By Adam Levine
The nation's top military officer said he is "concerned" about transferring prisoners from Guantanamo in a deal to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table.
The deal to transfer five Taliban prisoners has not been decided on but the Obama administration has had the intelligence community assess the prisoners being considered.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is "concerned about our ability to maintain vigilance and control of those individuals" if released, though he added he is supportive of the reconciliation talks. Dempsey made the comment during testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
The comments come on the same day a Taliban spokesman told CNN's Nick Paton Walsh that while the Taliban have met with U.S. officials to discuss possible peace talks, they but do not want to negotiate with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told the committee that no prisoner would be transferred out without his certification that they will not return to battlefield, a requirement created by Congress.
"I have made very clear that unless I am convinced that in this kind of situation those steps are taken to ensure that these individuals do not wind up going back to the battlefield, I am not going to certify that kind of transfer," Panetta said.
Republican Senator John McCain, who raised the issue during the hearing, noted to Panetta that one quarter of those released have returned to terrorism in the past.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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We can't really call ourselves imperialists if we negotiate and look like we want peace, now can we? I mean come on... that would imply that like, we're people and we should work together and cooperate and stuff....
Put microchips in their collective ass-cheeks and let em loose.
not in suppt of that, totally.
If only they were charged with crimes, I could happily, wholeheartedly await a life sentence with bated breath. ... .
I read that Mr. Dempsey is concerned about release at this time. Have they had their arraignment yet? Go from there.
Towel heads will always be towel heads.
I cannot stand racism, so I will apologize to the world for your remarks, although not on your behalf.
Fascist zealots will always be fascist zealots too i guess.