Today, Congressman Steve Pearce released this statement in response to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, on the transfer of five Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar.
“It is clear to me that President Obama made serious mistakes in securing the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl,” said Congressman Steve Pearce. “By trading five top Taliban terrorists, the President has not only risked the safety of our troops who remain in Afghanistan, he has endangered lives internationally. I support an investigation into the Obama administration’s negotiations and its failure to notify Congress before releasing terrorists from custody. The President’s decision to negotiate with terrorists has placed people around the world in greater threat of danger."
The trade made by President Barack Obama for the recovery of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was negotiated without providing Congress with a 30-day notice. Secretary Hagel testified today that President Obama made the final decision, and that the Obama administration conducted talks beginning in 2011 with the Taliban about the exchange.