LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Questions abound in G.I.’s release

6/18/2014

I realize that editorials in The Blade are opinion pieces, they still must be based on fact. Your June 4 editorial “Freeing Sgt. Bergdahl” about the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl distorts facts.

The editorial’s first paragraph asks who could object to the soldier’s release from Taliban captivity and gives as an answer only some Republicans and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Why didn’t you mention others, including Democratic U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein of California?

As far as concerns about the sergeant’s health, who deemed his situation critical? Were American doctors or doctors from neutral countries allowed to evaluate him?

The five Taliban detainees who were freed in exchange for the sergeant are murderers. What assurance does the United States have that they will be in Qatar for a year?

DAVID RINGENBACH

Northwood

 

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What if captive were your son?

How many people who complain about the release of our soldier who had been held captive for five years would change their tune it that were their son (“Many do oppose trade for soldier,” Readers’ Forum, June 10).

GARY BRENTS

Weston, Ohio

Let’s have faith in Bergdahl trade

Many people wonder how any loyal American could negotiate a deal that would release five jailed terrorists in exchange for a captive U.S. Army soldier. But people shouldn’t be so quick to Monday-morning quarterback unless they’ve been in the huddle.

The public and the news media were not in the meetings in which the trade for Sergeant Bergdahl was discussed. Perhaps the option was presented that the intelligence community could track those terrorists to their leaders, so trading them for the sergeant could be a strategic military advantage.

Many people may not agree with our leaders’ politics, but we should have a little faith in their loyalty.

RICK DAVIS

Sylvania

Brothers’ trek deserved better

The wonderful story of the Gandee brothers’ completing their walk to raise awareness of a disorder, “‘Swagger’ complete; Brothers end 40-mile trek to Ann Arbor for cerebral palsy,” merited better coverage then it got in The Blade June 9, on Page Three.

Instead, The Blade chose to cover on Page One Secretary of State John Kerry’s pathetic attempt to justify the Obama Administration’s ill-advised decision to swap five Taliban prisoners for a U.S. Army sergeant who by some accounts was a deserter.

TOM TAYLOR

Perrysburg Township