americans about bradley manning

Jeff EbySanta Cruz, CA
The person who helped expose the criminal idiocy of the Iraq war: 20+ years in prison.

The people who caused the criminal idiocy of the Iraq war: never even charged.

If you ever needed proof of the two-tiered justice system in this country, look no further.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:49 p.m.RECOMMENDED127

sipa111NY
Give the man a medal and let him go!!!
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:05 p.m.RECOMMENDED99

CowboyWichita
Didn't the Vice President of the United State Dick Cheney reveal classified information about the identity of a CIA official and get away with it?
So why wasn't Cheney prosecuted like this little guy?
We have law for the little people and another set of policies for the big guys.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:26 p.m.RECOMMENDED98

JWJMTNYT Pick
The comments that cast Manning's actions as a betrayal assume that Manning's duty, first and foremost, is to the U.S. Military. And, while this may be the mindset within the armed services, the duty to the nation as a whole, I would think, should trump the duty and allegiance to some institution subsumed within it. Additionally, they assume that the keeping secret of these particular documents was in the best interest of the country. The comments that refer to Manning's actions as selfish, or alternatively, naive, assume that whenever anyone attempts to act in a manner not in step with institutional prerogatives, then that person is automatically at fault. Whereas, it may be the case that those conditioned to assume the status quo within the U.S. military to be the best of all possible worlds are at fault. In that they were the persons who allowed the country to be drawn into two protracted conflicts with no discernible benefits for the average American, and for various and sundry criminal acts to be committed by our service men/women and abetted by the civilian administration(s). Our military is staffed and run by human beings, not angels. To assume that they are always and at all times acting justly and in a manner requiring no oversight is to make, quite literally, a fatal error. The military should be, and is constitutionally, subsumed under the civilian government. Too much secrecy on the part of the military is a hinderance to it's proper function within society.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:11 p.m.RECOMMENDED84

raymond m. lanewashington, d.c.
if the nuremburg trials taught humanity anything, it's that authority does not require soldiers to obey the wicked, the unlawful, the wrong. Manning and the wiki crew have done humanity a great service, and one could imagine manning being given the nobel peace prize, not stripped nake and kept in solitary confinement for months.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:47 p.m.RECOMMENDED79

banzaiUSA
If only they went after the fat cat bankers and the Washington lobbyists with the same vigor as they are Manning and Schwartz!

Those bankers and lobbyists are gutting our country at the core, and Schwartz and Manning had the greater good in mind.

What a tragedy of errors!
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:12 p.m.RECOMMENDED76

Scott DravesNew York City
Manning's whistle-blowing revealed massive and ongoing crimes by the US government and military (eg knowing collaboration with torturers in iraq, coverup of child abuse in afghanistan, spying by the state dept). It's true he broke an oath, but in service of a greater cause.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:25 p.m.RECOMMENDED70

RW MarxWest Granby, CT
He's a hero in my book, another Daniel Ellsberg. And so are the students who protested the Iraq War. War itself is madness, but starting a war on false pretenses is criminal. Manning may serve some time, but his couragous actions are applauded by people who believe in justice and transparency. A harsh penalty will turn him into an even bigger hero.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:38 p.m.RECOMMENDED56

sidecrossOakland CA
I would agree that Manning should be rewarded and not punished for his actions.

Read any material on fighting insurgencies and you will understand that our nation and its Commander in Chief have failed to understand what is needed.

Do not blame the messenger for the message.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:15 p.m.RECOMMENDED55

PQuincyCalifornia
How true. He should get the same severe penalty as Mr. Cheney!
In reply to JohnFeb. 28, 2013 at 3:42 p.m.RECOMMENDED52

JohnMilwaukee
Manning wanted “to make the world a better place.” Isn't that what Dick Cheney said when he exposed Valerie Plame?

I mean, Manning should have known not to do something like that when he witnessed the punishment Cheney received for his traitorous ways.

Right?
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:39 p.m.RECOMMENDED51

Kevin CahillAlbuquerque
Bradlley Manning is a hero. He should get an immediate and honorable discharge.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:44 p.m.RECOMMENDED48

PatrickBoulder CO
He chose to place his humanity above nationalism. His courage is to be lauded.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:28 p.m.RECOMMENDED47

jbok
Well GW Bush gave the medal of freedom to George Tenet, the fellow who assured him that Iraq was a "slam-dunk" and to General Franks of the army (formerly an Enron executive), who led the invasions of Afghanistan (where Bin Laden "escaped") and Iraq (another fiasco).

And the damage they did was so far beyond anything this young idealistic foolish man did or intended--well, you're right. Manning should get a medal, too. It's only fair.
In reply to sipa111Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:32 p.m.RECOMMENDED46

richCO
So, let's see, when you are granted a security clearance you sign a statement to the effect that you will not divulge classified information to any unauthorized entity under pain of criminal prosecution. I'm not very smart, and I didn't have any trouble understanding this. Then you divulge classified information to an unauthorized entity "to make the world a better place." OK. Now you take the punishment you knew was coming your way. Pretty simple.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:16 p.m.RECOMMENDED43

MikeSeattle
It continually offends me that the story told by the press is about Manning and Assange, even to the absurd detail about how Manning pronounces Assange's name, rather than the better and more appropriate story. That is, why are these documents considered secrets? The vast majority of them are harmless. Some are embarrassing. Some reveal the cold hard truth of war. But dangerous to the point of secrecy? And why is an administration that ran for election promising openness fighting to keep things closed? Why is this not the real story here?

Every sentence you spend on the pronunciation of Assange's name is a sentence wasted on the real scandal.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:44 p.m.RECOMMENDED42

Jay KutenWanganui, New Zealand
to jb
you forget cowboy botted Paul Bremer, who also got that medal. He's the one who discharged the Iraqi army, making 300,000 well-armed men jobless at once, assuring an economic and military basis for the insurgency.. Plus Bremer presided over the further destruction of their infrastructure so that there was 4 hrs of electricity (no airconditioning in 130 degree heat).

I wonder about Mannings confession. Could 1000 days of isolation have anything to do with it. Guess Geneva Convention Article 3 and 4 theoretically applies only to foreign troops. Your own you can torture.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:44 p.m.RECOMMENDED42

Name WitheldUsa
No matter what Manning's crime, he should have been brought to trial sooner and his pre-trial detention conditions were not just. He was arrested in May 2010 and now it's 2013!

Manning was in Prevention of Injury Status from July 29, 2010 to April 20, 2011. This was designed as essentially punishment for Manning, and he was not allowed to have sheets, a window to the outside, or see other prisoners. He was not allowed to sleep during the day. Manning was allowed 1 hr per 24hrs to walk in circles around a room,without any other prisoners present. At times he was required to sleep naked at night due to being a "suicide risk".

PJ Crowley, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, spoke out against Manning's treatment in pre-trial detention and mroe than 200 legal scholars signed a statement opposing the injust conditions of Manning's detention.

The US military's treatment of Manning is a perversion of justice in the USA...and a clear sign that the military doesn't care about justice and fair trial.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:17 p.m.RECOMMENDED38

jjames at replicountsPhiladelphia, PA
Manning may have done more than anyone else to end the Iraq war.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:03 p.m.RECOMMENDED38

Simon TaylorSanta Barbara, CA
Bradley Manning should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and released immediately.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:09 p.m.RECOMMENDED37

RMarcAlbany NY
Manning is a politic prisoner being held and brutalized by the military/industrial complex because he wanted Americans to realize just how depraved our culture has become with regard to the killing of innocents and civilians!
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:24 p.m.RECOMMENDED36

Karen Osmanelkins park, pa
I see no difference between the actions of Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. The difference is the action of the government and the press, in the inhuman conditions in jail and the indifference of the press reporting. This is so sad.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.RECOMMENDED36

COregonNYT Pick
I don't know all the content of what was shared, but I do know that the American people should know the truth. If we are killing civilians and other acts in violation of the Geneva Convention and International Law, then we are committing criminal acts. As a citizen, I don't condone, that and I want to see government officials prosecuted. Why shouldn't all this information be public? You have to convince me that Bradley Manning wasn't doing his duty to his country.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:04 p.m.RECOMMENDED35





brmidwest
Let's see if we've got this right.

An Army private--a private--is given access to allegedly top secret stuff that will cause the sky to fall if it ever sees the light of day. The stuff becomes public. The sky does not fall.

For my money, they oughta give this guy a medal. Unwittingly or no, he has exposed the foolishness, and overzealous penchant for secrecy, in the way our government handles classified documents. Sheesh, how long did it take for the feds to release stuff on John Lennon and MLK, and only after they were long dead and only after being sued and sued again and sued yet again? Does anyone remember the Pentagon Papers?

This case shows that the government either keeps stuff secret that shouldn't be secret or that it allows folks to see secret stuff who shouldn't be allowed to see secret stuff, or both. Manning isn't the one who looks bad here. It's our government. I still recall Obama's first executive order as president, when he told agencies to start fulfilling FOIA requests instead of finding ways around the law. Ha! This has proven one of the most secretive administrations in modern history. When it comes to the public's right to know, Obama is as bad as Nixon, or perhaps worse.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.RECOMMENDED32

jimflorida
The President should pardon this man when he finishes his presidential term in 4 years. Manning had the guts to act as opposed to the yes men generals who have facilitated these fiascos. He is not a hero, but an ordinary person who did the right thing & is paying a high price.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:32 p.m.RECOMMENDED30

LetFreedom RingTexas
[NY Times, please excuse me, this keyboard is stiff and I didn't proof read, there were a coupld of dropped letters, please accept this revision.]

I agree with the others. He should get a medal.

Mr. Manning, if you or your support staff are reading this - please accept my heart felt gratitude for your patriotic actions. Few men find within themselves the bravery to act on what they know is right. But such action is by so many is why America is a great country. You have earned the right to know in your heart you are a true American.

It is embarrsing for me when in mixed company that a confession from an American held in such conditions *by Americans* for so long would ever even have a chance to be proffered in the first place. The tribunal should release him immediately - and thank him for his patriotism and integrity.

And for readers of my comment, just so you can put my words in context, I am a conservative and many of my family who I love deeply have proudly served - and I support them.

Bravery, Hontest, and Integrity these are qualities of Bradley Manning, may God Bless him, and may Americans rally to support him.

Long Live American Freedom
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:49 p.m.RECOMMENDED48

zolisan francisco
The real crime here is how the US repeatedly violates international law, killing civilians with its horrendous drones, its unending militarism and interventions, kill lists. Shame on Obama. Hero? No. But a courageous citizen.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:56 p.m.RECOMMENDED47

Scientellapalo alto
HERO!!!!

absolute brave hero.

If he to be a martyr, I hope you Bradley realize that the world things it was for a truly just cause. You can know you did the right thing.

And the US government if they put this brave man in jail for life, will have it known to the whole wide world that not only do they punish the whistle blower, not the blood crazed gunners, but they have locked up a moral hero.

They would be wise to lessen his sentence or this will go down in history.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:50 p.m.RECOMMENDED42

CharlenuIh nj
too few newspapers therefor we need more Mannings
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:21 p.m.RECOMMENDED42

RalphSF
This young man is a courageous hero and deserves honor, not persecution. We desperately need a more open and transparent society, especially in the government. I am appalled at Obama's attitude toward this whole affair.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.RECOMMENDED41

bluewombatlos angeles
Bradley Manning is a whistleblower, a hero and an American patriot of the highest order.

Barack Obama, who I'm embarrassed to admit I supported in the 2008 California primary, is the hired hand of the military-industrial complex that wants to crush Manning for having revealed the truth about what goes on behind the curtain of our military empire.

Obama also had the temerity to pre-judge Manning as guilty. I suppose that if he had had the opportunity to study Constitutional law, he would never have committed such a noxious and boneheaded act of command influence.

It will be a miracle if Manning ever gets out of prison. He may get a life sentence for the crime of allowing the American public to learn about things like the notorious collateral murder video, in which the crew of an American military helicopter in Baghdad shoots up some people on the ground for sport, and then shoots up the people coming to rescue the first set of victims.

God bless Bradley Manning, his courage and his patriotism.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.RECOMMENDED41

crankyactivistDorchester, MA
You are not informed on this case. When Manning realized that the Iraqis he was gathering evidence on had legitimate concerns about their government, he did bring his concerns to his superiors. He was told to do his job and get more evidence against them. Yes he could have kept his head down and let these people perish in our war on Iraq like most of us would have done in his situation. But his conscience didn't let him do this. Without him we would not know about some of the war crimes committed in our names.

Former Sect. of Defense Robert Gates said that little damage had been done by the information he released.

Bradley Manning is a hero and a soldier who took seriously the values of our country and his oath to uphold the Constitution.
In reply to cmedFeb. 28, 2013 at 4:50 p.m.RECOMMENDED41

Sam DWayne, PA
Has anybody clearly delineated the harm that Manning has done? Many people posting here say that he has caused us harm, but I have yet to see any indication that anything he leaked has hurt the US or our allies. Embarrassment is not the same thing as harm.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:26 p.m.RECOMMENDED41

Burn Wall Street Burnnyny
Private Manning should be given the Medal of Freedom or whatever the highest honor of the land is.

He deserves it, the people know it and we're going to get to the bottom of the corruptness that plagues our government.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:49 p.m.RECOMMENDED40

jeanbethel ak
Per the legal dictionary," the crime of treason requires a traitorous intent. If a person unwittingly or unintentionally gives aid and comfort to the enemy of the US during wartime, treason has not occurred."
It sounds like he was a lonely, idealistic kid who actually acted on his beliefs, something most of us never do. He may or may not have been misguided, but his intention was for the good of his country. He has already been punished.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:05 p.m.RECOMMENDED40

rUS
Manning exposed the FILTH in our military and their sickening crimes against innocent human beings—including children—and the Obama administration puts him in solitary confinement and throws the book at him. Meanwhile, the GI monsters go free. We don't even know their NAMES.

What a disgrace.

What a grotesque disgrace.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:57 p.m.RECOMMENDED40

LisaCalifornia
Those of you whose comments can be put into the "he took an oath; he had orders to follow" camp would do well to question your assumptions-and perhaps get a better understanding of our wars in the Middle East. I am not calling you Nazis and I am not calling the US Nazi Germany so please don't pull out that red herring but think about this: remember that "just following orders; have an oath to keep" was the refuge of the German soldier in WWII. Well, maybe what the US is doing in Iraq (and elsewhere in the ME) is actually very evil. And if that is so, then Bradley Manning is a very brave young man and a hero. I for one, am making a donation to support his defense.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:26 p.m.RECOMMENDED40

DougPWest Coast
I don't know what's more disturbing, the public indifference to the horrors he uncovered for us or the fact that such atrocities happened in the first place.

At the least for a democracy to work we need an informed electorate and far too often the governments veil of secrecy means people are voting in the dark. I studied history in school and what struck me over and over was how the contemporary masses would have an appreciation of events that would be flipped on it's head if they had immediate access to the guarded materials that only become available to historians years later. But by then people have moved on, no longer care, the deceptions and crimes have been accomplished.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:22 p.m.RECOMMENDED39

jimarizona
This soldier had much to lose, and still did what he did for selfless reasons. How many of us would have the courage to stand with our convictions and do the right thing?

This soldier deserves honors, and he will receive them.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:34 p.m.RECOMMENDED39

Johndrake07NYC
What he revealed through Wikileaks is nothing more than a great embarassment to the Obama Administration - and reveals the hypocrasy of the "great openness and transparency" that Obama promised the American people - before he unleashed the Stasi-like Security State upon the country. Viddy the decision of the Supremes to uphold the Obama admins right to spy, listen and record our conversations and perform unconstitutional surveillance on everyone, everywhere at anytime and any place. Or his God-Given Right to kill Americans by drone assassination based on his decision alone - and that of some unnamed bureaucrat behind a computer screen in DC.

And so many of the America-Right-or-Wrong posters think that the government can do no wrong and if they do, it shouldn't be revealed? Remember the lies surrounding Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkien, or the Watergate Papers on Nixon's criminal conspiracy? Apologists for Obama would decry the revelation of deceptions for these events, no doubt.

Orwell wrote: "Actions are held to be good or bad, not on their own merits, but according to who does them, and there is almost no kind of outrage — torture, the use of hostages, forced labor, mass deportations, imprisonment without trial, forgery, assassination, the bombing of civilians — which does not change its moral color when it is committed by “our” side."

Obviously, the "Our Siders" would have Manning executed for "crimes" that shine the light on our moral terpitude.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:55 p.m.RECOMMENDED38

Ben CompaineCambridge, MA
I’m rather stunned at the volume of comments sympathetic to Manning. Good intentions do not exonerate illegal activity. Do we forgive muggers or embezzlers because they say it was only to get the money to feed their family?

Nor can we allow every private or low level intelligence analyst to decide on their own what is or is not harmful to national interests. Manning certainly did not review each of the thousands of documents to check their content. And even if he did we cannot condone his own arbitrary standard to be the basis for dissemination. Sure there are probably too many documents that are classified. But there would be a very dangerous message sent if a court did little more than a slap him on the wrist.

The question of how Manning may have been treated while in confinement is a separate issue.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:40 p.m.RECOMMENDED38

c37725Wichita, KS
I hope they let the kid off light, but I don't think our vindictive government will do that. The biggest mistake that Manning made was to believe that the publication of those documents would spark a foreign policy debate in this country. He don't know us too well, do he?
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:55 p.m.RECOMMENDED37

PogoWasRightMelbourne Florida
They should give him a slap on the wrist. Just as they did to punish those six Navy SEALS who revealed classified information for monetary benefit. A strange world the military lives in. And I was part of it for more than 20 years.........
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:16 p.m.RECOMMENDED37

tj breenmaine
The real crime here is the detention of PFC Manning.
No U.S. citizen - no human being - should be held in iso the way this individual has been.
For shame.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:52 p.m.RECOMMENDED37

Blue StaterHeath, Massachusetts
It was Georges Clemenceau, I think, who wrote that "military justice is to justice as military music is to music." If Bradley Manning really was instrumental in stopping the Iraq War, he deserves the Medal of Honor.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:21 p.m.RECOMMENDED36

Jason ShapiroSanta Fe
Manning has already spent enough time in prison, and under humiliating and deplorable conditions. If this country is ever going move on from the debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan (a questionable proposition given that we have yet to move on from Vietnam), then Pvt. Manning should be freed.
In reply to Captain MandrakeFeb. 28, 2013 at 5:16 p.m.RECOMMENDED35

PatrickBoulder CO
He chose humanity over nationalism. His courage is to be lauded.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:26 p.m.RECOMMENDED35

Casual ObserverLos AngelesNYT Pick
This guy acted according to his conscience but his judgement was definitely flawed, and he will be convicted and punished for it. He violated an oath but I think calling him a traitor and simply claiming that all secrets should be held equally deserving of confidentiality is also a flawed notion.

The anger that some people feel towards a "snitch" reveals a primitive urge to belong to a group and to justify even the egregious acts committed by group members. When soldiers murdered and raped civilians in a village that supported Communist forces in Vietnam under orders, a helicopter crew rescued some of the villagers. It took decades for the DOD to cite those crew members for bravery and many in the military and amongst American civilians vilified them as traitors. The officers in charge of the troops were tried and either acquitted by military courts, never prosecuted, or pardoned by the President. There were soldiers who refused to participate who did not care what were the consequences and this helicopter crew, and nobody else who were capable of doing the right thing and suffering the consequences. Eveyone else was just going along to get along.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:59 p.m.RECOMMENDED35

hellboyNew Hampshire
Yep, imagine if none of the American public knew about our policies on torture, or the real reasons that thousands of soldiers died for Bush's lies in Iraq? So many more stress-free days under the sun for all of us!!! Except of course those who died or are being tortured! Soldiers also have a duty to honor their conscience when they see wrong being done in the name of the US Constitution and the law. That they are not supported to do so is where we need to work...not on slamming anyone who whistle-blows!
In reply to SteveFeb. 28, 2013 at 3:55 p.m.RECOMMENDED35

rbolescaliforina
so telling us that the goverment is hiding deaths of people they killed is aiding the enemy i guess we the people are the enemies of the goverment
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:05 p.m.RECOMMENDED34

ryoung iiCA
Words like treason and traitor come to mind. I'm concerned by his self-important decision to determine the value of information he was allowed access to and the cowardice he shows in trying to justify his action because of "isolation" due to his sexual orientation. If he disagreed with our actions, he could have protested when his tour was over; not betrayed our country and his fellow soldiers.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:16 p.m.RECOMMENDED34

WarrenCT
The people who should be doing time are his superiors who set up a system that gave this kid access to that much info with no oversight or checks. What was he, 20? a private? They should have known something like this could happen. Taking this stuff home a disc? That's computer security 101.

Not that what he did was right, but if you look at his motives and his rational for what he released, it is hardly a case of treason. Give him ten years minus time served.

Finally, he did us a service exposing the military and al the dysfunctional ways they operate. Both wars are a joke and the military is perpetuating it with their simplistic black and white assessments and "killing people on a list." That reminds me of Viet Nam with gimmicks such as body counts. I remember seeing an interview with spotter pilot in Viet Nam. He said the Air Force would put together a list of bombing targets based on on the ground field reports. 12-24 hours later they would end up bombing the target when the enemy was long gone. And this guy got in trouble for calling off an attack because it interfered with the AF being able to say, "We had x number of enemy targets and engaged the all." No different now with their lists.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:03 p.m.RECOMMENDED33

ZiggleColorado
He took an oath. He violated it, and in a huge way. This was not a case of a whistle-blower highlighting improper or illegal behavior -- it was indiscriminate release of a tremendous amount of classified data.

Just like Jonathan Pollard, Bradley Manning needs to do the time.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 3:12 p.m.RECOMMENDED33

Hal and BelindaHilo, HI
We certainly hope his judges take into account, his youth, the brutality he has suffered thus far and the sheer waste of life, being held in a cell. A sad commentary on many aspects of our civilized lives here.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:32 p.m.RECOMMENDED32

jimarizona
Our government is elected by "We The People", and then sends our young men and women off to war under false pretenses, and then withholds information about what is actually going on in combat theater. The actions by our military of bombing Iraqi civilians is information that should have been made public BEFORE it was done. Would We The People still have supported our Senators in their vote?

This soldier deserves a medal for his actions.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:26 p.m.RECOMMENDED32

Dr WUhotel calif
We are a warrior culture; whistleblowers get the shaft. We hail Caesar and Sherman and murder King and Jesus.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:21 p.m.RECOMMENDED32

BlankWherever
Ellsberg supported Manning's actions. That really convinced me to "get over" my uncertainty about Manning. I support him, even though I wish we didn't have a corrupt situation that obliged Manning to do what he did.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:06 p.m.RECOMMENDED31

jbok
Imagine that we had a dictatorship here. One that was carefully hiding its tracks as it went on doing the bidding of a few powerful men. One that was busy around the world, using the people's treasury to get its own profits up, to take resources from others, to kill opponents abroad. Imagine that layers of secrecy kept this from the people while a faux 2-party system simply cycled members of the gang up for votes.

Then a person leaking some of that information could expect the worst, couldn't he? Such bad treatment that no one would ever think of leaking information, no matter what horrors the dictators committed or decreed. That's what he'd expect. We'll see what happens here.
In reply to SteveFeb. 28, 2013 at 3:47 p.m.RECOMMENDED31

Robinwest village nyc
It would be awesome to have Cheney put under the conditions Manning has been subjected to.
The difference being, Manning fights for disclosure, while Cheney brought only shame + criminality.
In reply to CowboyFeb. 28, 2013 at 4:59 p.m.RECOMMENDED30

Jack SchimmelmanEdgartown, MA
He broke the law. Did he compromise national security? Hardly. all he did was publish. Most of the information was already well known and the incidents were long gone. This man is a hero and a true patriot. Nevertheless, he did break the law. Would Daniel Ellsberg go to prison today (the Pentagon Papers)? Probably. Regarding the Iraq war, we have been continuously lied. Blood flowed based on lies and it is a tragedy. Who should pay the price for that crime?
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:22 p.m.RECOMMENDED29

HTNYC
Let's not lose sight in this debate of what exactly Manning leaked.

The video shows US Air Force gunners blowing away some 5-year old girls, a photographer, the girls' dads who tried to help him as he bled to death, and a bunch of other guys who may or may not have been bad guys (the gunners had no way of knowing because they were far away in an AC-130 gunship - not a helicopter - looking at a grainy telephoto gun camera image). It's clear from the audio that the gunner is eager to get permission to kill some people and takes pleasure in doing so. These atrocities were committed against people who never attacked the US and never asked us to invade their country or overthrow their government.

Is it any surprise that the military classified this video as "secret?" The crime is not Bradley Manning sending a video to wikileaks. The crime is the whole Iraq war and the criminals are the US political leaders who promoted the war and allowed it to proceed. Reporting a crime should not be a crime. Manning deserves praise for bravely helping to show Americans the horrible acts that are being done in their name and with their money.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 11:27 p.m.RECOMMENDED28

crankyactivistDorchester, MA
So the NYT calls Manning a "folk hero" which is someone who is not usually a public historical figure. Of course for those who get all their information from the NYT Manning is probably not a historical figure. The Times has said almost nothing about him in the over 1000 days he has been locked up without a trial, with 9 months in solitary confinement, a practice considered to be torture by many countries.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.RECOMMENDED28

Jason MayoBowdoinham Maine
Do those who slaughtered the innocents at My Lai walk with bowed heads? Do those who pursued peace by raining bombs not ask themselves for forgiveness? The swagger of the warrior band dominates our culture and violence pierces our soul. The old lie, "Dulce et Decorum est, Pro Patria Mori" runs rampant. We choose never to learn this simple truth and our country's blood runs cold.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:34 p.m.RECOMMENDED28

ChristopherJersey
The kid's a hero. And I hope he turns into a role model.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 4:17 p.m.RECOMMENDED28

zaigum kashmiriclarence ny
Army private Manning is a true patriot. he should be commended for leaking these files about US war mongring.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.RECOMMENDED26

crankyactivistDorchester, MANYT Pick
Why do we have the honored tradition of civil disobedience and whistleblowers? Manning's oath is not to the military, it is to the country and the constitution which does not condone war crimes, which he exposed.

Manning is not self-righteous when he explains that he saw, in doing his work as a computer analyst, that the so-called counter insurgency strategy was harming Iraqis and that the military was keeping this a secret from us, the tax payers.

I prefer to know what my government employees in the military, the executive branch, and the Congress are doing with my tax dollars. And clearly we need many more Bradley Mannings since our government is becoming more and more secretive and classifying more and more information that used to be unclassified.
In reply to bdFeb. 28, 2013 at 5:43 p.m.RECOMMENDED26

DavGregMarion, AR
One of the dirty secrets of Obama is that his administration has been brutal on whistleblowers. In Manning's defense, if he would have expressed concerns to his chain of command they would have been ignored.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 6:49 p.m.RECOMMENDED25

nilooteroPacific Palisades
So it's treason to inform a democracy about its actual policies? The original, and far greater, treason was committed by those concealing the lethal actions of our government, actions taken in the name of all U.S. citizens, actions for which we all bear responsibility.
In reply to L. NewmanFeb. 28, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.RECOMMENDED25

dwinstone1SSI, GA
The Senators, Representatives, President, Military Leaders, etc. take an oath that generally starts out swearing to protect and defend the Constitution. When they engage in acts such as lying to the American people to start wars, to violate the 4th Amendment, incarcerate without judicial process, etc., in my opinion they are also traitors. So please add to your list most of the elected and appointed officials of the country.
In reply to ZiggleFeb. 28, 2013 at 3:56 p.m.RECOMMENDED25

adirondaxMid-state NY
I completely sympathize with the accused' perspective. I also share the view that people like W. and Cheney have never been charged for their wilful desception.

Regrettably, the government is likely to throw the book at this kid, and he's going to have to do the time.

I don't see a way out for him. Unless Obama was to pardon him while leaving office.
Feb. 28, 2013 at 5:38 p.m.RECOMMENDED24

AmalaNYC
Your reasoning is very superficial. He is not advocating for anyone to do anything they want with lip service towards making the world a better place. He made a specific act to reveal the truth about what was happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. If anything, he was trying to show how our military is making the world less safe and secure by ignoring the human beings they were harming. He is like a modern day Thomas Paine or Patrick Henry.