MSNBCâs Chris Matthews Deeply Skeptical Of Taliban Prisoner Swap
MSBNC host Chris Matthews became the first on his network to express the slightest bit of skepticism over the Obama administrationâs deal to trade Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantanamo Bay, with Matthews repeatedly questioning the wisdom of trading an âAWOLâ and possibly treasonous soldier for terrorist mass murderers.
Matthews opened his program Monday with a deeply suspicious look into Bergdahlâs statements and actions before he went inexplicably missing from his post in the summer of 2009.
In particular, the MSNBC host highlighted portions of a piece by late Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings, which revealed that Bergdahl repeatedly disparaged the U.S. military, said he was âashamed to be an Americanâ and talked of simply âwalk[ing] off into the mountains of Pakistan.â
He also singled out as âcrypticâ a statement by Bergdahlâs father claiming he was âproud of how much you wanted to help the Afghan people, and what [Bergdahl] was willing to do to go to that length.â
âDo you have any idea what he meant there?â Matthews asked The Daily Beastâs Kim Dozier. âDid he mean sort of leaving his post, leaving his rifle and uniform behind, heading off in the direction of Pakistan, being picked up by the Taliban? What did he mean âhelping the Afghan peopleâ and that process? I donât quite get that.â
âIs that the Afghan people they mean?â Matthews continued, questioning whether Bergdahl was in fact moving to join or work with the Taliban when he was captured.
Dozier let that question hang, but spoke forcefully for the prisoner swap. âIn terms of why you rescue him, he was a U.S. soldier in uniform ââ
âNo he wasnât in uniform, he left the uniform behind,â Matthews interrupted.
âHe was a serving U.S. soldier ââ Dozier tried again.
âBut he left his post and he said â this is what I donât understand,â Matthews continued. âWas he AWOL? And if not, why not? Why didnât they declare him AWOL?â
Matthews also expressed profound skepticism over the idea that this trade might be a prelude to a peace deal with the Taliban, after Dozier said this could âpossibly kick off reconciliation talksâ with the Taliban.
âI just wonder what that could possibly â women have to now be covered up, their faces have to be covered up, no more movies over there, they blow up buddhas again,â he said, wondering what would happen if the Taliban gets power. âAre we going back to crazy Taliban behavior? . . . What kind of deal are we striking with these people?â
Liberal columnist and Marine Corps veteran Goldie Taylor was also grilled by Matthews. âDoes this make sense?â he asked.
âI think it makes sense to me, because you know, in my mind, as a former Marine, we leave no man behind. We donât qualify that ââ
âBut didnât he leave his unit behind?â Matthews countered. âHe left his uniform behind, he left his rifle behind and he told people if he didnât like the mission he was headed to Pakistan. What was he doing?â
http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/02/m...tical-of-taliban-prisoner-swap/#ixzz33bxh4mXp
MSBNC host Chris Matthews became the first on his network to express the slightest bit of skepticism over the Obama administrationâs deal to trade Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantanamo Bay, with Matthews repeatedly questioning the wisdom of trading an âAWOLâ and possibly treasonous soldier for terrorist mass murderers.
Matthews opened his program Monday with a deeply suspicious look into Bergdahlâs statements and actions before he went inexplicably missing from his post in the summer of 2009.
In particular, the MSNBC host highlighted portions of a piece by late Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings, which revealed that Bergdahl repeatedly disparaged the U.S. military, said he was âashamed to be an Americanâ and talked of simply âwalk[ing] off into the mountains of Pakistan.â
He also singled out as âcrypticâ a statement by Bergdahlâs father claiming he was âproud of how much you wanted to help the Afghan people, and what [Bergdahl] was willing to do to go to that length.â
âDo you have any idea what he meant there?â Matthews asked The Daily Beastâs Kim Dozier. âDid he mean sort of leaving his post, leaving his rifle and uniform behind, heading off in the direction of Pakistan, being picked up by the Taliban? What did he mean âhelping the Afghan peopleâ and that process? I donât quite get that.â
âIs that the Afghan people they mean?â Matthews continued, questioning whether Bergdahl was in fact moving to join or work with the Taliban when he was captured.
Dozier let that question hang, but spoke forcefully for the prisoner swap. âIn terms of why you rescue him, he was a U.S. soldier in uniform ââ
âNo he wasnât in uniform, he left the uniform behind,â Matthews interrupted.
âHe was a serving U.S. soldier ââ Dozier tried again.
âBut he left his post and he said â this is what I donât understand,â Matthews continued. âWas he AWOL? And if not, why not? Why didnât they declare him AWOL?â
Matthews also expressed profound skepticism over the idea that this trade might be a prelude to a peace deal with the Taliban, after Dozier said this could âpossibly kick off reconciliation talksâ with the Taliban.
âI just wonder what that could possibly â women have to now be covered up, their faces have to be covered up, no more movies over there, they blow up buddhas again,â he said, wondering what would happen if the Taliban gets power. âAre we going back to crazy Taliban behavior? . . . What kind of deal are we striking with these people?â
Liberal columnist and Marine Corps veteran Goldie Taylor was also grilled by Matthews. âDoes this make sense?â he asked.
âI think it makes sense to me, because you know, in my mind, as a former Marine, we leave no man behind. We donât qualify that ââ
âBut didnât he leave his unit behind?â Matthews countered. âHe left his uniform behind, he left his rifle behind and he told people if he didnât like the mission he was headed to Pakistan. What was he doing?â
http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/02/m...tical-of-taliban-prisoner-swap/#ixzz33bxh4mXp