Marco Rubio has Concerns About Taliban Prisoner Exchange

From his perch on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., cheered the news that U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was released by the Taliban but said Congress had to investigate if the Obama administration paid too high a price for the exchange of prisoners.

The release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is welcome news, Rubio said. I join all Americans in celebrating his reunion with his family. However, I am concerned about the steps the Obama administration took to secure his release.

The release of five senior Taliban commanders to Qatar under unspecified conditions is very troubling and may endanger American lives, Rubio added. In the coming days the Congress must examine the circumstances under which Sgt. Bergdhal's release was achieved, and what conditions, if any, the administration secured to ensure these enemy combatants do not return to the battlefield.

I fear that the administration's decision to negotiate with the Taliban for Sgt. Bergdahl's release could encourage future terrorist kidnappings of Americans," Rubio said in conclusion. I fear also that the administration is endangering U.S. and coalition forces by releasing some of the most dangerous detainees captured in the War on Terrorism. As Americans, we never forget our brave men and women who are captured or missing in action. We also must ensure we are not further undermining U.S. national security by releasing motivated terrorists back to the battlefield.