Bradley Manning Aided The Enemy Because He Knew Al Qaeda Uses The Internet, Prosecutors Charge

[marmar]

FORT MEADE, Md. -- As military prosecutors wrapped up their case against Bradley Manning just before the Fourth of July, their most serious charge against the Army private first class -- aiding the enemy -- rested tenuously on circumstantial evidence.

When the government brought the charge against Manning in May 2011, the move aroused a firestorm of criticism over fears a dangerous precedent could be set. Manning is being tried in a military court martial, but some have argued that the rarely used aiding the enemy charge might also be applied against civilians. Press freedom advocates claim the charge could be used to give a severe sentence to anyone who uploads sensitive information on the Internet -- by the government's own admission, it would have made no difference if Manning had given his 700,000 files to The New York Times instead of WikiLeaks.

The government began building its case in the wake of Manning's June 2010 arrest. Criminal investigators and forensics experts swooped in to figure out how a low-level intelligence analyst stationed in a remote corner of Iraq could send thousands of files -- on subjects ranging from the State Department to Guantanamo -- to WikiLeaks.

Prosecutor Capt. Joe Morrow said in his opening statement that the investigation concluded "Pfc. Manning knew the consequences of his actions and disregarded that knowledge in his own self-interest." ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/09/bradley-manning-aiding-the-enemy_n_3543592.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Ya. Bit of a streeeeeeeeeeeetch, I'd say. In three years, that's the best they can come up with?

Good god. Next case.

[bemildred]

2. Pathetic. nt

[xchrom]

3. oy. vey. nt

[Democracyinkind]

4. It's all they really got...

They argued that the video of them killing journalists revealed classified tactics...

[Recursion]

5. They'll never make that charge

Shouldn't have filed it, IMO

[Scootaloo]

6. Well, that's the weakest argument I've heard in a long damn time.

Maybe they could try dunking him in the river - if he floats, he's made of wood and therefore guilty!

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Or a "witch"

[idwiyo]

8. Really? AQ "uses Internet"? WOW!

[Hydra]

9. lmao

I said they would do this- they are trying to prove that ANY leak is "aiding the enemy" because eventually it will end up in the hands of a "terrorist."

This trial is grimly amusing. They aren't actually trying Manning, they're using him as an excuse to set precedents for criminalizing journalism(Wikileaks) and for setting broad new definitions for what is involved in punishing whistleblowers.

Glad to see them going through all of these legal contortions to justify destroying people and ideas.

[DevonRex]

10. His defense is he gave it to the WHOLE WORLD??????

But Al Qaeda wasn't supposed to read it??? Uh huh.

Jesus Fucking Christ people. Get a clue.