President Barack Obama has some people up in arms, mostly Republicans, over his release of five high ranking members of the Taliban in exchange for the freedom of hostage Army Sgt. Bergdahl. The golden rule in America, or shall I say the alleged golden rule, is that the United States does not negotiate with terrorists. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to figure out that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Iran-Contra, anyone? The Bush administration worked with Sunni insurgents. Even Bill Clinton met with the political leader of the IRA, Gerry Adams, in the 1990’s. It’s not always a negative thing. By no means am I saying that ransoms should be paid out left and right, which is essentially the United States helping to fund terrorist activity but there are times where negotiations are necessary. Obama is defending himself, something he shouldn’t have to in this situation, by saying that Bergdahl was a prisoner of war, which he clearly was given that he was in a warzone. That means that Obama was simply following protocol as countries have often done whatever it takes, including negotiating with terrorists, to ensure the safety of their soldiers. Also, call me naïve, but I’m sure the Obama administration looked at every angle of the situation and I’m pretty certain that these five winners who were released aren’t exactly in the upper echelon of the Taliban because they’re the most brilliant terrorist masterminds. If they were an immediate threat, they would have never left Guantanamo. Negotiations, even with terrorists, showcase the more human side of politics. Nobody, from a plumber to a 4 Star General, could say what they would truly do until it was a family member of theirs being held hostage. President Obama did the right thing in this situation. There was no need to lose another American life when there was a solution present.
Article By: Jon DaBove
