The Taliban fighters traded for Bowe Bergdahl wouldn't have been at Gitmo for long, anyway

US Army/Wikimedia Commons

The Taliban fighters traded for Bowe Bergdahl wouldn't have been at Gitmo for long, anyway
(Image credit: US Army/Wikimedia Commons)

President Obama's decision to trade Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five senior Taliban members detained at Guantanamo Bay is complicated legally, tactically, and politically. But ultimately the question boils down to: Was it worth it? One solider for five hardened militants may be tough math to some, but it's a little fuzzier than that.

Maybe the Taliban somehow pulled a fast one on the U.S., but the U.S. was probably going to release the five Taliban fighters within a year, anyway. As Ken Gude explains at Think Progress, Obama is essentially ending the Afghanistan War by 2016, and "when wars end, prisoners taken custody must be released." The Taliban may not have complied with that international law, but the U.S. would have to, he argues. "The five detainees that were included in the deal would have to be released soon anyway because the U.S. involvement in the armed conflict against the Taliban is ending."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.