With Republicans disputing the idea that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s declining health necessitated a swift rescue, a senior Obama administration official defended the rationale on Thursday.
The official cited a video that American intelligence officials received earlier this year that purportedly showed the POW in a woeful condition.
“Our judgment was that every day Sgt Bergdahl was a prisoner his life was at risk, and in the video we received in January, he did not look well,” the official said in a statement. “This led to an even greater sense of urgency in pursuing his recovery. We can’t disclose classified comments from a closed congressional briefing. However, we are able to say that the Senators were told, separate and apart from Sgt Bergdahl’s apparent deterioration in health, that we had both specific and general indications that Sgt Bergdahl ‘s recovery — and potentially his life — could be jeopardized if the detainee exchange proceedings were disclosed or derailed.”
Many Republicans have never bought it. Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, a pitbull of a surrogate on Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign, said Monday the “health issue” has echoes of the White House’s initial characterization of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
AP reported today,if there were any leaks on the bergdahl negotiations,they would kill him.
next question
Except the rwnjs don’t want to know anything. They are so desperate to try to discredit this president, they will do and say anything.
The administration officials knew that Bergdahl was only valuable to the Taliban if he was alive and reasonably healthy. They were very worried that his declining health would turn him into a hindrance instead of an asset and, as such, his captors might kill him or simply abandon him to die.
Republicans are horrible people!
– there could be a debate on many things - but take anybody and say they are being held by the Taliban - and then - after five years of captivity - captive in Afghanistan -
If it is said “They don’t look well” … there really is not much to debate… what can you say? “Oh for a guy who has been held as a prisoner by the Taliban in remote locations of Afghanistan for five freaking years - he looks great” - ?.. like he has just been hanging out at a spa?
of course,and it makes more sense now reading the AP report…but,another day another benghazi sigh