The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: mystery-ak on June 11, 2014, 01:32:25 pm
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http://www.c-span.org/video/?319849-1/secretary-hagel-bergdahl-prisoner-exchange (http://www.c-span.org/video/?319849-1/secretary-hagel-bergdahl-prisoner-exchange)
June 11, 2014
U.S.-Taliban Prisoner Exchange
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Defense Department General Counsel Stephen Preston testify on the release of five Taliban detainees in exchange for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.
This program has not yet aired
Airing LIVE Wednesday 10:00am EDT on C-SPAN
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Following the hearing online, and so far they have not progressed pass opening statements.
Chuckie looks like he had his usual Bloody Mary breakfast......
:smokin:
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Hagel is reading his opening statement now
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Adam Smith (D. Wash) is the ranking member, and his remarks make it clear that he does not understand the difference between a criminal and an enemy combatant. They are in Guantanamo for good reason, perhaps confusing to Democrats but only by choice. There is nothing wrong with holding enemy combatants who we have been fighting in the field.
The Taliban is the enemy. The goal was to remove them from power in Afghanistan, and that has somehow morphed into a willingness to negotiate with some part of the Taliban, "we aren't sure which ones", in order to end the war in Afghanistan, not win it. Emptying Guantanamo Bay of the worst of the worst prisoners, like the Taliban Dream Team, make it much easier to deal with the less dangerous prisoner.
Chuckie is making his opening statement now.
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Hagel..Obama made final decision...lol
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Sounds like Hagel is claiming that the whole deal only came together in a couple of hours, and that's why the Congress was not informed.
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Byron York @ByronYork 14s
Hagel: Obama 'made the final decision' in Bergdahl case, 'with the full support of his national security team.'
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Hagel..Obama made final decision...lol
Oh my....I have to go out for a walk will return and check up on this thread.
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..says no charges pending now on Bergdahl
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Sounds like Hagel is claiming that the whole deal only came together in a couple of hours, and that's why the Congress was not informed.
that's when they'd got up enough "dutch courage" to go ahead and do it.
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Hagel: “I have been offended and disappointed by how the Bergdahl family has been treated by some…”
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Here we go....anyone who has criticized this affair should be ashamed of themselves and ought to examine their own conduct....
:smokin:
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I would love it if Leon Panetta were to appear before this committee and testify about what he thinks of this affair.
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 26s
Chuck Hagel is sounding awfully dramatic. He’s almost convinced me already it is wise that they released 5 Osama bin Ladens.
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Hagel: We received a warning from the Qataris that risks to Bergdahl's safety were growing
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Kara Rowland @kararowland 16s
Hagel: The US agreed to the "mechanics of the exchange" on May 27.
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Chuck Woolery @chuckwoolery 50s
Taliban, Taliban. Chuck Hagel knows that the Taliban did not hold Bergdah.
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 34s
Shorter Hagel: “We were concerned that ANY delay could jeopardize our pre-meditated plan to release the 5 OBLs on our path to closing Gitmo"
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repeating that it was the President's decision..which he supported
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He's talking about warnings that came through "Qatari intermediaries" about Ibn Bob Bowe al Ameriki's "declining health" that told the Administration that "time was not on our side".
For starters, Qatar has been acting as frontman for most Islamic terrorist groups around the world, especially the Taliban. They are crafty, they knew that the Obama Administration was anxious to close Gitmo, and they arranged the bait on this deal in such a way as to make it irresistible to an amateur infidel President and his teenage infidel aids and women who surround him.
Obama was played like a cheap instrument by Qatar.
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What peril Chuck?? Gonna shoot missiles at 'em from drones??
Besides, Bush released more Gitmo detainees than Obama ever did......
:smokin:
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I wondered if I heard that right
Byron York @ByronYork 44s
Hagel: The 5 Taliban 'have not been implicated in any attacks against the United States.'
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Hagel: if the Taliban 5 “return to the fight, they will do so at their own peril.”
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The Taliban should award this moron a frickin' medal...
:smokin:
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Shannon Bream @ShannonBream 39s
Hagel says: President and I wouldn't have moved forward if we didn't believe we were acting lawfully and in best interest of US.
lmao :silly:
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Hagel: if the Taliban 5 “return to the fight, they will do so at their own peril.”
yah...I'm sure Qatar won't have a problem if the Drone Ranger comes after these five if they misbehave......
:smokin:
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* * *
Obama was played like a cheap instrument by Qatar.
that seems to be becoming the norm in how the rest of the world relates to Obama. Putin has certainly played Obama like an entire orchestra of cheap instruments.
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The Taliban should award this moron a frickin' medal...
:smokin:
...no shit!
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Now Chuckie is leaning on all his experience in Vietnam in 1968...
:smokin:
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John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz 2m
I think the questioning of Hagel is going to be unpleasant
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"War is a dirty business".......no shit sherlock!
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..he's kind of rambling now...repeating himself...
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OK....I've heard all I can stands, I can't stands no more....
Got things to do and gotta go. Special Report should be fascinating to watch this afternoon and a great source for analysis....
Ciao...
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Hagel is not a smart man...jmho
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Shannon Bream @ShannonBream 6s
Hagel says: I have always been completely transparent and straightforward - and will continue to do that with all my responsibilities.
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Hagel is not a smart man...jmho
considering that the head of the snake - Obama - is abysmally stupid, this simply stands to reason.
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Shannon Bream @ShannonBream 6s
Hagel says: I have always been completely transparent and straightforward - and will continue to do that with all my responsibilities.
so transparent and straightforward that he fully informed Congress of the deal as required by law - oh, wait, he didn't, and neither did his boss. I don't think those words mean what he thinks they mean.
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Stephen Hayes @stephenfhayes 6m
Hagel sticking w/language that risk from freed Taliban "substantially mitigated." Hillary Clinton says "not a threat." She's out on a limb.
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1st response out of the gate: thank you for clarifying that Obama, the CIC, made the decision to transfer
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1st response out of the gate: thank you for clarifying that Obama, the CIC, made the decision to transfer
ouch!
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Shannon Bream @ShannonBream 3m
McKeon to Hagel - We were told months ago if you started up these Taliban negotiations again we would be notified, we weren't.
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http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/hagel-throws-obama-under-bus-over-bergdahl/ (http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/hagel-throws-obama-under-bus-over-bergdahl/)
Hagel throws Obama under bus over Bergdahl
White House tried to pin swap scandal on Defense chief
Published: 29 mins ago
WASHINGTON –Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel apparently isn’t going to let the Obama administration throw him under the bus in the Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl scandal. In fact, you could say just the opposite.
In his opening statement this morning at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Hagel made a point of saying it was President Obama “who made the final decision” to swap Bergdahl for five top Taliban leaders, with the full support of his national security team.
continued
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http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/hagel-throws-obama-under-bus-over-bergdahl/ (http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/hagel-throws-obama-under-bus-over-bergdahl/)
Hagel throws Obama under bus over Bergdahl
White House tried to pin swap scandal on Defense chief
Published: 29 mins ago
WASHINGTON –Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel apparently isn’t going to let the Obama administration throw him under the bus in the Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl scandal. In fact, you could say just the opposite.
In his opening statement this morning at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Hagel made a point of saying it was President Obama “who made the final decision” to swap Bergdahl for five top Taliban leaders, with the full support of his national security team.
continued
Another amusing little quote from Hagel, courtesy of the article:
Hagel also told the committee, “President Obama received a personal commitment in a personal telephone call from the emir of Qatar to uphold and enforce the security arrangements and a final decision was made to move forward with that exchange on that day.”
I.e., the fox gave his personal word to the farmer that he wouldn't harm a single feather on a single chicken if the farmer let him guard the hen house.
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Hagel doesn't want to verify WHO was actually holding Bergdahl. States he will discuss the report in closed hearing.
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Byron York @ByronYork 1m
Hagel: 'The Haqqani network did have [Bergdahl] through periods of time. Over a five year period, he was moved around.'
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Stephen Hayes @stephenfhayes 1m
Hagel says we didn't negotiate w/terrorists b/c while Haqqanis held #Bergdahl, we negotiated w/Qataris, who represented Taliban.
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I am back from my walk. thanks for updating this thread you all!
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 3m
What’s with the calmness? Are our elected representatives that out of touch? Have they lost their outrage meters? Do they give a “damn?"
Yep...there is absolutely no outrage by anyone here...what a waste of time...
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 3m
What’s with the calmness? Are our elected representatives that out of touch? Have they lost their outrage meters? Do they give a “damn?"
Yep...there is absolutely no outrage by anyone here...what a waste of time...
sadly i agree
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Hagel: We've always supported a reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We have?
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This hearing is nothing that I imagined it would be......no fireworks..everyone seems very complacent
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John Hudson @John_Hudson 6m
Shorter Hagel: deal could’ve been worse. “They wanted all the Taliban detainees at one point. And we said no”
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Hagel: We've always supported a reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We have?
Now that there is some revisionist history of the highest order!! lol
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 57s
This hearing is a perfect example of why GOP has electoral trouble. They can’t even draw contrasts when the president has done THIS?
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Byron York @ByronYork 44s
Hagel: 'I have seen no evidence that directly links any American combat death to the rescue or finding or search for Sgt. Bergdahl.'
I guess getting killed looking for Bergdahl doesn't count
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HUH!
Stephen Hayes @stephenfhayes 1m
Hagel: "He was not a hostage, he was a prisoner of war." But held not by a government but Haqqani network, which USG designated terrorists?
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Byron York @ByronYork 12s
Hagel using word 'direct' a lot. Taliban 5 had no 'direct' ties to 'direct' attacks on US; no 'direct' link btwn US deaths & Bergdahl search
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Stephen Hayes @stephenfhayes 1m
Hagel says we didn't negotiate w/terrorists b/c while Haqqanis held #Bergdahl, we negotiated w/Qataris, who represented Taliban.
Huh? I guess it all depends on what "is" is. If you negotiate with someone who represents a terrorist, then you are negotiating with a terrorist.
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Hagel admits they didn't make an assessment about how many Americans would need to be put at risks to recapture the released terrorists.
Hagel admits they didn't even consider dangers of having to recapture the Taliban. Isn't that one of the requirements for release?
Byron York @ByronYork 34s
Hagel, again: 'I have no direct evidence' US lives were lost in Bergdahl search.
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Byron York @ByronYork 12s
Hagel using word 'direct' a lot. Taliban 5 had no 'direct' ties to 'direct' attacks on US; no 'direct' link btwn US deaths & Bergdahl search
His coaches succeeded in getting that lesson across to Chuck!!
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No surprise here Democrats, on this committee and as a whole, seem to support Obama even against standing law
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Hagel says he doesn't know if we've made other POW trades with the Taliban. That's not something you'd expect the SecDef to know, right?
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Finally a decent question'
Shannon Bream @ShannonBream 44s
Miller to Hagel: You keep saying we can't get the facts until Bergdahl returns home. Can't you go to Landstuhl?
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Byron York @ByronYork 45s
Rep. Miller: Why hasn't he been returned to the United States? Hagel: Our medical professionals don't believe he's ready to come to US.
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Hagel: We've always supported a reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We have?
Yeah really....who is this WE?
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John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz 25s
God, I hate Congressional hearings. One idiot takes over the proceedings and the whole thing goes phlooey.
Adam Baldwin @AdamBaldwin 59s
Hagel: “Bergdahl is being held in Gemany because doctors won’t let him leave.”
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John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz 25s
God, I hate Congressional hearings. One idiot takes over the proceedings and the whole thing goes phlooey.
Adam Baldwin @AdamBaldwin 59s
Hagel: “Bergdahl is being held in Gemany because doctors won’t let him leave.”
Is that the same Adam Baldwin of the Baldwin family?
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David Limbaugh @DavidLimbaugh 2m
Sure, Chuck, get indignant now. It’s your right. The people have no standing in Obama’s America. We’re sorry to have questioned you.
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Is that the same Adam Baldwin of the Baldwin family?
no relation
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no relation
OK
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Hagel: No one realizes that (homeland at risk) more than the SecDef.....
Wilson: Well please act that way, my goodness!!
lol
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Byron York @ByronYork 12s
Hagel using word 'direct' a lot. Taliban 5 had no 'direct' ties to 'direct' attacks on US; no 'direct' link btwn US deaths & Bergdahl search
Who cares? Even indirect - but a consequence thereof - is enough of a connection for most rational people, isn't it?
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Who cares? Even indirect - but a consequence thereof - is enough of a connection for most rational people, isn't it?
I guess the internal polling told them that word was great to use!