A Tale Of Two Marines

The two marines referred to in the title are, of course, Bowe Bergdahl and Andrew Tahmooressi. The comparisons of these two stories is both bizarre and distressing. It forces us all to ask once more what motivates our President and why he does what he does and ignores what he wishes.

The President as Commander in Chief sits at the top of the military totem pole. A military that has a tradition of "no man left behind". When Bergdahl walked away from his post in Afghanistan, his fellow marines went looking for him. In spite of the fact that it was suspected that he went AWOL,  they risked their lives to try to bring him home. In fact six marines were killed while the search proceeded. 

Evidence started showing up that Bergdahl had deserted. It appeared that he had gone over and joined the Taliban. But President Obama wanted him back. Finally the President agreed, illegally, to release five vicious Islamic jihadists for the return of Bergdahl. This, in spite of a standing rule, that America does not negotiate with terrorists.

So Bergdahl was returned. He was nursed back to health and placed in a desk job on active duty at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. An investigation was started. Two weeks prior to tomorrow's election, the investigation was completed. The results were not released. They are to be released after the votes are counted. Once again we have politics over the promised transparency. No surprise there. But be assured, President Obama was the moving force behind Bergdahl's trade and recovery. 

In comparison, we have Andrew Tahmooressi. A marine with PTSD, who did not go over to the enemy. He simply made a wrong turn on the California-Mexico border. As I understand it, not an uncommon mistake. But instead of turning him around and sending him back the way we do, the Mexicans arrested him and threw him in jail. 

Now Mexico is supposed to be our friend. But they frequently spit in our eye. Obama could have cleared this up with a phone call. He opted not to. His excuse. He did not want to insult Mexico. Really? So Tahmooressi languished in a miserable Mexican prison cell for eight months. Much of that time they kept him in chains. His PTSD went untreated. 

I don't suppose we will ever know why the President threw his arms around a possible traitor and released five men that are an extreme danger to the United States and it's citizens, while ignoring a true American hero. It makes no sense in the real world. But I guess we all don't live in the real world.