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| Strategy and Objectives for Gaining Soldier’s Release Shifted Over Time | Strategy and Objectives for Gaining Soldier’s Release Shifted Over Time |
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| WASHINGTON — For two and a half years, the Obama administration maneuvered to make a deal to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl the start of a larger peace process for Afghanistan, one that would ease the American exit from the country. | |
| But by the time President Obama called the emir of Qatar last Tuesday to obtain a personal assurance from the Arab leader that the five Taliban detainees released from the prison at Guantánamo Bay in exchange for Sergeant Bergdahl would not be able to conduct operations from the tiny peninsula in the Persian Gulf, the president’s objectives were vastly reduced. Instead of a broad peace accord, Mr. Obama had decided to go ahead with a straight prisoner swap, something the Taliban had proposed secretly last fall. | But by the time President Obama called the emir of Qatar last Tuesday to obtain a personal assurance from the Arab leader that the five Taliban detainees released from the prison at Guantánamo Bay in exchange for Sergeant Bergdahl would not be able to conduct operations from the tiny peninsula in the Persian Gulf, the president’s objectives were vastly reduced. Instead of a broad peace accord, Mr. Obama had decided to go ahead with a straight prisoner swap, something the Taliban had proposed secretly last fall. |
| Mr. Obama’s team, fearing that their leverage and their ability to gather intelligence would be vastly reduced after most American troops return from Afghanistan at the end of this year, believed this could well be what one senior official called “a last chance” to retrieve Sergeant Bergdahl. A video of him, provided by the Taliban as “proof of life” six months ago, reinforced the fear that his condition was deteriorating. | Mr. Obama’s team, fearing that their leverage and their ability to gather intelligence would be vastly reduced after most American troops return from Afghanistan at the end of this year, believed this could well be what one senior official called “a last chance” to retrieve Sergeant Bergdahl. A video of him, provided by the Taliban as “proof of life” six months ago, reinforced the fear that his condition was deteriorating. |
| Yet in a sense, the decision to make the exchange was another chapter in a strategy the White House once called “Afghan Good Enough,” the informal title of the committee that met quietly at the White House in the early years of the Obama administration to consider options in Afghanistan. Time after time, American goals had been narrowed, then narrowed again. | Yet in a sense, the decision to make the exchange was another chapter in a strategy the White House once called “Afghan Good Enough,” the informal title of the committee that met quietly at the White House in the early years of the Obama administration to consider options in Afghanistan. Time after time, American goals had been narrowed, then narrowed again. |
| For congressional Republicans, the exchange fit a larger narrative about Mr. Obama’s foreign policy — that once again he had ignored Congress by not notifying it 30 days in advance of any release from Guantánamo, and that once again he had been outwitted by a wily adversary. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the released detainees on Monday as the “Taliban Dream Team” and called for an immediate hearing on the prisoner exchange, which the White House called a “transfer” because the five members of the Taliban have to stay in Qatar for a year. The Armed Services Committee summoned three senior Pentagon officials for a closed hearing on the matter next Tuesday. | For congressional Republicans, the exchange fit a larger narrative about Mr. Obama’s foreign policy — that once again he had ignored Congress by not notifying it 30 days in advance of any release from Guantánamo, and that once again he had been outwitted by a wily adversary. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the released detainees on Monday as the “Taliban Dream Team” and called for an immediate hearing on the prisoner exchange, which the White House called a “transfer” because the five members of the Taliban have to stay in Qatar for a year. The Armed Services Committee summoned three senior Pentagon officials for a closed hearing on the matter next Tuesday. |
| “The United States is less safe because of these actions,” Mr. Graham wrote in a letter demanding an inquiry. “I fear President Obama’s decision will inevitably lead to more Americans being kidnapped and held hostage throughout the world.” | “The United States is less safe because of these actions,” Mr. Graham wrote in a letter demanding an inquiry. “I fear President Obama’s decision will inevitably lead to more Americans being kidnapped and held hostage throughout the world.” |
| In response to such criticism, the White House insisted that the president did “the right thing” — a phrase Mr. Obama’s spokesman, Jay Carney, repeated roughly a dozen times in one briefing — and that Americans are more interested in getting Sergeant Bergdahl back on American soil than worrying about legal niceties. | In response to such criticism, the White House insisted that the president did “the right thing” — a phrase Mr. Obama’s spokesman, Jay Carney, repeated roughly a dozen times in one briefing — and that Americans are more interested in getting Sergeant Bergdahl back on American soil than worrying about legal niceties. |
| “We did not have 30 days to get this done,” Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, said, arguing that sometimes a president has to seize on an opportunity. | “We did not have 30 days to get this done,” Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, said, arguing that sometimes a president has to seize on an opportunity. |
| In fact, the decision-making about Sergeant Bergdahl’s fate appears to be much more complex than either the White House or its critics suggest. | In fact, the decision-making about Sergeant Bergdahl’s fate appears to be much more complex than either the White House or its critics suggest. |
| Concerns about his health were real, officials said. But some acknowledged that had Sergeant Bergdahl, 28, remained a prisoner of war, his plight would have been a continuing issue for an administration that is determined to end American involvement in Afghanistan. | Concerns about his health were real, officials said. But some acknowledged that had Sergeant Bergdahl, 28, remained a prisoner of war, his plight would have been a continuing issue for an administration that is determined to end American involvement in Afghanistan. |
| The idea of using the negotiations for Sergeant Bergdahl’s release as the prelude to something far bigger had its origins in mid-to late 2011, according to administration officials interviewed at the time, and former officials who discussed the issue over the past two days, on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing disputes within the Obama administration and with Congress. | The idea of using the negotiations for Sergeant Bergdahl’s release as the prelude to something far bigger had its origins in mid-to late 2011, according to administration officials interviewed at the time, and former officials who discussed the issue over the past two days, on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing disputes within the Obama administration and with Congress. |
| The early idea was that a prisoner transfer — not a trade, in the careful terminology used by Mr. Obama’s aides, since the Taliban would go to Qatar — would be a major “confidence building measure” on the way to a broader reconciliation deal with the Taliban. Negotiating it fell to Marc Grossman, a longtime diplomat who became the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan after the sudden death of Richard C. Holbrooke in December 2010. | The early idea was that a prisoner transfer — not a trade, in the careful terminology used by Mr. Obama’s aides, since the Taliban would go to Qatar — would be a major “confidence building measure” on the way to a broader reconciliation deal with the Taliban. Negotiating it fell to Marc Grossman, a longtime diplomat who became the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan after the sudden death of Richard C. Holbrooke in December 2010. |
| The goal, a senior American official said in an interview in late 2011, was to nudge the Taliban toward a statement renouncing “international terrorism” and agreeing to enter a dialogue with the Afghan people — implicitly acknowledging the legitimacy of the Hamid Karzai government and its successor after this year’s elections are complete. | The goal, a senior American official said in an interview in late 2011, was to nudge the Taliban toward a statement renouncing “international terrorism” and agreeing to enter a dialogue with the Afghan people — implicitly acknowledging the legitimacy of the Hamid Karzai government and its successor after this year’s elections are complete. |
| Ultimately, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech on Afghan policy that got the discussions going, the Taliban would have to renounce all links to Al Qaeda. But that would be an “end point” to the negotiations. | Ultimately, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a speech on Afghan policy that got the discussions going, the Taliban would have to renounce all links to Al Qaeda. But that would be an “end point” to the negotiations. |
| But the strategy ran into immediate objections inside the administration and on Capitol Hill. | But the strategy ran into immediate objections inside the administration and on Capitol Hill. |
| A former member of the Obama administration said Sunday that in meetings both Leon E. Panetta, then the defense secretary, and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed objections. At a classified briefing for senior congressional leaders, the idea ran into a wave of objections from both Democrats and Republicans on the key committees. | A former member of the Obama administration said Sunday that in meetings both Leon E. Panetta, then the defense secretary, and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed objections. At a classified briefing for senior congressional leaders, the idea ran into a wave of objections from both Democrats and Republicans on the key committees. |
| Another official said “everyone liked the idea of getting Bergdahl back, but the price seemed high and the prospect of a broader deal with the Taliban seemed pretty doubtful.” | Another official said “everyone liked the idea of getting Bergdahl back, but the price seemed high and the prospect of a broader deal with the Taliban seemed pretty doubtful.” |
| At the core of the objections was a fear that the restrictions that the Qatar government would put on the Taliban members would be too accommodating. | At the core of the objections was a fear that the restrictions that the Qatar government would put on the Taliban members would be too accommodating. |
| It was the Taliban that finally broke off negotiations in March 2012, ending any kind of formal discussions for a year and a half. | It was the Taliban that finally broke off negotiations in March 2012, ending any kind of formal discussions for a year and a half. |
| Last September, however, the Taliban sent a secret message to the United States, through a Qatari intermediary: They were interested in a prisoner swap, but not in the broader issue of reconciliation. | Last September, however, the Taliban sent a secret message to the United States, through a Qatari intermediary: They were interested in a prisoner swap, but not in the broader issue of reconciliation. |
| The Obama administration welcomed the opportunity to renew the talks, but in November insisted on proof that Sergeant Bergdahl was still alive. The video that was received two months later heightened fears within the military that the chances of bringing Sergeant Bergdahl back alive would become more difficult with the withdrawal of American troops as well as the intelligence specialists vital to helping find him. | The Obama administration welcomed the opportunity to renew the talks, but in November insisted on proof that Sergeant Bergdahl was still alive. The video that was received two months later heightened fears within the military that the chances of bringing Sergeant Bergdahl back alive would become more difficult with the withdrawal of American troops as well as the intelligence specialists vital to helping find him. |
| While the military’s Joint Special Operations Command had drawn up plans to rescue Sergeant Bergdahl, the political and diplomatic blowback of launching such a mission was deemed too great. | While the military’s Joint Special Operations Command had drawn up plans to rescue Sergeant Bergdahl, the political and diplomatic blowback of launching such a mission was deemed too great. |
| Negotiations waxed and waned over the next few months, but in mid-May, the United States and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding, with Qatar providing security provisions for the five Taliban detainees. | Negotiations waxed and waned over the next few months, but in mid-May, the United States and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding, with Qatar providing security provisions for the five Taliban detainees. |
| A week ago talks between the two sides — in Qatar with Qatari officials passing messages back and forth yielded the broad outlines of an agreement. The final piece of the accord fell into place last Tuesday, when Mr. Obama spoke by phone to the emir of Qatar, and received assurances that the Taliban detainees would be closely watched once they arrived in Qatar. The memorandum called for a minimum one-year travel ban on the Afghans. | A week ago talks between the two sides — in Qatar with Qatari officials passing messages back and forth yielded the broad outlines of an agreement. The final piece of the accord fell into place last Tuesday, when Mr. Obama spoke by phone to the emir of Qatar, and received assurances that the Taliban detainees would be closely watched once they arrived in Qatar. The memorandum called for a minimum one-year travel ban on the Afghans. |
| On Saturday morning a Taliban commander telephoned his Special Operations counterpart and said the swap was ready. That night, in a tense but peaceful exchange that lasted just a few minutes, 18 Taliban fighters handed Sergeant Bergdahl over to American commandos. | On Saturday morning a Taliban commander telephoned his Special Operations counterpart and said the swap was ready. That night, in a tense but peaceful exchange that lasted just a few minutes, 18 Taliban fighters handed Sergeant Bergdahl over to American commandos. |
| In the end the larger strategic objective of reconciliation with the Taliban, once considered a necessary condition to an American withdrawal, faded away. The transfer went ahead with no promises on reconciliation. | In the end the larger strategic objective of reconciliation with the Taliban, once considered a necessary condition to an American withdrawal, faded away. The transfer went ahead with no promises on reconciliation. |
| Asked about that on Sunday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gave voice to the administration’s diminished expectations when he suggested that the transfer might lead to something bigger, but made clear that was no longer the motivation. | Asked about that on Sunday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gave voice to the administration’s diminished expectations when he suggested that the transfer might lead to something bigger, but made clear that was no longer the motivation. |