The United States, which has been quite unsupportive of Jordan's decision to swap prisoners in a distinction that has already sparked off controversies, described the Afghan Taliban as "an armed insurgency" movement, while calling the Islamic State (ISIS) a "terrorist group."
White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz, during a routine press briefing told reporters that the United States will not make concessions to the ISIS as it is a "terrorist group," whereas a deal with the Afghan Taliban was more acceptable as the group is "an armed insurgency," PTI reported.
"The Taliban is an armed insurgency. ISIS or ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) is a terrorist group. So we don't make concessions to terrorist groups," he told reporters.
The White House Press secretary revealed the US government stance during a question by a journalist, who asked how the Jordanian government's deal with ISIS was different from the US swapping five members for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
Schultz stated that since US troops were withdrawing from Afghanistan, it was an appropriate decision, as it reflected President Obama's commitment as commander-in-chief not to leave any man or woman behind.
House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, in a statement to FoxNews.com, however, termed the White House explanation a "nonsense."
"Bergdahl was in the custody of Haqqani initially, not the Taliban. But regardless of who claimed custody of Bergdahl in the end, is the Taliban not an adversary?" asked Hunter.
"Is the Taliban not responsible for American deaths? Frankly, it's more nonsense from an administration that seems to have lost its sense of reality."
Earlier on Wednesday, Jordan announced that it was ready to negotiate with the ISIS, triggering allegations that a US-led coalition ally has given in to the prisoner swap as demanded by the ISIS.
ISIS has asked Jordon to release Sajida al-Rishawi, failed suicide bomber in exchange for Japanese journalist Kenji Goto and Jordanian pilot, Muadh al-Kasasbeh.
