A former Pentagon spokesman joined the chorus of conservatives who criticized the prisoner exchange that secured the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, calling it the “most shocking military decision” he’s ever seen and asserting that Franklin D. Roosevelt never would released top Nazi leaders during World War II.
In a column Monday for FoxNews.com, J.D. Gordon was extremely critical of the Obama administration’s decision to release five senior Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl.
“In 1943, could anyone imagine FDR releasing five of Nazi Germany’s top leaders for a disgruntled soldier? Though it’s good news that Bergdahl has been freed, I believe this grossly uneven prisoner exchange will encourage Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists to seek out other U.S. military hostages,” Gordon wrote. “After Saturday’s swap, they are literally worth more than their weight in gold while in enemy hands.”
He repeated the point during an appearance Monday afternoon on Fox.
“I think our military is very upset and ashamed,” Gordon said. “They realize that there’s a bullseye on their back right now because al Qaeda, the Taliban see if they can capture a U.S. troop or even if a troop walks off-base, whatever the circumstances are, they’re going to be worth their weight in gold because the Taliban can now say, ‘OK, we want Guantanamo closed.’ Al Qaeda could say, ‘We want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed back.’ This this most shocking military decision I ever recall seeing.”