Congress shouldn't hold its breath waiting on President Obama's mea culpa for not giving them a heads-up before the Taliban prisoner swap for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
Claiming that time was of the essence, Obama told NBC News' Brian Williams that he would make 'no apologies' to Congress for not keeping them in the loop.
'We had to act fast in a delicate situation that required no publicity,' the President said.
'It was a difficult piece of business because of the fact that you're dealing with an untrustworthy adversary, not a normal state actor. And we saw an opportunity and we took it.'
Obama added that the decision was unanimous among his administration heads and was backed by the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Since Obama announced Bergdahl's release on May 31, Congress has demanded to know why he sidestepped the law requiring the President to give 30 days notice before releasing any Guantanamo Bay prisoners.
Other critics claim Bergdahl was a deserter when he was captured and should not have been traded for five Taliban detainees.
Obama said allegations of Bergdahl's desertion didn't play a role in his decision to bring the 28-year-old Idaho native home.
'We have a rule, a principle, that when somebody wears our country's uniform and they're in a war theater and they're captured, we're going to do everything we can to bring 'em home,' Obama said.
'It's also important for us to recognize that the transition process of ending a war is going to involve, on occasion, releasing folks who we may not trust but we can't convict.'
With News Wire Services
from Google News http://#
via IFTTT
0 Response to "President Obama will make 'no apologies' to Congress for Taliban prisoner swap"
Posting Komentar