GOP: Bergdahl Deal Is Obama’s ‘Willie Horton Moment’ Even Though Bush Released More Detainees
Yes, the Republican leadership went there. Back in 2012, when a deal to release Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an American POW held by the Taliban for five years, was first on the table, Republicans reportedly described the idea as President Obama’s “Willie Horton moment.”
As you may or may not know, Willie Horton was the subject of a racially charged attack ad aired by the 1988 Bush/Quayle campaign in which a narrator described how Horton was furloughed from prison by Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis only to attack and rape a woman in Maryland. In other words, by releasing five Taliban leaders from Guantanamo and into the custody of house arrest in Qatar in exchange for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl, Obama is inviting attacks against our soldiers by the five former detainees.
Classy. If this is Obama’s “Willie Horton moment” (it’s not), we have no choice but to ask how the Republican leadership would react to President Bush’s record on Gitmo detainee recidivism is they were actually aware of how comparatively bad it was?
So here we go again. The following is an overview of detainees released from Gitmo who subsequently returned to the battlefield and engaged in terrorist activities… prior to January 20, 2009.
–According to a study by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2012, 532 Guantanamo detainees were released prior to Inauguration Day, 2009.
–A total of 92 of those former detainees became “returnees,” that is: they returned to the battlefield to fight Americans. Using the GOP leadership’s metaphor, that’s 92 “Willie Hortons” under President Bush.
–An additional 70 former detainees are suspected of returning to the battlefield, but weren’t, as of the time of the report, confirmed as returnees.
–The total Guantanamo recidivism rate under the Bush administration was 30.5 percent. In other words, one third of all terrorist detainees released from Guantanamo re-engaged in terrorism, chiefly in Afghanistan and Iraq.
–Comparatively, as of 2011, only 67 Guantanamo detainees had been released under President Obama. Only three have been confirmed as having returned to the battlefield, along with two suspected returnees for a recidivism rate of 7.5 percent.
Who are some of these former detainees and what became of them after they were released?…. READ MORE
Click here for reuse options!Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Bob Cesca
Bob Cesca is the managing editor at The Daily Banter (www.thedailybanter.com) and a Huffington Post contributor since 2005. He's worked in journalism since 1988 as a print writer/editor, a radio news anchor, a digital media columnist/editor, a book author and blogger. He's the co-host of the Bubble Genius Bob & Chez Show podcast and a Thursday regular on the syndicated Stephanie Miller Show. He's appeared on numerous other radio shows including the John Phillips Show and Geraldo Rivera Show in Los Angeles. Bob has been a commentator/analyst on the BBC (TV and radio), MSNBC, Current TV, CNN and Sky News. Following him on Twitter: @bobcesca_go
8 responses to GOP: Bergdahl Deal Is Obama’s ‘Willie Horton Moment’ Even Though Bush Released More Detainees
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Shades June 3rd, 2014 at 08:16
Here’s the drill. Obama does something. RW goes nutz.
granpa.usthai June 3rd, 2014 at 19:10
RW falls out of their nest when Obama doesn’t do anything too, shades.
butt – lest we forget
it’s not that he’s Hawaiian Tan
it’s his policies/no policies (either way)
it’s why many of US would support him as POTUS4LIFE, or Emperor Elected (not selected) or even King of The United States of America (KOTUS)
HRM King Obama (nice presentation @ the UN)
I like it
I like it a lot.
Shades June 3rd, 2014 at 08:16
Here’s the drill. Obama does something. RW goes nutz.
granpa.usthai June 3rd, 2014 at 19:10
RW falls out of their nest when Obama doesn’t do anything too, shades.
butt – lest we forget
it’s not that he’s Hawaiian Tan
it’s his policies/no policies (either way)
it’s why many of US would support him as POTUS4LIFE, or Emperor Elected (not selected) or even King of The United States of America (KOTUS)
HRM King Obama (nice presentation @ the UN)
I like it
I like it a lot.
William June 3rd, 2014 at 08:17
Despite the best efforts of the college drop-out right wing (never served in the military) propaganda machine, Limbaugh, Hannidy, Beck etc., I’m going to go with the opinion of noted National Constitution Center’s adviser on constitutional literacy, Lyle Denniston.
http://news.yahoo.com/constitution-check-did-president-act-illegally-exchanging-taliban-101221056–politics.html
William June 3rd, 2014 at 08:17
Despite the best efforts of the college drop-out right wing (never served in the military) propaganda machine, Limbaugh, Hannidy, Beck etc., I’m going to go with the opinion of noted National Constitution Center’s adviser on constitutional literacy, Lyle Denniston.
http://news.yahoo.com/constitution-check-did-president-act-illegally-exchanging-taliban-101221056–politics.html
Obewon June 3rd, 2014 at 08:27
#theFive were transferred to Qatari authorities in exchange for America’s only Afghani POW and will remain in Qatar under strict supervision. They’re barred from travel for one year! US Combat ends in Afghanistan 12/31/14. Meanwhile Congress was out of session during Qatar’s 4 day expedited release negotiations, is now in “District work periods” until Monday June 9, 2014! http://www.house.gov/legislative/ Their likely recidivism rate is 0% before US combat ends in Afghanistan. GOP ideologues smacked down & bested by POTUS Obama again!
Obewon June 3rd, 2014 at 08:27
#theFive were transferred to Qatari authorities in exchange for America’s only Afghani POW and will remain in Qatar under strict supervision. They’re barred from travel for one year! US Combat ends in Afghanistan 12/31/14. Meanwhile Congress was out of session during Qatar’s 4 day expedited release negotiations, is now in “District work periods” until Monday June 9, 2014! http://www.house.gov/legislative/ Their likely recidivism rate is 0% before US combat ends in Afghanistan. GOP ideologues smacked down & bested by POTUS Obama again!