Things Get Tense After GOP Rep. Hits Defense Secretary Hagel With Two Tough Questions on Five Released Taliban Commanders

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) grilled U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on the controversial Bowe Bergdahl trade, in which the Obama administration released five Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay to free the captive soldier.

During a Tuesday House hearing, Forbes cited a national intelligence assessment that suggested four of the five Taliban commanders may return to the battlefield to fight American forces. The Republican lawmaker pressed Hagel on whether the U.S. would risk American lives to recapture the terrorists if they did actually return to the battlefield.

After dancing around the question, Hagel eventually relented and answered “yes.”

(Fox News)

Moving on, Forbes then asked Hagel if he had made an assessment as to how many lives were lost or put at risk in capturing the Taliban commanders in the first time, and how many lives would be put at risk if the U.S. government had to recapture them.

“You asked if there were lives lost in capturing them… I have no direct evidence [of that],” Hagel replied.

“Did you make an assessment of how many American lives may be put at risk if they have to be recaptured?” Forbes pressed.

“No,” Hagel admitted.

Watch the exchange below via Fox News:

(H/T: IJReview)