AS I SAY, WITH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL. HE WAS AT BAGRAM AIR BASE NEAR KABUL IN AFGHANISTAN. I BEGAN BY ASKING HIM ABOUT THOSE REPORTS THAT THE TIMING OF THIS OPERATION WAS PROMPTED BY CONCERNS ABOUT BERGDAHL'S HEALTH.
>> WELL, DAVID, AS YOU KNOW, HE HAS BEEN HELD FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THAT'S FIVE YEARS OF VERY DIFFICULT LIVING, AND WE DON'T KNOW YET ALL THE SPECIFICS AND DETAILS. HE IS IN LANDSTUHL, GERMANY, AT OUR MEDICAL FACILITY THERE. OUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ARE NOW WITH HIM, AND THEY WILL BE GIVING HIM COMPLETE CHECKUPS. WE WILL BE GIVING HIM EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDS, AND UNTIL WE GET THOSE EVALUATIONS, WE JUST DON'T KNOW MUCH MORE. ALTHOUGH HE DID WALK TO THE EXTRACTION HELICOPTER. HE DID PERFORM THE BASIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN THAT PROCESS TOOK PLACE, BUT BEYOND THAT I WOULDN'T WANT TO SPECULATE.
>> CAN YOU TAKE US INSIDE WHAT HAPPENED? HOW YOU WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GET HIM? HOW THESE NEGOTIATIONS PROCEEDED WITH THE TALIBAN?
>> WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, AGAIN, ALL WHO HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS, BUT ALSO TO THANK THE MAYOR OF QATAR, THE QATARI GOVERNMENT, AND ALL THE PEOPLE IN QATAR WHO HELPED MAKE THIS OCCUR. THE TRANSACTION REALLY WAS DONE BY THE QATAR GOVERNMENT AND THE EMIR'S COMMITMENT TO GETTING THAT ACCOMPLISHED. WE FACILITATED THAT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE AND PROCEDURES, I DON'T WANT TO GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT.
>> BUT THIS IS POTENTIALLY A GOOD SIGN IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN. IF BERGDAHL WAS HELD BY THE MOST HARDENED TALIBAN FIGHTERS WHO OPERATE OUT OF PAKISTAN, DOES THIS PAVE THE WAY FOR PERHAPS A NEW ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TALIBAN DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE TALIBAN ABOUT THE TALIBAN'S FUTURE IN RUNNING AFGHANISTAN?
>> WELL, IT COULD, IT MIGHT, AND WE HOPE IT WILL PRESENT AN OPENING. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STRONGLY SUPPORTED AN AFGHAN-LED EFFORT TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TALIBAN. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD ENGAGED WITH THE TALIBAN UP UNTIL 2012. THEY BROKE OFF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. WE'VE HAD NO FORMAL RELATIONSHIP SINCE THEN. SO MAYBE THIS WILL BE A NEW OPENING THAT CAN PRODUCE AN AGREEMENT.
>> THERE IS SOME BLOWBACK TO WHAT IS BEING TREATED AS VERY GOOD NEWS, THE RELEASE OF THE PRISONER. SOME IN THE UNITED STATES, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE SAID, LOOK, CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO BE CONSULTED BEFORE THERE'S ANY PRISONER EXCHANGE, ESPECIALLY PRISONERS FROM GUANTANAMO BAY, HARDENED TALIBAN FIGHTERS WHO HAVE BEEN LINKED TO KILLING AMERICANS IN A THEATER OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, REPUBLICAN MIKE ROGERS, ISSUED A STATEMENTC3Z? SAYING THIS FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN U.S. POLICY SIGNALS TO TERRORISTS AROUND THE WORLD A GREATER INCENTIVE TO TAKE U.S. HOSTAGES. FURTHER, HE SAID, I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE SECURITY ASSURANCES REGARDING THE MOVEMENT AND ACTIVITIES OF THE NOW-RELEASED TALIBAN LEADERS AND I HAVE EVEN LESS CONFIDENCE IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S WILLINGNESS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ENFORCED. ARE THESE PRISONERS BEING RELEASED FROM GUANTANAMO A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES OR OUR ALLIES?
>> WELL, DAVID, LET'S SLOW DOWN FOR A MINUTE AND BACK UP AND LOOK AT THE FACTS HERE. SERGEANT BERGDAHL IS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY. THIS WAS A PRISONER EXCHANGE. AFTER FIVE YEARS HE'S BEEN A PRISONER OF WAR. AS TO NOTIFICATION OF CONGRESS, YES, THERE IS A 30-DAY NOTIFICATION. I NOTIFIED THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP, DIFFERENT COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP YESTERDAY. THAT'S PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY I HAVE AS THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, AND WE DID THIS UNDER THE TIME LINE WE DID FOR THE VERY REASON THAT I EXPLAINED WHEN YOU ASKED ME THE FIRST QUESTION. THIS WAS -- THIS ESSENTIALLY IN YOUR OPINION TO SAVE THE LIFE OF SERGEANT BERGDAHL. AS I SAID BEFORE, WE HAD INFORMATION THAT HIS HEALTH COULD BE DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HIS SAFETY. WE FOUND AN OPPORTUNITY. WE TOOK THAT OPPORTUNITY. I'LL STAND BY THAT DECISION. I SIGNED OFF ON THE DECISION. THE PRESIDENT MADE THE ULTIMATE DECISION. WE DID SPEND TIME LOOKING AT THIS. AS TO GUANTANAMO, THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE VERY CLEAR HE WANTS TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO. WE DO HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE DON'T LET ANYONE OUT OF GUANTANAMO, AND I WILL NOT SIGN OFF ON ANY DETAINEE COMING OUT OF GUANTANAMO UNLESS I AM ASSURED, UNLESS OUR GOVERNMENT IS ASSURED, OUR COUNTRY CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE CAN SUFFICIENTLY MITIGATE ANY RISK TO AMERICA'S SECURITY.
>> DO YOU WORRY ABOUT A PRECEDENT HERE, MR. SECRETARY? THE PROSPECT THAT PRISONERS AT GUANTANAMO COULD BE SOUGHT AFTER BY THE TALIBAN OR OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS, THAT OTHER TROOPS COULD BE VULNERABLE NOW, OTHER AMERICANS COULD BE VULNERABLE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT COULD BE ACCUSED HERE IN EFFECT OF NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE DIDN'T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS. AS I SAID AND EXPLAINED BEFORE, SERGEANT BERGDAHL IS A PRISONER OF WAR. THAT'S A NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR PRISONERS BACK. THAT'S FIRST. SECOND, AS TO YOUR BIGGER QUESTION, WE ARE DEALING WITH TERRORISM AND HOSTAGE TAKING ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE. I THINK AMERICA'S RECORD IS PRETTY CLEAR ON GOING AFTER TERRORISTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO TAKE HOSTAGES, AND I DON'T THINK WHAT WE DID IN GETTING OUR PRISONER OF WAR RELEASED IN ANY WAY WOULD SOMEHOW ENCOURAGE TERRORISTS TO TAKE OUR AMERICAN SERVICE MEN PRISONER OR HOSTAGE. IN WAR THINGS ARE ALWAYS DANGEROUS, AND THERE ARE VULNERABILITIES AS THERE ARE AROUND THE WORLD, BUT OUR RECORD, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN DEALING WITH TERRORISTS, IN FINDING AND HUNTING DOWN THOSE TERRORISTS, IS PRETTY GOOD, DAVID.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ONE MORE ABOUT THIS. WHAT ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT HAPPENED HERE? AS WE HAVE REPORTED, THIS WAS FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN SERGEANT BERGDAHL ESSENTIALLY LEFT HIS COMMAND POST. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY THAT HAPPENED. THAT WAS MYSTERIOUS. HIS FATHER WAS SAYING THAT HE WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY SPEAKING ENGLISH UPON HIS RELEASE. WHAT QUESTIONS WILL DRIVE AN INVESTIGATION FOR YOU?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE FOCUSED ON, AS WE HAVE DONE -- ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST FEW HOURS, THE SAFE RETURN OF SERGEANT BERGDAHL. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. SECOND, OUR PRIORITY NOW IS TO GIVE HIM ALL THE CARE HE NEEDS SO THAT HE CAN BE INTEGRATED BACK INTO SOCIETY, AND, THIRD, IS AT THE SAME TIME THE REUNIFICATION WITH HIS FAMILY. THAT'S OUR FOCUS NOW, AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE OUR FOCUS.
>> BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CONCERNS YOU THAT HAS RAISED A RED FLAG TO YOU THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF CONCERNING HIS ORIGINAL DISAPPEARANCE AND CAPTIVITY, PARTICULARLY THE QUESTIONS AS TO WHY HE WAS STRUGGLING TO SPEAK ENGLISH NOW?
>> WELL, DAVID, HE'S BEEN HELD BY THE TALIBAN. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE. WE DON'T KNOW UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES FOR FIVE YEARS. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, HE WAS NOT HELD WITH ANY OTHER AMERICANS OR ANY ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE. WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET. I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS, AND UNTIL WE GET THE FACTS EXACTLY WHAT THE CONDITION OF SERGEANT BERGDAHL IS, WE CAN'T GO MUCH FURTHER IN SPECULATING. BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GUY WHO PROBABLY WENT THROUGH HELL THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND LET'S FOCUS ON GETTING HIM WELL AND GETTING HIM BACK WITH HIS FAMILY.
>> DO YOU SPECIFICALLY BELIEVE THAT HE WAS TORTURED?
>> I DON'T KNOW. AGAIN, DAVID, I DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE CAN WORK THIS THROUGH, BUT, AGAIN, THE FIRST ISSUE IS HIS HEALTH, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO ALL THE OTHER PARTS AS TO WHAT HIS CONDITIONS WERE LIKE AND THE FOLLOW-ON QUESTIONS TO HIS CAPTIVITY.
>> MR. SECRETARY, I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THE OTHER BIG STORY THIS WEEK, OF COURSE, AND THAT IS SECRETARY OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION SHINSEKI RESIGNING AMID THIS SCANDAL WITHIN THE VA. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CARE THAT VETERANS ARE GETTING TODAY AND THE LACK OF SERVICE THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN AS THE INTERNAL AUDIT HAS FOUND. YOU HAVE GOT SOME 22,000 VETERANS FROM AFGHANISTAN, WHERE YOU ARE, WHO WILL BE RETURNING HOME. HOW DOES THIS GET FIXED GOING FORWARD?
>> WELL, IT MUST BE FIXED. THAT'S FIRST. LET ME, FIRST, ADDRESS GENERAL SHINSEKI. AS PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID IN THANKING HIM FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY OVER AN ENTIRE CAREER, WE OWE SHINSEKI THAT DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS SERVICE. NOW, THE BIGGER ISSUE, WHICH YOU HAVE JUST ASKED ME ABOUT, THERE ARE PROBLEMS. WE KNOW FROM THE VA'S INSPECTOR GENERAL'S EARLY AND INITIAL INVESTIGATION THAT THEY ARE PROBABLY SYSTEMIC. WE NEED MORE FACTS. BUT THE FACT IS, AS PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID, WE ARE GOING TO ACT NOW. WE MUST ACT NOW TO FIX WHATEVER IS WRONG. I'M COMMITTED TO DO THAT AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, TO CONTINUE TO HELP VETERANS ADMINISTRATION LEADERS. WE DO THAT NOW. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION. WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WE'LL CONTINUE TO OFFER EVERYTHING WE CAN OFFER IN ORDER TO ASSIST THEM, BUT WE HAVE NO HIGHER RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR COUNTRY THAN TO TAKE CARE OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE SELFLESS SERVICE WE DEPENDED ON AND CONTINUE TO DEPEND ON TO THIS DAY, AND WE'LL FIX IT.
