The trade of five top Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo Bay for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has put every American traveling abroad at greater danger, said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in the wake of the death of aid worker Kayla Mueller.
"We said at the time that that swap, in and of itself, would now put a price tag on the head of every American abroad," the Florida Republican said Tuesday on Fox News Channel's "The Kelly File."
"ISIL, as we speak, is actively looking for more Westerners to kidnap, particularly Americans."
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The Islamic State [abbreviated ISIS or ISIL] was holding the 26-year-old Mueller and claims she was killed by a Jordanian airstrike.
It emailed proof-of-death to Mueller's family on Tuesday, the State Department said, but would not confirm what that proof was.
Rubio said he has no doubt the trade of Bergdahl has created the incentive for more kidnappings. ISIS can use the prisoners to try to gain the freedom of their own prisoners or can make videos of their gruesome executions as a means to recruit more members, he said.
The Bergdahl trade has been controversial not only because it freed five high-level Taliban members, but also because Bergdahl's motivations for walking off his post have been questioned.
An inquiry into Bergdahl's actions was completed in October, but the Army has yet to make it public. Some in the Army have said he will likely be charged with desertion.
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