Those comments come just one day after reports surfaced that a Guantanamo detainee released as part of the deal that freed American POW Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl may have sought to return to the battlefield in Afghanistan.
“Not everyone at the White House has agreed with me,” said Hagel of his methodology for deciding on detainee releases.
Disagreements between Hagel and officials in the President’s inner circle have been widely reported during his short tenure as secretary of defense. But in his interview with CNN, Hagel spoke with uncharacteristic candor about that friction.
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And when the White House ramps up pressure, Hagel said he knows how to take the heat.
Said Hagel: “If you’re not prepared to deal with pressure, every day, in the job you’re in, coming from a lot of different directions, then you shouldn’t be in the job. It’s just part of the process, part of any job I think.”
