Failing Grade

For John, BLUF:  White House totally botched the Bergdahl announcement.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

From the web magazine War on the Rocks we have an item by PhD Candidate Ryan Evans talking to us about the Obama Administration's roll out of the release of Taliban held POW Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.  Mr Ryan, who served on a Human Terrain Team in Helmand Province, has been teaching at John Hopkins University.  He is also associated with the Center for the National Interest.

Here is Mr Ryan's "bottom line" expanded:

The class I taught at Johns Hopkins University is over and I’ve submitted my grades, but here is one more.  On managing the message for the Bergdahl Swap, the National Security Council team gets an F.

Here is the meat of the argument:

I am happy that Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is no longer in captivity and will soon be home with his family.  He has undergone a long ordeal and deserves time with his parents, who have themselves suffered a drawn-out tribulation.  But the performance of President Obama and some of his senior staff, including National Security Advisor Susan Rice, once again raises concerns about their judgment in times of crisis.  Our president and his key advisers still do not seem to understand that facts will never be assessed calmly and objectively.  Narratives need to be nurtured and justified, which requires a feel for timing and a capacity for foresight in deflecting objections.  Even now, with questions about the wisdom of the deal continuing to grow in volume, this Administration remains fixated on securing campaign points by releasing information without a thought to how it will be received by multiple audiences.

And I agree with Mr Evan's comments above, word for word and comma for comma.

Regards  —  Cliff