President Obama must have felt strongly about freeing Bowe Bergdahl because the swap he orchestrated cost us five of the most dangerous men in Guantanamo Bay. While the former prisoners aren't household names like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, they are every bit as dangerous. Here's what you need to know about the men who were released.
Mullah Mohammad Fazl
According to a classified Pentagon document published by the New York Times and other news outlets, Mullah Mohammad Fazl is wanted by the United Nations for war crimes involving massacres of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims in Afghanistan. During Operation Enduring Freedom, Fazl functioned as the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Defense. Fazl has admitted to serving as the Chief of Staff for the Taliban army. Prior to this position, he was the commander of the Taliban's 22nd Division. In fact, Fazl is so widely known among budding terrorists that his name was used to recruit new soldiers. The Pentagon called Fazl a high "intelligence value" prisoner who poses a high risk to Americans if he should be released.
Mullah Norullah Noori
The New York Times published a similar classified document about Mullah Norullah Noori. Noori is wanted by the United Nations for war crimes involving the massacre of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims. He was also considered a high "intelligence value" prisoner who poses a high risk to Americans. Noori was the governor of two Taliban provinces and a senior Taliban military commander in 2001. He's associated with senior al-Qaida and Taliban leaders, and his brother is currently a Taliban commander. Since his brother directs missions against the United States, it's highly likely that Noori will join his brother's fight.
Abdul Haq Wasiq
The New York Times' website accesses classified documents regarding Abdul Haq Wasiq. Wasiq was the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Intelligence. His role included helping the Taliban partner with other terrorist organizations against the United States. He arranged for Taliban intelligence personnel to be trained by more experienced al-Qaida personnel and was instrumental in helping high level targets escape captors. Like the others, Wasiq was a high "intelligence value" prisoner, and he poses an extreme threat to Americans.
Khairullah Khairkhwa
According to another classified document accessible through the New York Times, Khairullah Khairkhwa was directly associated with both Usama Bin Laden and Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban's supreme commander. Khairkhwa was a governor of a Taliban province, a military commander, and the Minister of the Interior. Khairkhwa was instrumental in negotiating with Iran to obtain support against the United States and is thought to have been in charge of a training camp in Herat. In addition, Khairkhwa was an important opium drug lord who may have used drug profits to support the Taliban. He had a high "intelligence value" and poses a high risk to Americans.
Mohammed Nabi Omari
Finally, the New York Time's classified document regarding Mohammed Nabi Omari indicates that Omari had several Taliban leadership roles although he was simultaneously involved in multiple terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida. He's known for storing and smuggling weapons. Like the other released prisoners, Omari was of high "intelligence value" and poses a high risk to Americans.
As you can see, these prisoners were not an equal swap for an army private that the Pentagon knew probably left his unit without leave before he was captured. -
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