The Obama administration’s decision in 2014 to trade five imprisoned Taliban fighters for Bowe Bergdahl, the deserter captured by Afghan insurgents, continues to bear ill consequences. The “Taliban Five,” as they’re known, now sit across the negotiating table from U.S. officials, figuratively and perhaps literally, and they hold the diplomatic advantage.

A quick review: The Five were U.S. detainees, held in the U.S. military facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until 2014. All five had been high-ranking members of the pre-9/11 Afghan government that protected Osama bin Laden. All five had direct ties to al Qaeda and other terror groups. All were deeply committed to the cause of destroying American interests inside and outside Afghanistan. And all were considered by U.S. intelligence agencies as risks to the United States and its interests—several considered “high” risk. Against the pleas of top officials in the Pentagon and the CIA, President Obama opted to release the Taliban Five from detention in exchange for Bergdahl. With the exchange made, the five were delivered to Doha, Qatar.