Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy, guilty of espionage
- Thread starter Padawanbater2
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Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
A military judge on Wednesday morning sentenced Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
Manning, 25, was convicted last month of multiple charges, including violations of the Espionage Act for copying and disseminating the documents while serving as an intelligence analyst at a forward operating base in Iraq. He faced up to 90 years in prison.
Manning is required to serve one-third of the sentence, minus three and half years of time served, before he is eligible for parole. That will be in eight years when he is 33.
Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel, said Manning was dishonorably discharged. He was also reduced in rank and forfeits all pay.
Manning stood at attention, flanked by his attorneys, to hear the verdict with his aunt, Debra Van Alstyne, sitting behind him. He did not appear to react when the sentence was read.
As Manning was escorted out of the packed courtroom, more than half a dozen supporters shouted out to him, Well keep fighting for you, Bradley! Youre our hero!
The decision was immediately condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union.
When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system, said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLUs Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.
The government had asked the judge to sentence Manning to 60 years. There is value in deterrence, your honor; this court must send a message to any soldier contemplating stealing classified information, said Capt. Joe Morrow, a military prosecutor. National security crimes that undermine the entire system must be taken seriously.
Defense lawyer David Coombs portrayed Manning as a well-intentioned but isolated soldier with gender identification issues, and he asked Lind to impose a sentence that allows him to have a life.
He cares about human life, said Coombs as the sentencing phase of the court-martial at Fort Meade ended last week. His biggest crime was he cared about the loss of life he was seeing and was struggling with it.
Manning also addressed the court and apologized for his actions, saying he was sorry that I hurt the United States.
Manning will receive a credit of 1,293 days for the time he has been confined prior to the sentence, including 112 days of credit for abusive treatment he was subjected to in the brig at the Quantico Marine Base.
Manning transmitted the first documents to WikiLeaks in February 2010, sending what came to be known as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs field reports from across both theaters. Mannings lawyers said he had become disillusioned by what he was seeing in Iraq and hoped that the public release of the secret material would prompt greater public understanding of the wars.
Manning established a relationship online with a person who is thought to be Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. As their personal correspondence deepened, Manning continued to transmit more material, including assessments of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and an enormous cache of diplomatic cables. He also leaked a video that showed a U.S. Apache helicopter in Baghdad opening fire on a group of Iraqis, including two journalists and children, that the helicopter crew believed to be insurgents.
According to his lawyers, Manning became more and more stressed in Iraq, wrestling with his sexuality and the breakup of a relationship. At one point, in April 2010, he sent an e-mail to a superior with the subject line My Problem and a photo of himself wearing a blond wig and lipstick.
On May 7, Manning was found on the floor of a supply room with a knife at his feet. After some brief counseling, he was returned to his workstation. Later that same day, he struck a fellow soldier and was removed permanently from the secure environment where he worked.
Following these events, Manning boasted to hacker Adrian Lamo that he had been working with WikiLeaks. After engaging Manning for several days, Lamo informed Army investigators and the FBI about the breach of information and provided them with his chat logs with Manning.
Manning was arrested in Iraq on May 27, 2010.
Legal proceedings against Manning began in December 2011 and, in February of this year, Manning pleaded guilty to 10 lesser included charges. The trial portion of the proceedings began June 3, and on July 30, Lind found Manning guilty of 20 of the 22 charges he faced.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...bee184-09d0-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html
Welcome to America.
Manning, 25, was convicted last month of multiple charges, including violations of the Espionage Act for copying and disseminating the documents while serving as an intelligence analyst at a forward operating base in Iraq. He faced up to 90 years in prison.
Manning is required to serve one-third of the sentence, minus three and half years of time served, before he is eligible for parole. That will be in eight years when he is 33.
Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel, said Manning was dishonorably discharged. He was also reduced in rank and forfeits all pay.
Manning stood at attention, flanked by his attorneys, to hear the verdict with his aunt, Debra Van Alstyne, sitting behind him. He did not appear to react when the sentence was read.
As Manning was escorted out of the packed courtroom, more than half a dozen supporters shouted out to him, Well keep fighting for you, Bradley! Youre our hero!
The decision was immediately condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union.
When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system, said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLUs Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.
The government had asked the judge to sentence Manning to 60 years. There is value in deterrence, your honor; this court must send a message to any soldier contemplating stealing classified information, said Capt. Joe Morrow, a military prosecutor. National security crimes that undermine the entire system must be taken seriously.
Defense lawyer David Coombs portrayed Manning as a well-intentioned but isolated soldier with gender identification issues, and he asked Lind to impose a sentence that allows him to have a life.
He cares about human life, said Coombs as the sentencing phase of the court-martial at Fort Meade ended last week. His biggest crime was he cared about the loss of life he was seeing and was struggling with it.
Manning also addressed the court and apologized for his actions, saying he was sorry that I hurt the United States.
Manning will receive a credit of 1,293 days for the time he has been confined prior to the sentence, including 112 days of credit for abusive treatment he was subjected to in the brig at the Quantico Marine Base.
Manning transmitted the first documents to WikiLeaks in February 2010, sending what came to be known as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs field reports from across both theaters. Mannings lawyers said he had become disillusioned by what he was seeing in Iraq and hoped that the public release of the secret material would prompt greater public understanding of the wars.
Manning established a relationship online with a person who is thought to be Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. As their personal correspondence deepened, Manning continued to transmit more material, including assessments of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and an enormous cache of diplomatic cables. He also leaked a video that showed a U.S. Apache helicopter in Baghdad opening fire on a group of Iraqis, including two journalists and children, that the helicopter crew believed to be insurgents.
According to his lawyers, Manning became more and more stressed in Iraq, wrestling with his sexuality and the breakup of a relationship. At one point, in April 2010, he sent an e-mail to a superior with the subject line My Problem and a photo of himself wearing a blond wig and lipstick.
On May 7, Manning was found on the floor of a supply room with a knife at his feet. After some brief counseling, he was returned to his workstation. Later that same day, he struck a fellow soldier and was removed permanently from the secure environment where he worked.
Following these events, Manning boasted to hacker Adrian Lamo that he had been working with WikiLeaks. After engaging Manning for several days, Lamo informed Army investigators and the FBI about the breach of information and provided them with his chat logs with Manning.
Manning was arrested in Iraq on May 27, 2010.
Legal proceedings against Manning began in December 2011 and, in February of this year, Manning pleaded guilty to 10 lesser included charges. The trial portion of the proceedings began June 3, and on July 30, Lind found Manning guilty of 20 of the 22 charges he faced.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...bee184-09d0-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html
Welcome to America.
Samwell Seed Well
Well-Known Member
“When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system,” said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.
............................................need anything more be said, dont join the military is the message they dont care unless the gov tells em too
............................................need anything more be said, dont join the military is the message they dont care unless the gov tells em too
budlover13
King Tut
And now Manning wants to live the rest of his life as a woman.....
ilikecheetoes
Well-Known Member
ah damn. somebody beat me to it. The hero of the left wants his dong removed. lol
Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
What the hell does that have to do with anything?
A story about a whistleblower receiving 35 years in federal prison for exposing the crimes of both this administration and the previous one, and all you can comment on is his sexual identity?
ilikecheetoes
Well-Known Member
yea. i think its hilarious.
I'm surprised they didnt use an insanity defense. His brain was so fucked up because he really wanted to be a woman. he couldnt help himself.
He had sand in his vagina about the whole thing!!!
I'm surprised they didnt use an insanity defense. His brain was so fucked up because he really wanted to be a woman. he couldnt help himself.
He had sand in his vagina about the whole thing!!!
ChesusRice
Well-Known Member
NLXSK1
Well-Known Member
The irony is that it is not inconceivable that the taxpayers will fund this guys sex change....
Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
I'm not aware of any federal prison that would perform something like that on an inmate
budlover13
King Tut
And THAT was the point of my post. If'n he wanted it he should've done it on his own dime. Idk if the Federal justice system will do it but Kalifornia's penal system will.
Doer
Well-Known Member
It is inconceivable. Perhaps not in Criminal system but this UCMJ.
Doer
Well-Known Member
Would just take a successful lawsuit. But, this is Military. Won't happen.
Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
Manning's letter to president Obama;
The decisions that I made in 2010 were made out of a concern for my country and the world that we live in. Since the tragic events of 9/11, our country has been at war. Weve been at war with an enemy that chooses not to meet us on any traditional battlefield, and due to this fact weve had to alter our methods of combating the risks posed to us and our way of life.
I initially agreed with these methods and chose to volunteer to help defend my country. It was not until I was in Iraq and reading secret military reports on a daily basis that I started to question the morality of what we were doing. It was at this time I realized that (in) our efforts to meet the risk posed to us by the enemy, we have forgotten our humanity. We consciously elected to devalue human life both in Iraq and Afghanistan. When we engaged those that we perceived were the enemy, we sometimes killed innocent civilians. Whenever we killed innocent civilians, instead of accepting responsibility for our conduct, we elected to hide behind the veil of national security and classified information in order to avoid any public accountability.
In our zeal to kill the enemy, we internally debated the definition of torture. We held individuals at Guantanamo for years without due process. We inexplicably turned a blind eye to torture and executions by the Iraqi government. And we stomached countless other acts in the name of our war on terror.
Patriotism is often the cry extolled when morally questionable acts are advocated by those in power. When these cries of patriotism drown out any logically based dissension, it is usually the American soldier that is given the order to carry out some ill-conceived mission.
Our nation has had similar dark moments for the virtues of democracy the Trail of Tears, the Dred Scott decision, McCarthyism, and the Japanese-American internment camps to mention a few. I am confident that many of the actions since 9/11 will one day be viewed in a similar light.
As the late Howard Zinn once said, There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.
I understand that my actions violated the law; I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. I only wanted to help people. When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.
If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society. I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have a country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
The decisions that I made in 2010 were made out of a concern for my country and the world that we live in. Since the tragic events of 9/11, our country has been at war. Weve been at war with an enemy that chooses not to meet us on any traditional battlefield, and due to this fact weve had to alter our methods of combating the risks posed to us and our way of life.
I initially agreed with these methods and chose to volunteer to help defend my country. It was not until I was in Iraq and reading secret military reports on a daily basis that I started to question the morality of what we were doing. It was at this time I realized that (in) our efforts to meet the risk posed to us by the enemy, we have forgotten our humanity. We consciously elected to devalue human life both in Iraq and Afghanistan. When we engaged those that we perceived were the enemy, we sometimes killed innocent civilians. Whenever we killed innocent civilians, instead of accepting responsibility for our conduct, we elected to hide behind the veil of national security and classified information in order to avoid any public accountability.
In our zeal to kill the enemy, we internally debated the definition of torture. We held individuals at Guantanamo for years without due process. We inexplicably turned a blind eye to torture and executions by the Iraqi government. And we stomached countless other acts in the name of our war on terror.
Patriotism is often the cry extolled when morally questionable acts are advocated by those in power. When these cries of patriotism drown out any logically based dissension, it is usually the American soldier that is given the order to carry out some ill-conceived mission.
Our nation has had similar dark moments for the virtues of democracy the Trail of Tears, the Dred Scott decision, McCarthyism, and the Japanese-American internment camps to mention a few. I am confident that many of the actions since 9/11 will one day be viewed in a similar light.
As the late Howard Zinn once said, There is not a flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.
I understand that my actions violated the law; I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. I only wanted to help people. When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love for my country and a sense of duty to others.
If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society. I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have a country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
ChesusRice
Well-Known Member
Fuck you CHelsea
I hope you dont get it up the ass for the next 35 years becuase that's what you like.
What you did was self serving and insane just like you. Maybe if you are lucky Ron paul will send you some money for lipstick
Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
The funny thing is that even if Manning goes through with GRS, he'll still be a bigger man than you ever will be
echelon1k1
New Member
Does your hypocrisy extend to Bob Woodward?
ChesusRice
Well-Known Member
Yeah sure if your definition of a bigger man is a whiny little pussy who betrays his oath and Country
budlover13
King Tut
His oath was to the Constitution and countrymen, not the with-holding of pertinent information from them imo.
ChesusRice
Well-Known Member
So the biggest hero in your opinion would be the guy who leaks the launch codes for our missles?
