Republicans slam prisoner swapping

Washington: Top Congressional Republicans have raised sharp questions about President Barack Obama’s deal to swap five Taliban members for a captured US soldier, with some even accusing him of breaking the law.

However, several opposition Republicans issued statements welcoming Saturday’s release of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

Several Republicans also claimed that his exchange for “terrorists” held in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre would just encourage more kidnappings of US soldiers.

Lawmakers were not told of the Guantanamo prisoner transfer until after the swap, the Washington Post reported.

Mike Rogers, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said that he is “pleased that Sergeant Bergdahl is free and will be returning to his family in the US.” However he was “extremely troubled” that US officials “negotiated with terrorists” to reach the swap deal.