Trying real hard but....
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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Manning Guilty of Espionage but Not 'Aiding Enemy' |
| 2013-07-31 |
| [An Nahar] A U.S. military judge convicted Bradley Manning of espionage Tuesday, leaving him facing a lengthy jail term despite clearing him on the most serious charge that he 'aided the enemy.' Colonel Denise Lind found Manning guilty of 20 of 22 counts related to his leaking of a huge trove of secret U.S. diplomatic cables and military logs to the WikiLeaks website. She said she would begin sentencing hearings on Wednesday, at the Fort Meade military base outside Washington where the trial was held. If Lind decides to impose penalties in the higher ranges permitted under the charges, the now 25-year-old Manning could face a de facto life sentence of more than 100 years in jail. "On charge one, court finds you not guilty," Lind told the hearing, before reading the long list of lesser counts on which Manning was found guilty of breaching the espionage act or disobeying orders. The court was silent and Manning, a boyish young man in an army dress uniform and round glasses, showed no emotion before the live feed to the press room was cut. Some freedom of information activists will welcome the news that he was at least cleared of knowingly aiding U.S. foe al-Qaeda by leaking secrets to be published on the Internet. But there have been warnings that the case, and the harsh penalties Manning could still face, could deter whistleblowers and have a chilling effect on future media investigations. A few dozen protesters had gathered outside Fort Meade to support Manning and WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group set up by Australian cyber-activist Julian Assange, expressed fury at the verdict. In a Twitter message, the WikiLeaks group said the court's decision reflected "dangerous national security extremism" on the part of US President Barack Obama I inhaled. That was the point... 's White House. It also said the conviction of Manning set a "very serious new precedent for supplying information to the press." WikiLeaks is also working with a second American leaker, civilian former intelligence technician Edward Snowden, who is seeking asylum in Russia after revealing vast U.S. electronic surveillance programs. His supporters have cited Manning's trial as proof that Snowden was right to flee abroad with his leaks rather than face trial at home. The best known U.S. rights group, the American Civil Liberties Union, gave a measured response to the verdict, but reiterated its concern about the use of draconian anti-spying laws to curtail government whistleblowers. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 I suspect that in prison the choice will not be in Mr. Manning's hands. Trying real hard but.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2013-07-31 20:27 |
| #8 prison for Breanna is like a budget Match.com setup At Match.com one can choose among the options, Frank. I suspect that in prison the choice will not be in Mr. Manning's hands. About NSA/HS observation: certain Washington, DC IPs have showed up in the Rantburg list over the years. No doubt those of us deemed in need of being watched already are. No doubt examination of my connections, both primary and secondary (or whatever the proper terminology is) have bored them to tears, not to mention my daily peregrinations, but such is the accepted lot of the data analyst, sorting through the straw to find needles. And I suspect those of you who are truly interesting already have clearance levels. ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2013-07-31 16:59 |
| #7 by Venn diagram of those three, Rantburg must be on the daily list of NSA/HS watch list. Well, if Rantburg isn't, the first time someone writes (III), we will be! Oops! |
| Posted by: badanov 2013-07-31 09:54 |
| #6 prison for Breanna is like a budget Match.com setup |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-07-31 08:37 |
| #5 Given that the official position of the administration is that the only real enemies are the Tea Party, the internet, veterans*, Netanyahu, and the 15th hole at the Palms, why would you find the result surprising? I'd make a good bet that the Rosenberg's pardon is on the one's desk. Party members are taken care of in this administration. * by Venn diagram of those three, Rantburg must be on the daily list of NSA/HS watch list. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-07-31 07:38 |
| #4 1 and 2 above nailed it! My first thought when I heard the verdict, a political decision. Now if someone could just get MAJ Nadal Hasan to shave and get into the correct uniform [never happen]. Ethel and Julius, will we have to dig them up and..... apologize ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-07-31 04:24 |
| #3 He'll be in Leavenworth or someplace similar for 136 years, according to the BBC. That's certainly good enough for going on with. Besides, he didn't give it to an enemy, as such. He arranged to have it splashed across the universe, where anyone, including enemies and little green aliens in their shiny round spaceships could see it. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2013-07-31 01:23 |
| #2 Having enemies is so... unenlightened. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-07-31 00:57 |
| #1 Can't aid enemy - we don't acknowledge HAVING any enemies. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2013-07-31 00:42 |