President Obama promised change, but this is ridiculous. In the past week, the White House has offered up so many different versions of the trade for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl that the narrative would baffle Escher. So far, the administration has deployed at least a dozen different, often discredited, arguments.
President Obama proudly announced on May 31: “This morning, I called Bob and Jani Bergdahl and told them that after nearly five years in captivity, their son, Bowe, is coming home.”
That appeared to be the only clear-cut statement of the week. He told Americans the terrorists wouldn’t harm anyone. “The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security.”
Obama also noted in that same address that Afghanistan had been helpful. “I also want to express gratitude to the Afghan government, which has always supported our efforts to secure Bowe’s release.”
But even the Times shot that claim to Hades on the first day. “A Western official in Kabul said the Afghan government was not told ahead of time that the Taliban were going to hand over Sergeant Bergdahl or that the release of prisoners from Guantánamo Bay was proceeding, though the Afghans were broadly aware that the talks had been rekindled,” wrote Eric Schmitt and Charlie Savage.
In that story, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel also admitted the administration hadn’t notified Congress as it is required to do. He added that, “we needed to get him out of there essentially to save his life.”
That day began what you might call The Great Unraveling of almost every single administration statement on the trade.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014...e-narrative-changes-radically-in-just-7-days/
President Obama proudly announced on May 31: “This morning, I called Bob and Jani Bergdahl and told them that after nearly five years in captivity, their son, Bowe, is coming home.”
That appeared to be the only clear-cut statement of the week. He told Americans the terrorists wouldn’t harm anyone. “The Qatari government has given us assurances that it will put in place measures to protect our national security.”
Obama also noted in that same address that Afghanistan had been helpful. “I also want to express gratitude to the Afghan government, which has always supported our efforts to secure Bowe’s release.”
But even the Times shot that claim to Hades on the first day. “A Western official in Kabul said the Afghan government was not told ahead of time that the Taliban were going to hand over Sergeant Bergdahl or that the release of prisoners from Guantánamo Bay was proceeding, though the Afghans were broadly aware that the talks had been rekindled,” wrote Eric Schmitt and Charlie Savage.
In that story, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel also admitted the administration hadn’t notified Congress as it is required to do. He added that, “we needed to get him out of there essentially to save his life.”
That day began what you might call The Great Unraveling of almost every single administration statement on the trade.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014...e-narrative-changes-radically-in-just-7-days/
