Bradley Manning hearing date set as court martial process finally begins

[Seedersandleechers]

Source: Guardian

Bradley Manning, the US soldier who has been held in confinement for the past 18 months on suspicion of having leaked a huge trove of state secrets to WikiLeaks, is to go before a military panel on 16 December at the start of the most high-profile prosecution of a whistleblower in a generation.

The proceedings, at Fort Meade in Maryland, are expected to last five days, and will be the first opportunity for prosecuting officers and Manning's defence team to present their cases. It is known as an Article 32 hearing, and although it is preliminary, both sides will be able to call and cross-examine witnesses.

Since he was arrested in Iraq in May 2010, Manning has become a cause célèbre for anti-war and free information advocates in America and around the world. His support network will be calling a rally outside the Article 32 hearing when it opens next month.

Jeff Paterson, a Manning supporter, welcomed news that the military prosecution was finally getting under way. Since his arrest, Paterson said, Manning has been trapped in a form of legal limbo, with no recourse to any appeals.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/21/bradley-manning-hearing-date-set

[caseymoz]

1. I hope this doesn't mean he broke and is handing them Assange.

I can't blame him very much if he did, though. He's lost a couple years of his life already.

[EFerrari]

7. No, it means the government has their media package together. nt

[russspeakeasy]

2. I hope he sues and wins $10 million for each day he

was falsely imprisoned

[hack89]

3. It is pretty much an open and shut case

he is not going to be suing anybody.

[caseymoz]

6. How about for torture? Kept in solitary for more than a year before trial?

The federal government does have a statute against it, and it wouldn't make a difference that he's under military jurisdiction.

[msanthrope]

17. Interestingly, torture is not an affirmative defense to the crimes he is charged with.

Nor is Mr. Manning's lawyer alleging that torture caused his client to commit, or confess to crime.

[caseymoz]

26. And interestingly, that has nothing to do with whether he could sue for it.

Or put other people in prison by pressing charges. It's a high profile enough case.

It may take a pardon or an overthrow of the government to get him out, but he could still cause some shit while he's in.

[blackspade]

14. Privy to the evidence are we?

I'll be curious to see the 'evidence' the government comes up with.

[hack89]

15. We can always start with his chats with Adrian Lamo nt

[msanthrope]

19. And then move on to the incredibly sloppy forensic trail he left....

if his second charge sheet is any indication.

[leftynyc]

4. You're dreaming

He's lucky they're not charging him with treason and he may just spend the next 30 years behind bars. Falsely imprisoned my ass.

[EFerrari]

8. Yes, only a traitor would make the truth about our government's corruption public.

He should hang for that.

[leftynyc]

9. Oh for Heavens sake

do you deny he's guilty of what he's been charged with? Okay by me he wants to be a martyr but what he did was illegal and he could have been charged with much worse.

[Juneboarder]

10. Guilty until proven innocent?? nt

[leftynyc]

21. That's for juries

And don't even pretend that if this was some repub in trouble you wouldn't be assuming his guilt. He'll get his trial....and he'll get convicted. Hope he thinks it's worth it.

[Juneboarder]

23. Excuse me

Please don't assume my positions that I take. If it was a repub, I would say the same thing. Our court system was designed for a criminal to be innocent until proven guilty; not vice versa.

The fact of a guilty until proven innocent stance just clarifies the fascist state we truly live in.

[leftynyc]

27. If you actually ever lived

in a fascist state you'd understand how completely ignorant you sound. In fact, you wouldn't even be allowed to do what you're doing right here.

[Juneboarder]

28. Have a great day.

I'll go back, stick my head in the sand and continue on with my ignorance as you put it.

Others, however, do feel the same way, so be careful who you call ignorant my friend :)

[Juneboarder]

29. And I'll leave you with this fascinating speech from Naomi Klein

Hopefully you don't feel she's ignorant :eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x636905

[caseymoz]

30. Which means that the fascist state is just a little smarter than usual.

Or not quite at the stage where everybody, even you, begins to regret it.

Examining the facts: we've given the president the right to arrest anybody he wants for any reason and hold them on no charges, have them tortured, or alternately assassinate them. For one thing, this means the crackdown can come at any time, and there's not a damn thing we can do about it.

Locally, police can ignore the 4th amendment practically at their leisure, they can go before grand juries and lie their heads off and never face any consequences. Also, from what we've seen in the Occupy movement, they can apply force casually and vindictively. And if they've done it when they know people have to be recording, you know they're carefree about doing it when nobody is.

Once you are arrested and in custody, the prison industry will make incarcerating you profitable by keeping you in awful conditions. Before, during or after trial. If you're really lucky, they'll enslave you to make more money, and yes, this is happening. Prison labor at far beneath minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the government can operate in total secrecy doing exactly what it wants, and the Cold War has long been no excuse. This was something Bradley Manning tried to stop.

You remind me of the people who say "Oh, the poor aren't starving, yet. Many have refrigerators and TVs." You want to give current trends enough time and then when the situation becomes lethal, say, "Oh, it's too late to do anything now?" What is this? You want the fascist state show its explicitly fascist?

They say the Germans didn't do enough to stop Hitler's rise to power. You're teaching me why they didn't and how they rationalized it.

If you happened to have lived in an overtly fascist state and can tolerate any of what I've listed, I could only conclude that you emerged from it a fascist. Either that or perhaps you've never been in one, you know only the most apparent, overt, details about it, and just want to sound like you have. Meaning you're a tool who doesn't know how ignorant he sounds.

[EFerrari]

11. As I said, he should hang for ruining our government's colossally sloppy

cya.

And please don't argue frickin' legalities to me when they tortured this man in custody and still refuse to allow the UN Special Rapporteur for TORTURE to meet with him. The Obama administration has no moral high ground in this case whatsoever, from the moment no one would hear Manning's complaint about releasing our prisoners' to certain torture to now.

[msanthrope]

18. You are incorrect. The Special Rapporteur may meet with Mr. Manning, where

he will be subject to the same rules anyone else would be.

No special exemptions for Mr. Manning's guests. Like every other prisoner in America, Mr. Manning's guests can be monitored.

The Special Rapporteur may meet with Mr. Manning's attorney, with no restrictions.

Funny, how that has not seemed to have happened.....

[EFerrari]

25. I am not incorrect. And Manning has the right to meet with the UN Rapporteur

like any prisoner whose detention is being investigated for torture and abuse.

And no, there is nothing funny about this situation.

[leftynyc]

22. Like I said

I couldn't care less if he wants to martyr himself.

[Angry Dragon]

5. ..................

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[FairWinds]

12. Shame on Obama

. . for prejudicing this case on April 21st by declaring that Manning "broke the law". Incredible behavior by a supposed constitutional law prof!!! Here is the link.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20056566-503544.html

When he ran for office, Obama promised to protect whistle blowers . .

http://objectsinmotion.org/obama-promised-to-protect-whistleblowers/

Those who claim that the case against Manning is "open and shut" need to produce evidence, otherwise it seems reasonable to conclude that they are trolls.

[msanthrope]

16. Manning is a traitor, not a whistleblower. And the government does think he broke the law.

President Obama did not comment on Mr. Manning's guilt. But he did repeat what the government believes--that he broke the law.

[blackspade]

20. Strong words from someone who hasn't seen all of the evidence.

The charges are not evidence.

[happyslug]

33. Treason requires some intent to aid an "Enemy" of the US

Treason is the only crime defined in the US Constitution in the first sentence of Article 3, Section 3 of the US Constitution:

Section 3 - Treason

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A3Sec3

And the courts have long ruled, that a mere action that MAY help an enemy of the US is NOT treason unless it can be shown that the INTENT of the act was to "Aid and Comfort" to an enemy of the US. When the United Mine Workers went on Strike During WWII, UMW's President, Joe Lewis was accused of Treason, but never charged for the simple reason his call for a Coal Mine Strike during war time was clearly to get more money for his UMW members NOT to aid any enemy of the US.

More on Lewis and the 1943 Coal Strike:
http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6929/692913.html

A 1950 Marxist analysis of John L. Lewis:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/braverman/1950/11/lewis.htm

Mother Jones Autobiography, another person often accused of Treason:
http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/jones/index.html

As to Manning, it is clear his intention was NOT to aid any enemy of the US and as such can NOT be charged with Treason.

[struggle4progress]

32. That video is a disingenuous affair: the folk went to a private fundraiser, demanded POTUS

speak with them about Manning, recorded his response, distributed it widely, and then shrieked that POTUS was publicly prejudicing the Manning proceedings

If the Manning supporters were worried that Manning's case might be prejudiced by public statements, why did they go to a private fundraiser, demand POTUS speak with them about Manning, record his response, and circulate it widely? It doesn't make sense -- and the reason is that their whole POV is blatant bullshizz

[blackspade]

13. About fucking time.

The conditions of his detention have been shameful.

[lovuian]

24. He is a Whistleblower and a hero

it has really shown where the Obama administration is coming from

[struggle4progress]

31. The madness of Bradley Manning? – video

Bradley Manning, the man held over the leaking of confidential cables to WikiLeaks, was a 'mess of a child' who should never have been put through a tour of duty in Iraq, according to an investigative film produced by the Guardian

Teresa Smith, Maggie O'Kane, Guy Grandjean, Jacqui Timberlake, Jim Hedge, Chavala Madlena, Dan Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Richard Sprenger and Christian Bennett

Friday 27 May 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/may/27/bradley-manning-wikileaks-iraq-video

[Quantess]

34. Well, that took long enough!

Poor guy has been rotting in prison for... how long?