During a House briefing Monday on the Taliban trade for deserter Bowe Bergdahl, Rep. Jerrold Nadler compared the Taliban to US soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
Freedom fighters.
FOX News reported:
A Democratic congressman offered a curious analogy on Monday to explain why the U.S. is dealing with the Taliban — apparently comparing them to soldiers in the American Revolution.
According to sources, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., made the comparison during a House briefing late Monday with administration officials on the trade of Taliban members for American Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
Nadler apparently made the point that the Taliban, as non-state actors, have a status similar to that of American soldiers who fought the British during the Revolutionary War.
This comparison, Fox News is told, was met with a lot of groaning by other lawmakers.
Nadler issued a statement on Tuesday clarifying the remarks.
Regarding the prisoners released from Guantanamo, he said: “I was told they were unprivileged combatants, not prisoners of war, and I was trying to figure out the extent of that legal distinction. I was told they wore no uniform so I was curious if that gave them the legal status of militias in the American Revolution — who also did not wear uniforms.”
He said: “In no way was I comparing their values, their efforts, and their cause to that of our founding fathers, and to suggest otherwise is absurd. Obviously, I strongly oppose everything the Taliban stands for — from their horrendous support for terrorists and their suppression of human rights to their treatment of women and murderous hatred of America.”
