Negotiating With The Taliban.

[CountDeMoney]

Harry Reid knew about the deal on Friday.  As far as I'm concerned, Congressional Leadership notification: satisfied.

In what world do you live where one day equals thirty days?

The world where the Commander-in-Chief has a good and compelling reason to act in his capacity in regards to time-sensitive issues of national security involvimg the armed forces.  You know, just like the last President.

[KRonn]

Harry Reid knew about the deal on Friday.  As far as I'm concerned, Congressional Leadership notification: satisfied.

I'm not so concerned about this stuff but that's not the law. And I also don't think we can take the administration at their word of saying they broke Federal law in bypassing Congress because they had a short time window. These negoations must take a long time so I'd think there's plenty of time to inform Congress. The President is reported to have wanted this for a long time but was dissuaded by Intel officials. So there had to be plenty of time to follow the law, but the bigger point is about releasing these guys at all.

Does anyone think that the Pentagon and Intelligence officials were in favor of releasing these five Talibanistas from Gitmo? They were described as the worst of the worst.  Wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the UN and/or internationally.  Remember what the Taliban were doing when they were in power. Now they'll be free to do as they want within Qatar, living a life of luxury as martyrs. Later they'll be free to return to Afghanistan in a year (or less?) if they choose to and likely assume some of their leadership roles to bolster the Taliban.

[CountDeMoney]

Previous negotiations had suffered from leaks and more leaks, from the Pentagon to the Karzai government, blowing negotiations apart time and again.  I can appreciate the Administration's resistance to letting every assclown on the Hill an opportunity to spill the beans, because we all know how sensitive they are to operational security.

But think of it this way, now they have something else othet than Benghazi to bitch about.

[Eddie Teach]

If they're Taliban rather than AQ, then most of their time prior to capture was spent thinking of ways to fuck up Afghanistan and not the US. Something to keep in mind.

[Jacob]

Does anyone think that the Pentagon and Intelligence officials were in favor of releasing these five Talibanistas from Gitmo? They were described as the worst of the worst.  Wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the UN and/or internationally.  Remember what the Taliban were doing when they were in power. Now they'll be free to do as they want within Qatar, living a life of luxury as martyrs. Later they'll be free to return to Afghanistan in a year (or less?) if they choose to and likely assume some of their leadership roles to bolster the Taliban.

Seems like reasonable way out of holding onto them extrajudicially, no?

But even if you're fine with the status quo in Gitmo, prisoner exchanges are a thing that happens, and usually you are not fond of the people you keep imprisoned. Are you suggesting that the administration should have try to release someone less terrible in exchange? So the flaw is that they didn't negotiate hard enough? Or are you suggesting that prisoner exchanges shouldn't be engaged in at all?

[derspiess]

Dude, you get worked up if the first lady is wearing a short sleeves.

I can't control myself.  Her arms are too fabulous.

[CountDeMoney]

If they're Taliban rather than AQ, then most of their time prior to capture was spent thinking of ways to fuck up Afghanistan and not the US. Something to keep in mind.

Right;  from what I've read they're more political actors than Kalid Sheikh Mohammed.  And whether we like it or not, the Taliban has to be dealt with as a political entity re: Afghanistan's future.  The opportunity to eradicate them was pissed away years ago, and now they're here to stay.

[Valmy]

Dude, you get worked up if the first lady is wearing a short sleeves.

I can't control myself.  Her arms are too fabulous.

Odd I figured you would be more worked up about her sartorial excellence and wonder where she bought her shirt.

[Valmy]

If they're Taliban rather than AQ, then most of their time prior to capture was spent thinking of ways to fuck up Afghanistan and not the US. Something to keep in mind.

Right;  from what I've read they're more political actors than Kalid Sheikh Mohammed.  And whether we like it or not, the Taliban has to be dealt with as a political entity re: Afghanistan's future.  The opportunity to eradicate them was pissed away years ago, and now they're here to stay.

What was that opportunity?  Bloody conquest of Pakistan?

[derspiess]

If they're Taliban rather than AQ, then most of their time prior to capture was spent thinking of ways to fuck up Afghanistan and not the US. Something to keep in mind.

Right;  from what I've read they're more political actors than Kalid Sheikh Mohammed.  And whether we like it or not, the Taliban has to be dealt with as a political entity re: Afghanistan's future.  The opportunity to eradicate them was pissed away years ago, and now they're here to stay.

A couple of them are wanted by the UN for war crimes for alleged murder of thousands.  But they're just politicians, so we can let them go.

[derspiess]

Dude, you get worked up if the first lady is wearing a short sleeves.

I can't control myself.  Her arms are too fabulous.

Odd I figured you would be more worked up about her sartorial excellence and wonder where she bought her shirt.

Duh.

[CountDeMoney]

What was that opportunity?  Bloody conquest of Pakistan?

By dropping everything we put into Iraq into the 'Stan instead, for starters.

But we had to manufacture a war instead, and make that the priority over avenging 9/11, because Saddam tried tah whack mah Daddy, and you don't mess with Texas, etc.

[derspiess]

By dropping everything we put into Iraq into the 'Stan instead, for starters.

I'm not sure that necessarily would have given us substantially better results in Afghanistan.  Unless maybe you wanted to invade Pakistan as well, though that's a whole other can of worms.

[Sheilbh]

And who wouldn't want to bask in the universal popularity that rivals that of Benjamin Netanyahu?

Who released over a 1000 Hamas prisoners for Shalit.

As I say I think Joshua Foust's been right on this in the last 24 hours (and Snowden ):
https://twitter.com/joshuafoust

If they're Taliban rather than AQ, then most of their time prior to capture was spent thinking of ways to fuck up Afghanistan and not the US. Something to keep in mind.

Indeed and a US ally will be needing to negotiate with the Taliban very shortly, if they're not already.

[Jacob]

A couple of them are wanted by the UN for war crimes for alleged murder of thousands.  But they're just politicians, so we can let them go.

Uh... if the US cares about them being wanted by the UN for war crimes, why did you lock them up in Gitmo rather than hand them to a UN tribunal? It seems a bit weird to bring that up now...