Rep. Salmon on US’s Rescue of Sgt. Bergdahl, and Abandonment of Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi

This is a partial transcript of an interview with Congressman Matt Salmon (AZ-5) conducted on the Wednesday, June 11th edition of Secure Freedom Radio. The entire interview can be found here. Rep. Salmon is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Frank Gaffney: What are your thoughts on [the Bergdahl-Taliban] swap?

Rep. Matt Salmon: Well, I think there are two things that really concern us here in Congress. One is the release of five very, very prominent terrorists who many believe—I believe—will be back in the fight against us within the next year. What kind of threat do they pose to our servicemen and servicewomen? What kind of threat now is posed to every American abroad now that we’ve sent a message that we do negotiate with terrorists? And [now] that when they capture one of ours, [we’re] willing to give up major concessions to get them back? I think that actually puts every American at risk that goes abroad, and that frightens me… Some have called these guys the “Dream Team” of the Al Qaeda, and it’s a frightening thing that they’ll be out on the streets again, creating mayhem and upheaval for freedom and the things that we care about.

FG: A major narrative of the administration in defending this transaction is that they have a sacred duty—

MS: Leave no soldier behind.

FG: Yeah, they didn’t find it [had] much bearing on their Benghazi episode, but now it’s very much in evidence. You have talked with a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps whom they don’t seem to be doing a lot to bring home. Talk a little bit about Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi.

MS: They’re doing bupkis for him. They’re doing nothing for the young man, and this guy’s service is unquestionable. He was promoted in theater for his bravery and his ability to carry out his duties. He served two duties in Afghanistan, unquestionable as far as his service. He had an honorable discharge after completing his service, and now he’s languishing in a prison in Mexico on a stupid technicality. Here’s a young man who has PTSD and moved from Florida to San Diego for treatment, and he was driving with all his earthly belongings–and happened to have three guns among those earthly belongings and some ammunition–in his car, and crossed over into Mexico by accident. I’ve spoken with several of the Mexican authorities, and they don’t believe that he had any evil intentions. They don’t believe that he was going to hurt anybody with those guns, and they don’t believe he was going to traffic those guns. It’s just about the fact that he had those guns in possession. If the president really followed through on what his people, his talking heads are saying, about leaving no soldier behind and his responsibility in Article II of the Constitution to protect Americans abroad, if he actually believes the things that he’s saying to try to get out of the Bergdahl mess, then he’d be on the phone a couple of weeks ago or a month ago with the President of Mexico, to get this young man out. And that has not happened…We’re trying to do everything in Congress we can, but we just wish the president would actually lift a finger on this. Use his pen and his phone for something constructive for a change.