Bowe Bergdahl and America

If I were Bowe Bergdahl’s father, I would want him back no matter what.
I can also understand how the stress and horror of war could cause Bowe Bergdahl to “walk away” or whatever happened.

But most soldiers didn’t walk away, they did their job and in the process thousands died and many more were seriously wounded forever changing their lives and the lives of their families.

The argument that at the end of a war it is normal to exchange prisoners is being used by the administration as justification for its actions. But this is not the end of a war. There is no surrender by one party, no truce, no peace; just America walking away to leave Afghanistan on its own to continue the fight against the Taliban which now may very well include the five terrorists released by the United States.

Also, at the end of a war, the criminals of that war are not released. Those responsible for atrocities, especially on civilians, are not released or exchanged, they are tried, jailed or executed. If you don’t believe me, visit the museum in Nuremberg, Germany.

We can debate endlessly the pros and cons of American involvement in this war, and the merits of simply withdrawing, but we must assure that those who sacrificed so much did not do so for nothing simply because Americans became tired of Afghanistan. If Afghanistan deteriorates when we are gone, hasn’t our military merely sacrificed for another Vietnam? It’s hard to see how releasing terrorists does not contribute to that end.