Ret. Gen. Jack Keane ripped the trade of five captured Taliban leaders the U.S. made to get back captured Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Monday on Fox News, calling it a "lousy deal."
"Our terms and conditions with these five should have been tied to the fact with guarantors that they are not going to be able to get back into that conflict while we are still there, with international observers, house arrest, let them be with their family," he said. "Certainly, no internet, no phones, some other things. We could have put that in place. We just made a very, very bad deal here, and we should have discussed this with the Congress, because they would have got some feedback about the terms of this deal."
Full exchange:
MARTHA MACCALLUM: General Keane, let's start with the first question here, whether or not it was a mistake to do this trade for Bowe Bergdahl. What do you think?
JACK KEANE: I agree with negotiation with the Taliban, who we've never designated a terrorist organization, even though they do terrorist acts, a distinction which some people would challenge in terms of that difference. The fact of the matter is Bush and Obama both knew we would have to negotiate with the Taliban at the end of this conflict. So, negotiating with them, I don't think is an issue when you use a third party. The second thing is, I just think we made a lousy deal, Martha. Our terms and conditions with these five should have been tied to the fact with guarantors that they are not going to be able to get back into that conflict while we are still there, with international observers, house arrest, let them be with their family. Certainly, no internet, no phones, some other things. We could have put that in place. We just made a very, very bad deal here, and we should have discussed this with the Congress, because they would have got some feedback about the terms of this deal.