Thread: Army Pfc. Bradley Manning

ok went back and looked at old threads and got shit straightened out, got my wires crossed there for a second. So my first post was wrong, but he still did download all that shit gave it to Wikileaks and still endangered the lives of troops and other contacts that the military used in overseas operations. Still doesnt make what he did right.

and oddly enough deathgod already started a thread about this guy and the charges surrounding him:
http://www.teamplayergaming.com/news...h-penalty.html

I know that there are a few links in there that are directly related to the charges against him and some other tidbits and information regarding the whole ordeal.

Originally Posted by DuDDy

ok went back and looked at old threads and got shit straightened out, got my wires crossed there for a second. So my first post was wrong, but he still did download all that shit gave it to Wikileaks and still endangered the lives of troops and other contacts that the military used in overseas operations. Still doesnt make what he did right.

Ok, so show how troops were endangered. Only something actual and relevant though and not some 'now they hate us more' type of nonsense.

you going to do some research yourself and actually read the other thread at all? like i said there's more information there regarding this whole thing.

Some relevant information.

UCMJ - Uniformed Code of Military Justice (aka Military Law)
Uniform Code of Military Justice - UCMJ

Security Clearances
Classified information in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mutiny or Sedition 894 - 94

894. ART. 94. MUTINY OR SEDITION

(a) Any person subject to this chapter who--

(1) with intent to usurp or override lawful military authority, refuses, in concert with any other person, to obey orders or otherwise do his duty or creates any violence or disturbance is guilty of mutiny;

(2) with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority, creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or disturbance against that authority is guilty of sedition;

(3) fails to do his utmost to prevent and suppress a mutiny or sedition being committed in his presence, or fails to take all reasonable means to inform his superior commissioned officer or commanding officer of a mutiny or sedition which he knows or has reason to believe is taking place, is guilty of a failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition.

(b) A person who is found guilty of attempted mutiny, mutiny, sedition, or failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court- martial may direct.

Espionage

906a. ART. 106a. ESPIONAGE

(A) (1) Any person subject to this chapter who, with intent or reason to believe that it is to be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, communicates, delivers, or transmits, or attempts to communicate, deliver, or transmit, to any entity described in paragraph (2), either directly or indirectly, any thing described in paragraph (3) shall be punished as a court-martial may direct, except that if the accused is found guilty of an offense that directly concerns (A) nuclear weaponry, military spacecraft or satellites, early warning systems, or other means of defense or retaliation against large scale attack, (B) war plans, (C) communications intelligence or cryptographic information, or (D) any other major weapons system or major element of defense strategy, the accused shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court- martial may direct.

(2) An entity referred to in paragraph (1) is--

(A) a foreign government;

(B) a faction or party or military force within a foreign country, whether recognized or unrecognized by the United States

(C) a representative, officer, agent, employee, subject, or citizen of such government, faction, party, or force.

(3) A thing refereed to in paragraph (1) is a document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, note, instrument, appliance or information relating to the national defense.

(b) (1) No person may be sentenced by court-martial to suffer death for an offense under this section (article) unless--

(A) the members of the court-martial unanimously find at least one of the aggravating factors set out in subsection (c); and

(B) the members unanimously determine that any extenuating or mitigating circumstances are substantially outweighed by any aggravating circumstances, including the aggravating factors set out under subsection (c).

(2) Findings under this subsection may be based on--

(A) evidence introduced on the issue of guilt or innocence;

(B) evidence introduced during the sentencing proceeding; or

(C) all such evidence.

(3) The accused shall be given broad latitude to present matters in extenuation and mitigation.

(c) A sentence of death may be adjudged by a court-martial for an offense under this section (article) only if the members unanimously find, beyond a reasonable doubt, one or more of the following aggravating factors:

(1) The accused has been convicted of another offense involving espionage or treason for which either a sentence of death or imprisonment for life was authorized by statute.

(2) In the commission of the offense, the accused knowingly created a grave risk of substantial damage to the national security.

(3) In the commission of the offense, the accused knowingly created a grave risk of death to another person.

(4) Any other factor that may be prescribed by the President by regulations under section 836 of this title (Article 36).

More vague stuff. Where's the treason?

Has any of this been leaked -> (A) nuclear weaponry, military spacecraft or satellites, early warning systems, or other means of defense or retaliation against large scale attack, (B) war plans, (C) communications intelligence or cryptographic information, or (D) any other major weapons system or major element of defense strategy,

Originally Posted by triggerhappy2005

More vague stuff. Where's the treason?

They do not have to make it public to you at all, only inform the convicted. They do not have to let the convicted speak to the press either. All this can happen on a military base and you don't get to know as a civilian. I know a lot about this first hand which is the only reason I'm posting.

Sedition and espionage are more likely the charges with a minor conviction of disobeying direct orders (allowing classified information to leak). Other than what has been released we may never know the whole story, especially if sensitive information has to be included in the court martial.

Another question I have is why are those in the military not afforded the same rights to due process as a civilian would?

Originally Posted by triggerhappy2005

Another question I have is why are those in the military not afforded the same rights to due process as a civilian would?

They are, but under military law because they are in the military. Read the UCMJ and the majority of those laws/rules/regulations makes sense under the conditions that the military must operate.

They have kept him for 9 months which may be because they are still gathering more information for the case against him or there may be other factors that must be cleared before they can be released even in a military trial. They also must find peers of his with the proper clearance for the trial if it is trial by jury and clear them before they can hear any classified/secret/top secret information that the trial may disclose over its course.

They may be also seeing the mental stability of the accused in order to ascertain if he is fit for trial at all. Solitary is completely normal for this type of situation as you wouldn't want any additional information leaked while in confinement to other accused/convicted persons.

But why would they keep him under those conditions? It's obviously a form of torture. To treat an un-convicted person like this seems wrong to me. If he were a civilian, they wouldn't be able to do that. Third world country shit is what that is and it's nothing to be proud of.