“We ensured, as always, that the United States doesn’t leave a man or woman on the battlefield,” Rice said on State of the Union Sunday morning. “If we got into a situation where we said because of who has captured an American soldier on the battlefield, we will leave that person behind — we would be in a whole new era for the safety of our personnel and for the nature of our commitment to our men and women in uniform. Because it was the Taliban that had him did not mean that we had any less of an obligation to bring him back.”
Rice pointed out that the U.S. negotiated with the government of Qatar, not the Haqqani network, which is listed as
“I think the question now is, and you point to the kinds of warfare we’re having now, that no longer can it be said that the U.S. doesn’t negotiate with terrorists?” Crowley pressed.
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Rice said. “When we are in battles with terrorists and terrorists take an American prisoner, that prisoner still is a U.S. serviceman or woman. We still have a sacred obligation to bring that person back. We did so, and that’s what’s to be celebrated.”
Watch the clip below, via CNN:
[Image via screengrab]
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