American POW freed in prisoner swap. And the GOP doesn't like it.....

GW Bush used signing statements over 200 times. Clinton and GHW Bush used over 100 also.

 

You're right. Since the ambassador to Libya was killed, Obama should ignore all citizens imperiled abroad.

 

I don't think judicial review is plainly stated in the Constitution, rather the Marshall Court had to assert it due to some high-level disputes, and it became part of settled law.

 

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that a President can sign a bill into law and then ignore it.

 

What if Congress passed a law to take all the powers of the Executive Branch for themselves, and Obama signed it and spent the rest of his term fishing. The next president is elected and wants to actually assert the powers enumerated in the Constitution. What should happen then? The law was passed legally. The president signed it.

 

Yep- we used to exchange POWs all the time- its a standard practice. I'd hope this clarifies the grey area about 'enemy combatants' or whatever we're calling them now. But the issues become politicized, so it won't happen.

 

GITMO detainees do not have POW status or protections -- nullifying your argument.

 

Are we still at war with the Taliban? When is that ending? Once it ends, what happens to all the taliban we captured?

 

So they are hostages?

 

He unquestionably broke the law, but that's nothing new. Obama will suffer no consequences and he knows it.

Some basic questions that won't be asked.

Are these high level Taliban commanders you released dangerous?

Will this encourage more troops to be captured?

Several men who served with Bergdahl are coming forward with their stories about him, and it isn't pretty. At best he was a deserter, at worst a Taliban defector, whose disappearance caused the death of several soldiers.

http://for-the-republic.blogspot.com/2013/12/bowe-bergdahl-real-story-interview.html

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s1vot5

 

Worse. They are terrorists. Its a new title we give all of our captives which allows us to skirt the Geneva Convention. We really are no better than them.

 

Under the law they are just criminals and terrorists. They don't represent a recognized government so they can't be POW's, even if they wore uniforms of an unrecognized government they could get POW treatment under the Geneva Convention, but since they wear plain clothes, they aren't eligible. In some ways, we legitimized the Taliban government with this action.

Obviously as a vet, I have mixed feelings about this, I'm glad to see a vet return home, but I don't think this was a good idea....no matter who did it. Setting a precedent that you are willing to trade the lives of soldiers for terrorists does nothing but lead to more kidnapped soldiers.

That said, I'm happy for the guy returning home.

 

Makes sense. Pres Obama is a known fan of the show Homeland.

 

Paying attention? Only to the extent you become a threat to others.

Right now you're just another silly crank in a sea of such.

 

What book is that?
Was it written after the Iran-Contra thingamabob?

Rocket River

 

Language is now an official weapon of war
Change the language . . .and you can change how you treat the people

So . . basically . .. all plain clothes spies would be consider the same?
This Convention seems to have alot of loopholes.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing
need more facts
I am concerned with the fact manipulations that are involved

I call you Bobby . . .and you are my friend
but I change your name to Bibby and I hate you
you are the same guy!
Consistency needs to be preserved
This IMO was the 'spirit of the convention'

I can be a bit of a hardliner on things
cause I wonder. . .if they are known Terrorist . .why are they even still alive?
Which makes me think . . .after this . .. they are now viewed as currency
which as stated means our POWs are currency as well.

Trading in lives never leads any where good IMO

Rocket River

 

The next President files a direct suit to the USSC arguing that the law is unconstitutional. I suspect you knew that already but were arguing just to argue.

 

Is Obama the only President you remember?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signin..._George_W._Bush.27s_use_of_signing_statements

 

At best, he was unlucky and got captured and now free. At worst, he's a terrorist and we just got a Trojan horse. What we do know is he's already being used as a political pawn prior to knowing the full story.

 

Absolutely. Spies have no protection under the Geneva convention and pretty awful things happen to those who get discovered.

It absolutely does.

Anything in the political realm will have fact manipulations, but it's pretty straightforward when it comes to who is a soldier POW under the Geneva convention and the Taliban don't meet the standard. Iraqi regulars on the other hand did.

If I was Mike Bibby, everyone would love me.

I really don't think it was, there's a reason that it doesn't apply to plain clothes combatants, it is to minimize potential civilian casualties. That's not how the Taliban rolls.

Our guys wear uniforms and follow (for the most part) Geneva convention guidelines, the same isn't true for those we deem "terrorists" (for the most part) so it's not a 1 to 1 comparison. Also, I don't think any US soldier held captive by opfor would expect treatment as good as most enemy combatants get.