Well, well, well...
Again, I wanted to wait to "contribute" on this issue until the sensationalized media settled down a bit. The media is totally addressing the wrong issues surrounding the Bowe Bergdahl/Taliban prisoner exchange.
The right wing is saying we shouldn't negotiate with terrorists, which is wrong in my opinion and I'll explain why later.
The left is saying that it is our duty to bring all service members home from a war we sent them to, which I agree with, and actually it is already precedent. However, the Obama Administration did several things wrong in this instance:
1. Trading top level commanders for a low level enlisted soldier.
2. Not giving Congress the agreed upon 30 days notice laid out in last years reauthorization of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act).
3. They used the word "hero" to refer to Bowe Bergdahl.
So back to the point of negotiating with terrorists. First let's refer to our old friend Merriam Webster to define terrorist:
Terrorist - an individual who uses acts of violence and intimidation to frighten people as a way to achieve a political goal.
If you agree with that definition, then the Nazis were terrorists, the Asad regime is operated by terrorists, Saddam Hussein was a terrorist, and the list could go on and on. So the first point is that we have negotiated with terrorists in the past. The second point (the more important one) is that we should negotiate with terrorist if we hope to actually influence change and not just continue armed conflict.
Believe me, as a former Marine, I'm the first person who gets riled up and likes to resort to American military might against the "bad guys." But that course of action rarely achieves desirable outcomes, as we've seen with Iraq and Afghanistan.
Just to drive the nail home, Muqtada al-Sadr was the leader of an extremely violent and effective terrorist group in Iraq. Now he is the leader of a political party holding seats in Iraq's parliament and has vowed to use the political system to achieve his goals rather than violence. I see this as a good thing. Again, this happened because we negotiated with him and brought him to the table rather than forcing him to operate outside the system.
So hopefully I've made the case for negotiating with terrorists. However, that doesn't mean we should engage in bad negotiations with them. To expound on my earlier points about what the Obama Administration did wrong:
1. Look at the trade from a different perspective:
- Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa (former governor of Taliban held region) would be like Jeb Bush
- Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban Army's Chief of Staff) would be like U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Odierno
- Mullah Norullah Noori (former Governor of Taliban controlled region) would be like Mitt Romney
-Abdul Haq Wasiq (Deputy Chief of Taliban's Intelligence Service) would be like Deputy Director of the CIA, Michael J. Morell
-Mohammad Nabi Omari (Taliban Communications Chief) would be like Jay Carney (Former White House Press Secretary)
So do you think if the Taliban had the aforementioned American personnel held in one of their prisons and we had a low level guy like Bowe Bergdahl, that they would trade? I'd bet not.
2. Giving Congress the required 30 days notice:
This is pretty self explanatory. This country is supposedly governed by the rule of law. If our leaders don't abide by that law, then what good is our system?
3. We are not heroes:
Lately, I have heard complaints by journalists on NPR and other news outlets that accuse Bergdahl's platoon mates of changing the narrative on this story and causing all this bad press by stating that he was a deserter and that several deaths were a direct result of his desertion. They only spoke out because the media was referring to Bergdahl as a hero. If you bother to read most of Bergdahl's platoon mates' opinions and concerns, it was not the actual exchange that bothered them, but that everyone was referring to him as a hero. This points to a larger problem in our society. Military veterans are not heroes. I can say this because I am one. We sign up knowing what we are getting into, and more importantly, what we are getting out of it. People can say they didn't join for the college money or benefits, but you really don't know unless those benefits don't exist. We are paid well, fed well, and housed. On top of all that, if you get the slightest service connected injury, you get a check for the rest of your life from the VA. Oh yeah, that doesn't mention the GI Bill to pay for college and the no money down government backed mortgages we can get. That's just the basic stuff that is known to everyone. The benefits go on and on. So please, stop calling us heroes, especially a guy like Bowe Bergdahl. Even if he didn't desert his post, does it make you a hero to get captured by the enemy?
So in keeping with the theme of the blog, here's the solution:
Yes, negotiate with terrorists. Get them to lay down their arms and pick up their pens and foghorns. However, don't trade pearls for sand. Better yet, don't get our military into unnecessary situations that lead to scenarios like this. And more importantly, if you're the President or Congress, obey the legislative protocols that you signed into law.
Again, this all goes back to our failure as a society to engage our leaders and hold them accountable for their bad policies. Conservatives and Liberals alike continuously reelect bad politicians like John McCain and Harry Reid. I think we should personally have six year terms for every federal political office and that only one term should be allowed. Every six years, you'd get a completely new roster. Imagine what that would do for special interests.
So I hope you all decide to think critically when taking your stance on the Bowe Bergdahl/Taliban prisoner exchange. We do owe it to our soldiers to bring them home; however, it doesn't mean we have to do it stupidly. Furthermore, just being a service member doesn't make you a hero.
Until next time, stay conscious my friends.
Semper Fi,
Chris Bentley
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