President Obama Defends Bowe Bergdahl Swap For Five Taliban Military Leaders

Obama Defends Decision To Trade 5 Guantanamo Detainees For Bergdahl -- Washington Post

WARSAW — President Obama on Tuesday strongly defended his administration’s decision to return five detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to the Taliban in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after five years of captivity, though he acknowledged that some of the released detainees could once again try to harm the United States.

“We have consulted with Congress for quite some time about the possibility that we might need to execute a prisoner exchange in order to recover Bergdahl,” Obama said on a trip to Poland to discuss Eastern European security. “We saw an opportunity, and we were concerned about Bergdahl’s health. We had the cooperation of the Qataris to execute an exchange and we seized that opportunity.” He added that “the process was truncated because we wanted to make sure we would not miss that window.”

Amid mounting congressional criticism about the operation, Obama said both the United States and authorities in the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar, who helped organize the trade, would closely monitor the released Guantanamo detainees.

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More News On President Obama Defending His Decision To Swap Bowe Bergdahl For Five Taliban Military Leaders

Obama defends Bergdahl deal — ‘We seized that opportunity’ -- Washington Times
Obama defends Bergdahl release -- USA Today
Obama defends deal to free Bergdahl -- The Hill
Obama on Bergdahl deal: ‘Regardless of the circumstances... we still get an American soldier back’ -- New York Daily News
Obama: Time was short to bring Bergdahl home -- CBS
Obama says 'absolutely' a risk in freeing Taliban inmates, but defends Bergdahl swap -- FOX News
Obama: Freeing POW Bowe Bergdahl was ‘the right thing’ -- MSNBC
Obama Defends Bergdahl Prisoner Swap, Says Congress Was Consulted -- NBC

My Comment: The White House is now realizing the political liability of this story .... hence the President's statement today. My analysis .... he just added gas to the fire.