Thursday, June 5, 2014

Wait There's More

++Reuters reports tonight that there will be more transfers ahead from Gitmo. This actually was behind Senator Imhof's objection to the Taliban transfer for the release of Sgt.Bergdahl. He believed it was all a trick by President Obama to create a "legacy for himself" of closing Gitmo as the promised. Administration officials say that there will be several more transfers,which are in different stages of completion. No one knows how many of the 149 prisoners remaining will be released. 78 have been approved for release without charge. 58 are Yemenis and 4 Afghans. Already opposition is mounting from the GOP because their last monument to the W years is threatened.

++In other news, the Administration told the Hill newspaper that there is no concrete evidence right now that Sgt. Bergdahl fraternized with the Taliban.

++Former NSC spokesperson Tommy Vieter appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show to explain the laborious negotiating process the Administration went through and their concerns that any leaks would trigger reactions from more hardline Taliban factions.

++In another news story, Sheera Frenkel at Buzzfeed broke a story, which the Administration denied, that there have been back channel discussions with Hamas in Jordan,Lebanon and Qatar. These discussions allowed Hamas to make private concessions, which they could not make publicly. The United States pressed Hamas to adopt non-violent tactics and forego armed struggle, recognize the existence of Israel and commit themselves to democratic elections. 

++In case you missed it, John Kerry showed up in Lebanon to mediate a solution to the formation of the new government in that country and to promise $259 million in aid to the Syrian refugees.

++Another interesting development has been the meeting of Ayatollah Khamenei with the Saudis. This was encouraged at the request of Oman with the support of John Kerry. 

++Where any of this will lead is anyone's guess.

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