Ralph Peters keeps smearing Private Bergdahl, with O’Reilly’s help
… with the help of fellow douchebag Bill O’Reilly, last night. And he and O’Reilly don’t even bother to address Peters’ fantasies about the Taliban murdering an American soldier. In fact, Peters has apparently changed his mind, at least about the murder … Oh, and O’Reilly has “been to Afghanistan,” mostly likely in full G.I. Joe gear … right??? Watch:
Peters claims that he has talked to a “senior military person.” Why do I get the feeling that person is in his mirror… Meanwhile, 23 members of Congress from both parties have sent a letter to Roger Ailes:
“As members of Congress and veterans of the United States Armed Forces, it was with incredulity and disgust that we watched Fox News Strategic Analyst Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters (Ret.) suggest on your airwaves that Private First Class Bowe Bergdahl, “abandoned his buddies, abandoned his post, and just walked off,” and stated that, if this is true, ‘the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills.’”
… “We demand an apology to PFC Bergdahl’s family and to the thousands of soldiers who put their lives on the line for our country. As a member of the military family, Mr. Peters should measure his remarks and remember that the United States will never abandon one of its own.”
And one Congressman, Eric Massa, wants O’Reilly and Peters fired. Yeah. Good luck with that. We’re talking Roger Ailes…
So what have actual reporters been able to find out? Rick Sanchez reached out to actual military leaders, as did NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski, senior Pentagon corespondent from NBC. Here’s what they had to say:
Sanchez: “Is the military saying that he’s a deserter in any way? We have checked. No, not at all.”
Miklaszewski: “senior Pentagon and military officials have ruled that out entirely, they say there is no evidence that he is a deserter. … They also point out that remarks like that are not the least bit helpful and in fact could endanger Pfc Bergdahl.”
Watch Rick’s rant. He also digs into Peters’ background, which apparently doesn’t include having ever been in combat (he tells O’Reilly he has been “on patrols.” Hm…
Go Rick!
Flashback: Peters once styled himself a defender of soldiers being “smeared” by the New York Times. Ah, irony.
Meanwhile, former SERE trainer and intelligence expert Malcolm Nance comes to Private Bergdahl’s defense:
Despite the nature of the conflict, Bergdahl is not a prisoner of war – he is a terrorist hostage. The difference is important. The United States government classifies persons held against their will in several different categories, depending on the captor and the circumstances of conflict. In a war where one state is a signatory of the Geneva Convention, the soldiers taken off the battlefield are prisoners of war. In an insurgency war against irregular and unlawful battlefield combatants – bandits, terrorists or even armed civilians or vigilantes – soldiers captured are considered hostages. …
… Like all hostages, Bergdahl is under immense psychological stress. His fate rests on the unknown and his life and freedom are in the hands of others. Already, he has managed to make it well past a point where other, more hardnosed soldiers would have been killed.
And:
Barring a demonstrated history of joining and fighting for the Taliban, second-guessing Bergdahl’s behavior and statements – as some commentators like Fox News analyst Ralph Peters are already doing – is pointless. Peters’ on-air rant on Sunday, essentially daring the terrorists to kill an American serviceman (with the caveat that they should do so “if” he turns out to be a deserter), was disgraceful. No matter what the circumstances of capture, this type of fiery talk denigrates the memory of everyone who has ever died at the hands of a terrorist.
This is the very type of macho rhetoric we train SERE students to avoid. Civilian authorities and unit commanders must withhold judgment of what a hostage does under duress until after repatriation.
Amen.
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3 Responses to “Ralph Peters keeps smearing Private Bergdahl, with O’Reilly’s help”
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[...] pundit Ralph Peters suggestion that the Taliban should kill captured Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, which he repeated on O’Reilly’s [...]
For Ralph Peter’s to parade as an experienced Military person and even think that, let alone say it, makes him look like the crazy, needing help person here.
He is OUR soldier and what the Taliban are doing IS a crime-regardless of the circumstances he was kidnapped, sold and is being used as propaganda. His trial can come after we get him back.
I suppose Ralph Peter’s also believes those who leave their cars unlocked deserve to have them hotwired and stolen, people who leave their doors unlocked robbed and/or killed, girls who wear short skirts, raped, kids who leave their parents eyesight, kidnapped and on and on. It is that *it’s the victim’s fault for xyz* mentality that is ruining our kids from taking accountability for their actions and overpopulating our jails!
Prayers to Bowe and his family.
Amen, and amen!