.” In addition to being one of the Taliban’s most experienced military commanders, Fazl worked closely with a top al Qaeda commander named Abdul Hadi al Iraqi, who headed al Qaeda’s main fighting unit in Afghanistan prior to 9/11 and is currently detained at Guantanamo.
Mullah Norullah Noori (senior Taliban military commander): Like Fazl, Noori is “wanted by the United Nations (UN) for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shiite Muslims.” Beginning in the mid-1990s, Noori “fought alongside al Qaeda as a Taliban military general, against the Northern alliance.” He continued to work closely with al Qaeda in the years that followed.
Abdul Haq Wasiq (Taliban deputy minister of intelligence): Wasiq arranged for al Qaeda members to provide crucial intelligence training prior to 9/11. The training was headed by Hamza Zubayr, an al Qaeda instructor who was killed during the same September 2002 raid that netted Ramzi Binalshibh, the point man for the 9/11 operation. Wasiq “was central to the Taliban's efforts to form alliances with other Islamic fundamentalist groups to fight alongside the Taliban against U.S. and Coalition forces after the 11 September 2001 attacks,” according to a leaked JTF-GTMO threat assessment.
Khairullah Khairkhwa (Taliban governor of the Herat province and former interior minister): Khairkhwa was the governor of Afghanistan’s westernmost province prior to 9/11. In that capacity, he executed sensitive missions for Mullah Omar, including helping to broker a secret deal with the Iranians. For much of the pre-9/11 period, Iran and the Taliban were bitter foes. But a Taliban delegation that included Kharikhwa helped secure Iran’s support for the Taliban’s efforts against the American-led coalition in late 2001. JTF-GTMO found that Khairkhwa was likely a major drug trafficker and deeply in bed with al Qaeda. He allegedly oversaw one of Osama bin Laden’s training facilities in Herat
Mohammed Nabi (senior Taliban figure and security official): Nabi “was a senior Taliban official who served in multiple leadership roles.” Nabi “had strong operational ties to Anti-Coalition Militia (ACM) groups including al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), some of whom remain active in ACM activities.” Intelligence cited in the JTF-GTMO files indicates that Nabi held weekly meetings with al Qaeda operatives to coordinate attacks against U.S.-led forces
LINK
quote:
A senior U.S. defense official confirmed Saturday that the prisoners to be released include Mullah Mohammad Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Mohammed Nabi Omari
According to a 2008 Pentagon dossier on Guantanamo Bay inmates, all five men released were considered to be a high risk to launch attacks against the United States and its allies if they were liberated
Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban army chief of staff): Fazl is “wanted by the UN for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shiites.” Fazl “was associated with terrorist groups currently opposing U.S. and Coalition forces including al Qaeda, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), and an Anti-Coalition Militia group known as Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami.” In addition to being one of the Taliban’s most experienced military commanders, Fazl worked closely with a top al Qaeda commander named Abdul Hadi al Iraqi, who headed al Qaeda’s main fighting unit in Afghanistan prior to 9/11 and is currently detained at Guantanamo.
Mullah Norullah Noori (senior Taliban military commander): Like Fazl, Noori is “wanted by the United Nations (UN) for possible war crimes including the murder of thousands of Shiite Muslims.” Beginning in the mid-1990s, Noori “fought alongside al Qaeda as a Taliban military general, against the Northern alliance.” He continued to work closely with al Qaeda in the years that followed.
Abdul Haq Wasiq (Taliban deputy minister of intelligence): Wasiq arranged for al Qaeda members to provide crucial intelligence training prior to 9/11. The training was headed by Hamza Zubayr, an al Qaeda instructor who was killed during the same September 2002 raid that netted Ramzi Binalshibh, the point man for the 9/11 operation. Wasiq “was central to the Taliban's efforts to form alliances with other Islamic fundamentalist groups to fight alongside the Taliban against U.S. and Coalition forces after the 11 September 2001 attacks,” according to a leaked JTF-GTMO threat assessment.
Khairullah Khairkhwa (Taliban governor of the Herat province and former interior minister): Khairkhwa was the governor of Afghanistan’s westernmost province prior to 9/11. In that capacity, he executed sensitive missions for Mullah Omar, including helping to broker a secret deal with the Iranians. For much of the pre-9/11 period, Iran and the Taliban were bitter foes. But a Taliban delegation that included Kharikhwa helped secure Iran’s support for the Taliban’s efforts against the American-led coalition in late 2001. JTF-GTMO found that Khairkhwa was likely a major drug trafficker and deeply in bed with al Qaeda. He allegedly oversaw one of Osama bin Laden’s training facilities in Herat
Mohammed Nabi (senior Taliban figure and security official): Nabi “was a senior Taliban official who served in multiple leadership roles.” Nabi “had strong operational ties to Anti-Coalition Militia (ACM) groups including al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), some of whom remain active in ACM activities.” Intelligence cited in the JTF-GTMO files indicates that Nabi held weekly meetings with al Qaeda operatives to coordinate attacks against U.S.-led forces
LINK
This post was edited on 5/31/14 at 5:18 pm
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:18 pm to Alahunter
quote:
The cost was too high for him.
I would have given all of GITMO to get him back since we're going to pull out in the next few years.
Those other dudes will be Predator meat in no time.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:18 pm to Alahunter
Not to mention he deserted his post.
Edit: I should say I'm glad he's back but he will now (or at least should) face a court marshal for desertion. The cost was much too high for this guy. I heard that his desertion also cost a couple of lives as a result of a recovery mission. I can not provide proof for that last part.
Edit: I should say I'm glad he's back but he will now (or at least should) face a court marshal for desertion. The cost was much too high for this guy. I heard that his desertion also cost a couple of lives as a result of a recovery mission. I can not provide proof for that last part.
This post was edited on 5/31/14 at 5:23 pm
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:18 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
May as well go spit on the remains of the 9/11 victims and flip their families the bird. These guys had DIRECT ties to the attack.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:22 pm to Alahunter
quote:
May as well go spit on the remains of the 9/11 victims and flip their families the bird. These guys had DIRECT ties to the attack.
I think that's going a little far. As I said before: I'd trade all of GITMO for one U.S. Soldier -- because we're worth that much more.
If they want to go back to fricking goats in caves for the rest of their lives, worried to take a shite outside because of Predator Drones -- I'm completely content with that.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:24 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
The Pentagon labeled them high risk. They'll be killing more Americans. The one recovered will pale in comparison to the lives that will be lost in the future because of these individuals. I seriously doubt their return will be full of grace and forgiveness for their incarceration at Gitmo. This is a horrible move by the Administration and while I want every American home, it can't be at the kind of cost this is going to end up being. It was a bad decision and people will die as a result of it.
Also, the person in question, who is being returned from a 2009 article:
Also, the person in question, who is being returned from a 2009 article:
quote:
The circumstances of Bergdahl’s capture weren’t clear.
On July 2, two U.S. officials told the AP the soldier had “just walked off” his base with three Afghans after his shift. He had no body armor or weapon and they said they had no explanation for why he left. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
On July 6, the Taliban claimed on their Web site that five days earlier “a drunken American soldier had come out of his garrison” and was captured by mujahadeen.
In the video, Pfc. Bergdahl said he was lagging behind a patrol when he was captured.
This post was edited on 5/31/14 at 5:28 pm
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:37 pm to Alahunter
quote:
On July 2, two U.S. officials told the AP the soldier had “just walked off” his base with three Afghans after his shift. He had no body armor or weapon and they said they had no explanation for why he left. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
This is usually referred to as a kidnapping.
quote:
On July 6, the Taliban claimed on their Web site that five days earlier “a drunken American soldier had come out of his garrison” and was captured by mujahadeen.
And this as propaganda.
They're under a strict "no-travel order", that means leaving Qatar is out of the question (although there are ways around this, I guarantee that they are being watched).
" The release was brokered by the American, Qatar and Afghanistan governments with the Taliban, in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees to be handed over to Qatari custody for at least one year. "
So they're not free, yet.
One year is the amount of time for us to pull out of Afghanistan, which means that they won't be killing Americans unless they come to the States.
Color me unconcerned.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:40 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
You are just completely clueless, aren't you.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:44 pm to Motengator
quote:
You are just completely clueless, aren't you.
Sorry, these five guys will just waltz through the war without trouble and kill hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers.
After that, they'll beachhead at South Carolina, slowly taking the Eastern Front while powering their way to taking the majority of North America.
Seriously, the Taliban has been decimated, we're moving out of Afghanistan and these five guys can do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned. We weren't going to do anything with them anyway -- which is why they were released. All use has been exhausted.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:46 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
quote:
welcome home
This is all that needs to be said
Posted on 5/31/14 at 5:47 pm to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
This is all that needs to be said
Thank ya.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:01 pm to Motengator
quote:
Not to mention he deserted his post.
I've heard this story from too many people to not believe there's some truth to it.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:02 pm to Motengator
quote:
court marshal
*martial. Dipshit.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:04 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
I thought our policy was to never negotiate with Terrorists
I guess I was wrong.
Welcome home anyhow.
I guess I was wrong.
Welcome home anyhow.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:04 pm to KSGamecock
quote:
I've heard this story from too many people to not believe there's some truth to it.
I've checked multiple sources and it doesn't say he deserted it.
It says he was seen with three Afghanis and disappeared...with them.
And he said he was left behind on a march.
Either way, abandonment didn't happen. Unless it was by his unit.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:07 pm to dawgfan1979
quote:
I thought our policy was to never negotiate with Terrorists
I guess I was wrong.
Welcome home anyhow.
Far from the first time -- won't be the last time.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:08 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
You're absolutely right to believe and depend on what you can actually verify. I'm not asking you to believe that he deserted.
I don't know why I posted that, it was just an inner thought. Not trying to start shite.
I don't know why I posted that, it was just an inner thought. Not trying to start shite.
Posted on 5/31/14 at 6:09 pm to KSGamecock
quote:
I don't know why I posted that, it was just an inner thought. Not trying to start shite.
*thumps chest* Goddamn right.
Jest aside I totally know what you mean man, but once the echo chamber gets started it's hard to stop.
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