Mixed verdict given to military whistleblower PFC Bradley Manning

[rambone]

FORT MEADE, MD — A military judge on Tuesday found Pfc. Bradley Manning not guilty of “aiding the enemy” for his release of hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks. But she convicted him of multiple counts of violating the Espionage Act, stealing government property and other charges that could result in a maximum sentence of 136 years.

The judge, Col. Denise Lind, backed down from setting a precedent of condemning Manning for passing leaked information to the press. A decision of that nature would have had broad consequences for future whistleblowers.

It remains to be seen how severe the punishment will be for the remaining convictions.

Manning acquitted of aiding the enemy | NYTimes

 

[glockednlocked]

yea for him! I still think he is a traitor and deserved to be lined up with Hasan and they could share the same bullet.

 

[rambone]

 

[DarkLight]

Well stated. I'm constantly amazed...no, strike that, disappointed with a large portion of my fellow Americans and thier opinions regarding whistle blowers like Manning and Snowden. How many of our fellow INGOers talk about the oathes to uphold the constatution made by politicians and military service men and women, and then turn around and call these people traitors or crazy when they try to warn the citizenry of the evils our government is doing?

 

[Meezer]

yea for him! I still think he is a traitor

I remember not too long ago people like you saying the same things about Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson.........

 

[Kagnew]

"Whistle-blower." Just a poor little, innocent, well-meaning, misunderstood "whistle-blower". I just hope they lock the little fruit in a cell with a very, very large combat vet named "Bubba".

 

[Kagnew]

I remember not too long ago people like you saying the same things about Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson.........

CWO Thompson was just playing CYA.

 

[rambone]

[h=1]What The Bradley Manning Verdict Tells Us About America[/h]

[video=youtube;IJl6V4JQFl4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJl6V4JQFl4[/video]

 

[netsecurity]

Well stated. I'm constantly amazed...no, strike that, disappointed with a large portion of my fellow Americans and thier opinions regarding whistle blowers like Manning and Snowden. How many of our fellow INGOers talk about the oathes to uphold the constatution made by politicians and military service men and women, and then turn around and call these people traitors or crazy when they try to warn the citizenry of the evils our government is doing?

I think you, and others in this thread, are way off base here. Manning had no agenda to protect the constitution. He just wanted to make America look evil amd embolden oir enemies. He is a true traitor to leak sensitive imformation that had no relevance or purpose other than undermining our military efforts.

Snowden, to me, is completely different. He is a whistle blower, protecting civil loberties by exposing tyranny. How do you find the two similar? And what makes you stand up for Manning? He leaked basically all the top secret data he could, knowing our enemies would receive it, and use it to murder Americans. Snowden leaked only information exposing broad unconstitutional behavior, which seems to have harmed no one. So far it appears that Snowden is a real hero. What did Manning do to earn your respect?

 

[Bummer]

... He is a true traitor to leak sensitive imformation that had no relevance or purpose other than undermining our military efforts. ...

I do not particularly respect (or for that matter disrespect) Manning, so I am unable to answer your question. I do, however, have a question of my own.

I did not follow this case, so I have not read much about what exactly Manning leaked. Now that I've started reading, I find nothing that could directly endanger our military members. Everything I've seen appears to be exposed for arguably humanitarian ends.

What information that Manning exposed do you feel could have endangered troops in a war zone? Aside from just doing it, what has Manning done to earn your enmity?

I stress that I do not ask this as an attack upon your position, but rather out of ignorance and curiosity.

 

[Trigger Time]

I think he should be jailed for life. Mistakes are made in war. He was wring in leaking classified documents.

 

[Stickfight]

I don't know what 'wring in' means in the above context, but exposing the crimes of authorities shouldn't be a crime whether they want them to remain secret or not.

 

[rambone]

I was about to ask the same thing as Bummer.

How does anyone claim to know that Manning hates America? How has the military been undermined by a press leak?

 

[radonc73]

When you enlist you give up a lot of your rights including Innocent until Proven Guilty. What he did I feel was wrong b/c he was in the military. From what I understand he was mad about DADT and this was his way of payback. Well he got it. If he is gay he will love Leavenworth without time off for good behavior he could be there for 20-30 years no problem.

 

[LeeStreet]

Great, now the government ( us tax payers ) gets to pay for hormone treatment to transforme Bradley into Chelsea, or try to fight his/her desire in court. He entered the military as a male, & should stay a male. But, I know that is cruel & inhuman treatment of a prisoner.

 

[HoughMade]

When you place yourself in the position of defending and venerating every person who leaks classified information, you'll end up siding with some pretty selfish and amoral people.

Some will do it because it's what they think is right for the country.
Some will do it for money.
Some will doing for sex.
Some will do it because they do, in fact, hate America.
Some will do it because they are mentally or emotionally scarred and "need" a way to act out.
Some will do it to make themselves feel significant in a world where everyone demands their 15 minutes.
Some will do it out of anger and spite over any number of things.

ALL will claim they did it because its what they think is right.

...and some will believe it every time because they have a preexisting bias.

 

[drillsgt]

Great, now the government ( us tax payers ) gets to pay for hormone treatment to transforme Bradley into Chelsea, or try to fight his/her desire in court. He entered the military as a male, & should stay a male. But, I know that is cruel & inhuman treatment of a prisoner.

. Give him extra testosterone and steroids and make him work out five times a day while looking at scantily clad women

 

[MPH]

He wasn't unjustly charged Or convicted. He was entrusted, via an extensive background check into his character to maintain classified information. Period. He knew full well the penalties for disclosure of this information. He, and some people here apparently may want to martyr his position, but I am not one of them. Now all that is needed is to strip all rank insignia from his uniform and paint a large "P" on the back of the uniform.

 

[tenring]

He's going to have all the boyfriends he wants now!

 

[rambone]

Whistleblower Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in prison; longer than the average murderer or rapist | Police State USA