If ther would have been more people like Bradley Manning during WW2, perhaps there wouldn’t have been over 9 million people killed in the hands of nazist.
It’s a duty as human to not tolerate crime against human rights!
It’s alarming that US military don’t prevented this from happening in the first place… But as we all know USA stands beyond all laws…
2010-07-12 10:56
ALEX
HOW DO YOU GUYS THINK BRADLEY IS GOING TO BE SAVED WHEN HIS DUMB ASS ASKED FOR IT, HE JOINED TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
“For a long time I have felt sickened about what is happening in this country, and I have felt guilty that my activism has been minimal. This case, however, touched a nerve in me. For me, this was the last … See Morestraw. I’m ready to get off my butt and do something, anything I can, to stop this monstrous compounding of injustice upon injustice.”
IT’S PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHY THE GOVERMENT KEEPS SECRETS FROM YOU PEOPLE, WHAT DID YOU FORGET ABOUT 9/11 DID YOU FORGET SADDAM GASSED HIS OWN PEOPLE DID YOU FORGET TERRORISM IS STILL INTACT. OR ARE YOU GUYS SITTING IN YOUR ASS CRYING ABOUT HOW SAD IT WAS TO DO A SIMPLE JOB. WHAT EVER YOUR JOB IS DO IT BUT DON’T QUESTION OURS OR THE GOVERMENT BECAUSE WHATEVER IT IS THAT IT WAS, THAT HE DID . IM SURE THERE IS A REASONABLE EXPLANATION. BESIDES DO YOU THINK TERRORISTS CARE IF THEY WALK IN TO YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL AND DEPLOY AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. IM NOT SAYING WHAT HE DID WAS WRONG OR RIGHT. HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO GAVE INTEL AWAY AND BOOM NOW HE’S IN THIS PREDICAMENT. GOOD JOB BRADLEY YOU FUCKED YOURSELF. THANK GOD I DIDN’T JOIN THE ARMY NO BEARING.
2010-07-12 14:34
Adams
hmm well I actually see the army in a better light knowing that there may still be a few decent guys left in there like Manning. People who put their own balls on the line to expose the fucked-up shit when they see it.
But no your right, we would all be a lot better off with our heads in the sand, spending tax money to fund the slaughter of innocent people, and taking measures to make sure the world does not find out. Money going towards a lawsuit that questions it – naw that would be a terrible waste. Fuck, why don’t we just get rid of checks and balances in the government too? Its actually pretty inefficient when you think about it.
As far as I am concerned , Manning stole nothing. These things are paid for with tax money, the American people are entitled to them.
2010-07-12 16:55
Are you serious?
What good did the video do????? You are either in the military and maybe close to/involved in things like this, or you have your head in the sand. Since when is it ok for any military to act like they did? I spent many years serving with another country’s army … we generally didn’t look forward to playing with the US Army because they were always regarded as cowboys. They may have grown up in the meantime, but I doubt it.
What good did it do?? It exposed the fundamental ethos of the US military to the rest of world. Fuck it, kill everything.
2010-07-13 03:37
Evan
Ok. Alex. First of all, learn how to form proper sentences. Second of all, when is there a “reasonable explanation” for gunning down innocent people?
I think what you aren’t understanding is that terrorism is such a threat to the west because of the things our government has done behind closed doors. The more open and honest our government is, the more freedom we have to shape and control it by voting.
2010-07-13 03:41
sim
@Alex: indeed he did join to support his country, but that invites a further question: did what happened on that day ‘protect’ the US? Really? Remember, a camera crew from a *western* agency was shot to bits, along with some innocent civilians whose surviving family are maybe not all that well-disposed to America right now, and in an apparent breach of rules of engagement too. Even if you don’t think the guy’s a hero you’ve got to agree that it’s a fuzzier case than you’d like, if ‘protecting his country’ is the key test.
2010-07-13 03:43
Johnny Nova
Bradley is a hero because he had a conscience and not profit as his motive. We need to uncover any and all horrific acts by a dominate super power. This is where WIKILEAKS takes over. This is the new dawn of mankind. “you can create bait to draw dragons out of their caves legally”/Julian Assange.
2010-07-13 03:44
Anon
Relax Alex. Learn some Internet manners. All caps won’t get your message across – the rest of us just skipped over that. Second, learn to make a solid argument – your non-sequiturs are just old and has no relevance to this case.
2010-07-13 03:47
Ron
Alex
Think for a second. Maybe what makes Bradley a hero is that he knew what was going to happen to him, but felt he had to proceed anyway. The consequences weren’t as important to him as getting the information out and exposing something he was personally outraged by. Can you say you have the courage to equal his?
I served in the military for the US and there is one thing I can say. The young men and women who take the oath before they ever see a day of boot camp or active duty have no idea what they are getting involved in. Recruiters and the media spin the glory and benefits of service, but asking anyone to pledge upwards of six years of their life without an option to quit is incredibly naïve if you think there won’t be people like Bradley.
I commend his personal integrity and welcome the debate that has begun in earnest as a result.
2010-07-13 03:49
Greg
Sorry, this guy has got to go to prison or the military will never be able to maintain order.
2010-07-13 03:52
Johnny Nova
@greg: Go to prison for what? Exposing maniacal behavior.
I’m waiting for the arrest announcement of the copter crew and its commanding officers ’cause an apology just won’t do. This act is just the tip of the iceberg regarding world power atrocities. Those powers and the players will be held accountable. I guarantee you that. “Order in the military is preserved thru upper rank integrity”.
2010-07-13 04:06
Cp
@Greg
I believe your confused. Soldiers take an oath to defend the Constitution and therefore the rule of law. As we learned from the Nuremberg trials – War criminals that tried to use the excuse that they were following orders were still hung as war criminals. Releasing information regarding murder (well beyond the argument of the “fog of war”) was his duty according to the oath he took as a member of the United States military.
Now TURN OFF your PC, put it BACK into the box, bring it BACK to (WAL*FART or “Best” Buy) – you are too MORONIC (Look it up! – BEFORE you pack it – use GOOGLE.com)
You are too STOOPID to own a computer. Fuck OFF!
PS: 9/11, IRAQ?? – zero connection DUDE.
2010-07-13 04:39
RobertV
One relevant question that I think needs to be answered by anyone either supporting or opposing what Manning did is the validity of this video being classified in the first place. I think that if Manning would have leaked information that could have endangered lives or objectives, say for instance the name and address of an operative or the details of an upcoming mission he would not deserve our support. This is not what happened here though. Personally I doubt if that would have been the case that in turn Wikileaks would have released the video. Both Manning (alleged of course) and Wikileaks released information that, considering innocent people and members of the press got killed, should have been out in the open in the first place. That way the situation could have been investigated and could have served as an example of what happens in a war like this.
The biggest problem with the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is the incredible ignorance of the American people as to what is happening and what they are accomplishing. Yes 9/11 was horrible and Saddam was a prick and you don’t solve the situation by sending everyone involved a nasty letter of protest but this is not going anywhere and it is not solving anything while at the same time a horrible price is being paid by everyone involved. The whole thing is playing out in American media as a struggle between good and evil; the good fight; we’re bringing them democracy while punishing the bad guys. In the mean time both countries are now considered respectively as the 6th and 7th most failed states in the world according to the failed states index while recruitment of terrorists has never been this easy.
Yes the world and the American public need to see this information because they have a right to see what is actually happening and the government has a duty under the freedom of information act to release information like this; the only reason it did not after many requests from Reuters is that it would not show the army in a positive light.
2010-07-13 05:06
Tom Baxter
Alex,
Ask a Kurd or Iraqi Shia about Ronald Reagan’s alliance with Saddam and Reagan’s suppling of gas to Saddam.
Find out what the MEK/MKO did for Saddam and why we are protecting them from the current Iraqi regime.
Find out about the extermination of the First Nations where you live today.
American people are in grave danger from their government in the present time.
Some of these military personnel are on their fourth and fifth tours of duty! They have become irreversibly changed forever and these people will becoming back to the US. And to no jobs. Only jobs supplied by the government to police it citizens.
The banking cartel that has taken over the government are going to take your pensions soon and when this happens there will be close to civil war. (You really need to research what is about to happen in the United States – don’t just fob it off as conspiracy or lunacy – because it will soon be too late to take measures against it.)
The US spends more on military than every other country combined. Who sold chemical agents to Iraq? Who sold nuclear arms to North Korea? Who spies on it’s own citizens? Who implements torture and imprisonment of it’s citizens without due process?
It takes men like Bradley Manning to highlight the tyranny we and the rest of the world are living under.
Wake up America. The rest of the world is depending on your to take your government back before it’s too late.
2010-07-13 07:00
Abbe Faria
Signed.
Very well summed up.
I want to add the following. Not only the american mainstream media and american government are displaying the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as righteous wars, but also the mainstream media and governments of their allied nations like Germany, UK and France.
In the past (basically since the beginning of time) propaganda was a very efficient tool, offering governments an easy way to handle difficult matters. However in the last couple of years a lot of people around the world have started to ask questions and were not satisfied with the way things have been “reported”. First it were a number of blogs that offered different angles. Those already had an influence on the media landscape as you could observe how some newspapers slightly adjusted and new newspapers and online news portals appeared that at least tried to bring independent news. Then sites like wikileaks came along. Now IMMI seems to be the next great step, as it offers professional journalists possibilities that they didn’t have for a long time (if ever), independent journalism might be possible for the first time.
Governments and mainstream media are loosing credibility all the time and if they don’t realize this and do things to improve on that, it might be too late in a couple of years.
(sorry for bad english)
2010-07-13 07:38
RobertV
You are not wrong; I don’t mean that Americans are ignorant people but that they are often ignorant to the real story and hardships brought about in these countries. Having said that I doubt if many are purposely apathetic or are choosing to turn a blind eye; large sectors of the American media play a huge role in this by the enormously simplified way they often choose to report on things.
were you there? No you weren’t. I was and we lost men that day and we were well within the ROE. SO unless you were there on the ground you have no voice
2010-07-13 08:19
Pete
I wish there was someone in the Pentagon with the guts of Manning, who would release a picture or video of the plane that hit the Pentagon. We’re all supposed to believe that a plane hit the Pentagon, but none of us have seen it. Again, why the secrecy? I hope the Bradley Manning incident makes more heroes stand up.
And how exactly put Manning your “brothers” in danger?
Maybe in danger of beeing brought to prison for the crimes of war they committed, but that’s pie in the sky anyway. And that would be rightful.
Other than that I can’t see how he put anybody in danger (other than himself)
2010-07-13 09:11
Morliss
Haha. All you American morons going on about Manning breaking the law, etc. fail to understand and appreciate that in exposing possibly illegal acts, he might in fact not be breaking the law at all.
Also, who gives a fuck about American law? It’s designed to protect the guilty if they’re powerful enough and/or wealthy enough. It’s stupidity is sublime.
The only reason the US is involved in the Middle East is part of a big power-play involving resources and strategic positioning, so that the US can keep on as the world’s biggest parasite, and the most violent one at that.
2010-07-13 10:26
Garbanzo
You are completely correct. I don’t know what some of these other commenters are talking about (ex. Bradley being a bad person), maybe they are government agents or provocateurs trying to feed propaganda into the minds of other soldiers reading this.
By making the general public treat a hero like Bradley Manning badly, they can stop other kind-spirited soldiers from coming out and “doing whats right” because these soldiers will then be skewed into 2 main camps 1) soldiers that will do anything and everything to support the governments causes (regardless of good or bad) and 2) soldiers that still plan on doing good, but are intimidated from doing any good (as there is supposedly no personal advantages to leaking – as per other people looking down upon them for their actions). This is all lies though. And the American People will stand up and expose the corruption within. Freedom is born and bred into us, so the American philosophy will not be stomped out (long-term), the embers are still burning – and the (freedom)forest fire is coming soon.
2010-07-13 11:25
Bard
the collateral murder video Had to be released legally in the first place through reuters freedom of information request.
Instead the military tried to cover it up.
the fact the military hid it from reuters proves they a) KNEW they were in the wrong and B) knew it would cause a PR problem.
forget the irrelevant rantings of people who DONT GET IT.
The army HAD to release it LEGALLY, HID it instead, and someone who saw the illegal and immoral behaviour of those officers in charge of hiding this stuff had the guts to step forward and DO what should have beendone in the first place.
I’m ex military and i know that the core requirement of order is not about blindly obeying orders, but the officer corps giving Legitimate, Legal orders. When they start giving illegal ones every soldier is both duty, legally and honour bound to disobey those illegal orders.
Ignore the rantings of the
2010-07-13 15:05
RobertV
Jarrad; I tried to address that very fact in an earlier post. I think it is important to note that he did not do so; the information he released did not put anyone in danger. If he had I do not believe he would have deserved our support. There are very valid reasons for classifying certain information but there is a line there somewhere that is crossed when you start classifying information simply because you want to withhold the truth from the people because the truth does not draw the pretty picture you want it to draw. Even without addressing the issue of whether the US should even be in this war there is a bottom line here: the video shows that awful mistakes were made. Instead of sweeping that under the rug those mistakes need to be thoroughly looked at, we need to learn from them and work at trying to find ways to prevent them from happening in the future. Hiding that information and thereby sabotaging this process does not make your brothers safer.
I would also like to express with this my sincere hope that all soldiers may return home safely and with that my sincere hope that anyone reporting from a war zone in whatever manner recognize the responsibility that comes with that task.
You can catch far more flies with honey than vinegar.
When you shout at readers (ALL CAPS) they take offense– they are not your children/property, and your philosophy of “might is right” will backfire.
Tasteless profanity, it is just that, tasteless, and your readers will judge you accordingly.
Taken together, your credibility quickly disappears in the dust. You will find yourself alone and on the losing team. My guess is, over 50% of the readers never even read what you had to say.
Now my opinion: Manning and Assange are heroes. One day when the history of the Internet Renaissance is being written, their names will be revered like those of Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, et.al. Would that we could all be so brave and wise!
@Daniel: “What I don’t know won’t hurt me” is a fallacy, ok? You can live your own life that way, but when your ignorance harms inncocent people, it becomes a criminal fallacy.
Whether or not Bradley Manning has gender issues is completely irrelevant, however your statement of this tells us more about you than it does him.
If you were there, you should know that WE paid for your services. WE have a right to know what is being done with OUR money in OUR name.
If you were there and you would like to introduce extenuating circumstances, then perhaps you should seek legal advisement.
In the meantime, you are simply another commenter voicing your opinion. Please don’t tell the rest of us we are irrelevant.
2010-07-13 19:49
Cp
Good post Sam. Your spot on and I am glad to see someone here gets it. Now follow this thought process through to the MIC and international banking cartel. Follow the money.
Nothing creates more profit than the MIC and WAR — they always fund both sides and the military soldiers in the field are the pawns. They catch the flack, not the elite in the CFR and Tri-lateral Commission who control the military.
Poor guys that go over their an actually believe that they are somehow protecting our freedoms and American Liberties. They should have Goldman Sacs and JP Morgan insignia on their uniforms and drive vehicles that say Exxon/Mobil on the side.
Would you kill us too if it would keep us quiet? Put us in prison?
It isn’t our fault that at least some your “platoon” broke ROE and are therefore criminals. If you think shouting is going to keep the truth from emerging, you’re wrong.
I do not support anyone who acts in this way, or in this case, on this forum, talks in the way you do.
The US government is likely going to implode from it’s own weight and debt soon. The whole world should prepare.
On the bright side, it is just another cycle of history happening. It would seem that the burden has been placed on our generation to bring down the walls while remembering our humanity. We all need to be as strong and true as we can and hope for the future. It is not a small burden but, hey, we may as well make the best of it!
2010-07-13 21:40
Mirkaru86
“HE JOINED TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.”
That’s right, his job was to protect the country, it’s citizens and it’s constitution, not some corrupt government that tries to cover up crimes in order to misrepresent the facts to the very people it’s supposed to serve.
Leaking this stuff was the right thing to do, only because it goes against your orders, it does not mean that it’s wrong, I thought we already established this fact in Nurnberg more than 60 years ago.
2010-07-14 14:10
Candace
I am sorry that you were in Iraq with all that entails. You say that your unit were well within the ROE. If so the ROE need revision so that innocent people like (including the two children on their way to school) are not killed or injured. Firearm safety teaches don’t shoot unless you know for sure what you are shooting at.
This may be hard in a life and death situation like Iraq.
The solution: Get out of Iraq. Get out of Afghanistan. Stop medling in the affairs of other countries.
Then well-meaning people such as yourself will not be put in this terrible situation again.
2010-07-15 18:03
fano
you must be out of your mind. you, Americans, think you are the most informed and elite people in the world. well, there it is right on your face. you don’t know shit about what your gov is doing.
I understand where everyone is coming from on both sides of the fences. I serve two tours in combat, one in afghanistan and iraq. First of all, I don’t support the some of the ideals of your government and the current lawmaker bodies that force restain on its people. I don’t agree on the what the war has produced.
What am trying to understand is how individuals with no military experience or have never been in a combat situation can condemn our military men and women. I don’t agree on the inoccent killing of an individual. Then again how would you react in the same situation. Have you ever been faced with the enemy barrelling down on you? Should I not harm the the child who is shooting at me or strapped with explosives? Don’t tell me how you would react because you won’t know it your there. Thats how it was for all of us. The innoccent have died in every war and you think that we are the worst country for it. If they died due to blantant murder, that is true crime. Thousands can die weekly in countries that still slaughter their own people due to governmental power, ethnic differences, and the like. But we should of ignored murderous saddam.
One individual said that “we should have more people like spc then maybe 9 million people would of die due to the hands of the nazist. 11 million people died (5 million jew/6 million other ethnic minorities) and the nazist would of killed them all if someone didn’t step. We discovered the camp, we never knew about them.
I understand what he did, but so many nations that hate us and are watch while we divided. One day someone (China, Russia, or both)will be knocking on the US’s door with all our secrets and we could probably steamroll us over. Does anyone think that there going to spare people like spc, antiwar activist, free thinkers or the individuals of wikileak. They are going to kill everyone. Why, because they don’t have our sense humanity? Pure hated. The Spc has to face the consequences. He knew this would happen. They aren’t going to release him. Now the whole world knows about us. The odds are building against us. With as many antiwar activist now, if we are invaded, whos going to fight. This activists would want our criminal military to protect us. What if one day our military was weak. Lets not blame the servicemen and women and just blame the government.
2010-07-26 18:59
LoL
Quit talking like you own people Quirk ya big dope. Military vets pay taxes too. DURKA!
“Lets not blame the servicemen and women and just blame the government.”
Regardless of what side of this issue you land on I think that is something people should remember time and time again. I think it goes a little further than just blaming the government – MSM should also take a hit for continuously treating their audience to an incredibly simplified account of selected facts and loads of spin.
But loading it on the troops is and will always be simply wrong.
2010-07-27 03:05
Illusioned1
Nicely said!
2010-07-27 04:29
The FACTS!
TELL THAT TO THIS IDIOT MANNING! Do you think those 90,000 files contain servicemeber names and SSNs??! YES. Do you think he was responsible enough to screen and black out names?? NO. A criminal act is a criminal act. He didn’t think, he did a “snatch and grab” on a government SECRET computer and sent it to “some random joe” on the internet. A complete stranger… He acted like a 2 1/2 year old, not a hero seeing genocide on a grand level. Please, PLEASE READ HIS EMAILS and IMs. He’s a punk kid, who’s life is over. Great, I hope he doesn’t have any kids. I would hate for him to be a parent or role model!!!!
2010-07-27 20:18
RobertV
For someone calling himself “the Facts” you are pretty poorly informed – or simply ignorant. Well that kind of rhetoric doesn’t fly. If you want to suggest that there are individuals working in clandestine operations endangered because of these documents I would say go for it, you have 90K documents to choose from. Pick one and present your case. Otherwise “the Windbag!” s a better name. The beauty of this is that these documents are available to all of us to allow us to make an informed decision on where we stand regarding this conflict. They present us with some facts so we don’t have to simply take the words of windbags on how wonderful a job we are doing to the ever grateful and fortunate citizens of Afghanistan.
It isn’t working and that is something the world needs to be aware of.
2010-07-27 22:54
Faraway
I stumbled across this thread and – sitting at the other end of the world eg. Africa – I am glad to know that there’s people in my once beloved US of A who think and act. You guys really dont know how your Government and with this the whole country -yes YOU too – are looked upon by the rest of the world. They can’t understand why the american population who once were on the forefront of change and innovation has become dumb and lazy not to see what the rest of the world finds obvious….
It’s time to revive the spirit of the 60 again, and see it through until everything is exposed. Some people will have to be brave. Like this very young man Manning. Get going!
2010-07-28 00:12
pete
Bradley Manning is a far more honorable hero than Stanley McCrystal and far more credible a witness to the real war in Afghanistan. Everyone knows this except for the lied to American public.
The truth may hurt but it is the truth. I would defend my family, friends and town from an illegal invading force with IEDs or anything else I could throw at them. The Military are the arm of the Corporations and the money vacuum machine of the MIC and the Banksters. People who join the military today become enablers of a corrupt Corporatacracy so far from the Constitution and the people that Mussolini himself would shuddered at.
The argument of a so called “security breach” and the assertion that WikiLeaks and whistleblowers are “putting soldiers in harms way” by releasing this type of information only goes so far.
There is a lot information defined as “secure” throughout the military and the government in order to protect misguided policy, the MIC, rouge illegal operations, and corrupt politicians (foreign and domestic).
Let us not forget that Rumsfeld himself stood at a podium on Sep. 10, 2001 and stated that over 2.3 TRILLION dollars are missing from the pentagon (over 1 trillion the year prior).
(Sep. 10, 2001 is the day before the 9/11 Mossad operation on 9/11 — according to retired top US military brass who have gone public.)
Does anyone trust the military under a Corporatacry/Fascist US government to tell the truth if does not support their agenda?
Follow the money! – over 3 trillion missing in 2 years??? (3 trillion is 3 million,million) Over 1/5th of the US GDP.
The military are the pawns of the global corrupt – Wikileaks doesn’t even scratch the surface. Grow up.
Here is another perspective on your motivation for the US using the military and illegally invading 2 countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan) to install puppet governments and permanent military bases:
Good Lord. fundamental lack of understanding of what it is like to be in a combat zone, in an urban environment, in the dark. This is like explaining sex to virgins.
Reporters know the risk. You can travel with official sanction of either government, and keep operating units apprised of your situation, or you can go it alone and risk getting lit up by an Apache pilot who can’t tell a camera from an RPG in the dark.
Oh yeah, there is a curfew genius’s. That pilot knows noone is supposed to be out after dark, let alone 4 people carrying equipment. Tough call, he made it. Sorry folks, that’s war.
2010-07-29 23:02
RedLeg 6
What a load. Any soldier recieving a TS level clearance knows exactly what he is getting into. They don’t hand those out.
Saying he has no option makes me question if you have even served. There are multiple options for an objecting soldier.
2010-07-29 23:05
RedLeg 6
The Apache crew will have absolutely no consequences, I can promise you that. Tough call, their chain of command will not throw them under the bus for making it.
Manning will do at least 50 years. They just brought in the FBI and DOJ to help Army CID with the case. They aren’t going to botch this one. His current counts added up to 50 years, if they pin him with the Afghan info leak, he will end up dying in prison.
Whatever you think we did, the Army will be fine. The organization has been through much worse than this, and emerged stronger every time.
2010-07-29 23:09
RedLeg 6
Completely wrong. Whatever your armchair general take on that video is, it’s not an ROE violation. If Manning disagreed with that, there is a proper channel for his dissent, and it isn’t wikileaks.
2010-07-29 23:11
pete
Now we can all see that the military complex will bring trumped up charges against Bradley and if this was no breach of security because the info was already in the public domain – there should be no charges!
He did an honorable act and deed and deserves the medal of honor.
Free Prv Manning now. He only exposed war crimes of the US military, we feel sorry for the soldiers who are naively serving their war masters and being shot up with experimental drugs to boot, they are already in a mind controlled state and drugged zombies.
2010-07-30 01:17
Old Russian
As a person who immigrated from Russia to States, having served in Afghanistan during the 80s and knowing this kitchen not by reading newspapers, but from the inside…, to some degree I can understand why he did what he did. One of my many concerns I have with this incident is that persons’ names documented and leaked into public are now going to be used by radicals to be made example of. Very irresponsible move not by Mr. Manning, but publishers. The TIME magazine will soon publish an article telling a story of a single woman who cheated on her husband and actions taken towards her by Taliban. It will make you think in a bit different perspective.
2010-07-30 17:58
FengNian
As someone from an irrelevant country (China), I really hope Mr. Manning could be saved from any penalty for his conscience. But how can some of his disclosure become secrets in the first place? I can understand flaws of weapons should be classified, but one really doesn’t have to know innocent people were killed from NOFORN documents. It is only a secret in the West, but never in Iraq or Afghanistan. Even reporters of Reuters were killed there, but did Reuters ever tell you the stories of victims that they saw, or they sincerely never know it? US always say China should have more press freedom, but I don’t think American people know more facts than Chinese.
I know you won’t believe me, but in fact US gov. has never stopped their attempts to turn China into a Iraq/Afghanistan like place. It is not a secret in China that last year NED or CIA related institutions indirectly/directly organized and employed terrorists to kill innocent Chinese civilians in a scale of thousands, while news agencies like Reuters told the West it was an evidence of “Chinese bloody oppression” or like. The year before, they did similar things in Tibet, but invented another story for you. Unfortunately you don’t have people in your related departments with enough mercy, conscience and courage like Mr. Manning, to tell how some of your tax money was spent. It is not a hate message from me, my country (not people) probably did similar nasty things too, but the victims are almost always those who have nothing to do with any crimes. It is just a fact that some guys are making money from conflicts/wars that they made, using the state machines or paid taxes from others for investment. I thought Obama could be better than Bush on these matters, if he really is, US must be not actually run by him. I am not so optimistic these things will be much less in future, even if, under your help, Mr. Manning finally gets fair treatment that he deserves. Good luck.
Thank you, Everyone who has read and commented upon this article and all who are prepared to face truth in these pivotal and confronting times. As psychopathic forces ever escalate the destruction and immiseration of life on earth (check how many countries are in the anti-people grip of IMF macro-economic policies, and check how a mere 7 per cent of the global military budget would be enough to fulfill the Millenium Development Goals – which include ‘eradication of poverty’, ‘achieving environmental sustainability’, etc, etc), the people NEED the truth to make informed decisions. I believe that – if properly informed – the people would choose to divert our money and resources and ingenuity AWAY from misery and injustice, and rather work together to co-create a good life, a peaceful, sustainable and just world.
Thank you, FengNian for sharing with us from inside China : the internet is the People’s Media – it is HOW we learn the truth. The control of Western media (and Western governments, for that matter)by the power elite is well documented. Re the US – China policy, Webster Tarpley’s 2008 interviews : “The men behind Obama” are still edifying — youtube or check at http://www.wholetruthcoalition.org/2008/11/06/the-men-behind-obama/ Obama is a well-groomed puppet of the real rulers of the world… I can’t believe how many intelligent people who advocate positive social change still think Obama might be ‘on the side of people and life’ !! For me, hope and belief in a positive future depends entirely upon authentic human values… and to reach those treasures, requires, I believe, breaking through the matrix, bursting the bubble of the lies. It’s about reclaiming our humanity, and doing what we all so want to do : ie, that which is right.
Thank you, Old Russian, for your concerns regarding the many persons whose warcrimes are documented in the Afghan War Files – now exposed to all the world. I can’t see how WikiLeaks could have shared these files in any other way than how they were written, and this HAD to be shared. This is certainly the Greatest Leak in History and, I believe, it will prove crucial to the Ending of War, to the rejection of the US military policy of “Full-Spectrum Dominance”, and to the demand by the people that we now channel human ingenuity and planetary resources AWAY FROM destruction and immiseration and, rather, TOWARDS the healing of the Earth, humanity and the web of life, and the co-creation of the world that the vast majority of us want to live in – one that bequeaths a living earth to future generations, one of peace and plenty for all (a goal that would cost a FRACTION of the money and manpower currently put into ruination).
With the release of the Afghan War logs, the truth has been unleashed. We are at an incredible moment. To those who had still believed in the glossy lies of governmental and military propaganda, the criminality of war is irrevocably exposed. I feel strongly that the youth – who, beguiled or desperate or for whatever reason, had joined the armed forces and haplessly found themselves in war zones, dehumanized and bullied, reportedly on speed while in the field and fed anti-remorse drugs ‘the morning after’ – need the support of the community of Peace activists. Their’s is a terrible load! Now is early times — we need time to collectively reel from the impact of this Greatest Leak in World History, we need to feel our outrage at war crimes and at having been so terribly lied to. But, Old Russian, I share here my deepest hope : that the international Community of Humanity — in our authority as the true and free people of the earth – offer clemency to ALL who have committed war crimes — if they become Conscientious Objectors, refuse to serve as the instruments of crimes against humanity, and support the call for Total Disarmament.
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If ther would have been more people like Bradley Manning during WW2, perhaps there wouldn’t have been over 9 million people killed in the hands of nazist.
It’s a duty as human to not tolerate crime against human rights!
It’s alarming that US military don’t prevented this from happening in the first place… But as we all know USA stands beyond all laws…
HOW DO YOU GUYS THINK BRADLEY IS GOING TO BE SAVED WHEN HIS DUMB ASS ASKED FOR IT, HE JOINED TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
“For a long time I have felt sickened about what is happening in this country, and I have felt guilty that my activism has been minimal. This case, however, touched a nerve in me. For me, this was the last … See Morestraw. I’m ready to get off my butt and do something, anything I can, to stop this monstrous compounding of injustice upon injustice.”
IT’S PEOPLE LIKE THIS WHY THE GOVERMENT KEEPS SECRETS FROM YOU PEOPLE, WHAT DID YOU FORGET ABOUT 9/11 DID YOU FORGET SADDAM GASSED HIS OWN PEOPLE DID YOU FORGET TERRORISM IS STILL INTACT. OR ARE YOU GUYS SITTING IN YOUR ASS CRYING ABOUT HOW SAD IT WAS TO DO A SIMPLE JOB. WHAT EVER YOUR JOB IS DO IT BUT DON’T QUESTION OURS OR THE GOVERMENT BECAUSE WHATEVER IT IS THAT IT WAS, THAT HE DID . IM SURE THERE IS A REASONABLE EXPLANATION. BESIDES DO YOU THINK TERRORISTS CARE IF THEY WALK IN TO YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL AND DEPLOY AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. IM NOT SAYING WHAT HE DID WAS WRONG OR RIGHT. HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO GAVE INTEL AWAY AND BOOM NOW HE’S IN THIS PREDICAMENT. GOOD JOB BRADLEY YOU FUCKED YOURSELF. THANK GOD I DIDN’T JOIN THE ARMY NO BEARING.
hmm well I actually see the army in a better light knowing that there may still be a few decent guys left in there like Manning. People who put their own balls on the line to expose the fucked-up shit when they see it.
But no your right, we would all be a lot better off with our heads in the sand, spending tax money to fund the slaughter of innocent people, and taking measures to make sure the world does not find out. Money going towards a lawsuit that questions it – naw that would be a terrible waste. Fuck, why don’t we just get rid of checks and balances in the government too? Its actually pretty inefficient when you think about it.
As far as I am concerned , Manning stole nothing. These things are paid for with tax money, the American people are entitled to them.
What good did the video do????? You are either in the military and maybe close to/involved in things like this, or you have your head in the sand. Since when is it ok for any military to act like they did? I spent many years serving with another country’s army … we generally didn’t look forward to playing with the US Army because they were always regarded as cowboys. They may have grown up in the meantime, but I doubt it.
What good did it do?? It exposed the fundamental ethos of the US military to the rest of world. Fuck it, kill everything.
Ok. Alex. First of all, learn how to form proper sentences. Second of all, when is there a “reasonable explanation” for gunning down innocent people?
I think what you aren’t understanding is that terrorism is such a threat to the west because of the things our government has done behind closed doors. The more open and honest our government is, the more freedom we have to shape and control it by voting.
@Alex: indeed he did join to support his country, but that invites a further question: did what happened on that day ‘protect’ the US? Really? Remember, a camera crew from a *western* agency was shot to bits, along with some innocent civilians whose surviving family are maybe not all that well-disposed to America right now, and in an apparent breach of rules of engagement too. Even if you don’t think the guy’s a hero you’ve got to agree that it’s a fuzzier case than you’d like, if ‘protecting his country’ is the key test.
Bradley is a hero because he had a conscience and not profit as his motive. We need to uncover any and all horrific acts by a dominate super power. This is where WIKILEAKS takes over. This is the new dawn of mankind. “you can create bait to draw dragons out of their caves legally”/Julian Assange.
Relax Alex. Learn some Internet manners. All caps won’t get your message across – the rest of us just skipped over that. Second, learn to make a solid argument – your non-sequiturs are just old and has no relevance to this case.
Alex
Think for a second. Maybe what makes Bradley a hero is that he knew what was going to happen to him, but felt he had to proceed anyway. The consequences weren’t as important to him as getting the information out and exposing something he was personally outraged by. Can you say you have the courage to equal his?
I served in the military for the US and there is one thing I can say. The young men and women who take the oath before they ever see a day of boot camp or active duty have no idea what they are getting involved in. Recruiters and the media spin the glory and benefits of service, but asking anyone to pledge upwards of six years of their life without an option to quit is incredibly naïve if you think there won’t be people like Bradley.
I commend his personal integrity and welcome the debate that has begun in earnest as a result.
Sorry, this guy has got to go to prison or the military will never be able to maintain order.
@greg: Go to prison for what? Exposing maniacal behavior.
I’m waiting for the arrest announcement of the copter crew and its commanding officers ’cause an apology just won’t do. This act is just the tip of the iceberg regarding world power atrocities. Those powers and the players will be held accountable. I guarantee you that. “Order in the military is preserved thru upper rank integrity”.
@Greg
I believe your confused. Soldiers take an oath to defend the Constitution and therefore the rule of law. As we learned from the Nuremberg trials – War criminals that tried to use the excuse that they were following orders were still hung as war criminals. Releasing information regarding murder (well beyond the argument of the “fog of war”) was his duty according to the oath he took as a member of the United States military.
Wow. COMMENTS ARGUING REALITY… WTF? Are you fucking BLIND (Alex? the US military whore) Let me clue you in…
The AUTHENTICATED VIDEO you watched shows doped-up (http://zombiesoncrack.wordpress.com/frontpage-newz/) amerikan INVADER fucks ****MURDERING**** PEOPLE.
Now TURN OFF your PC, put it BACK into the box, bring it BACK to (WAL*FART or “Best” Buy) – you are too MORONIC (Look it up! – BEFORE you pack it – use GOOGLE.com)
You are too STOOPID to own a computer. Fuck OFF!
PS: 9/11, IRAQ?? – zero connection DUDE.
One relevant question that I think needs to be answered by anyone either supporting or opposing what Manning did is the validity of this video being classified in the first place. I think that if Manning would have leaked information that could have endangered lives or objectives, say for instance the name and address of an operative or the details of an upcoming mission he would not deserve our support. This is not what happened here though. Personally I doubt if that would have been the case that in turn Wikileaks would have released the video. Both Manning (alleged of course) and Wikileaks released information that, considering innocent people and members of the press got killed, should have been out in the open in the first place. That way the situation could have been investigated and could have served as an example of what happens in a war like this.
The biggest problem with the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is the incredible ignorance of the American people as to what is happening and what they are accomplishing. Yes 9/11 was horrible and Saddam was a prick and you don’t solve the situation by sending everyone involved a nasty letter of protest but this is not going anywhere and it is not solving anything while at the same time a horrible price is being paid by everyone involved. The whole thing is playing out in American media as a struggle between good and evil; the good fight; we’re bringing them democracy while punishing the bad guys. In the mean time both countries are now considered respectively as the 6th and 7th most failed states in the world according to the failed states index while recruitment of terrorists has never been this easy.
Yes the world and the American public need to see this information because they have a right to see what is actually happening and the government has a duty under the freedom of information act to release information like this; the only reason it did not after many requests from Reuters is that it would not show the army in a positive light.
Alex,
Ask a Kurd or Iraqi Shia about Ronald Reagan’s alliance with Saddam and Reagan’s suppling of gas to Saddam.
Find out what the MEK/MKO did for Saddam and why we are protecting them from the current Iraqi regime.
Find out about the extermination of the First Nations where you live today.
Well stated. Good post.
One thing I would change:
“… the ignorance of the American people…” to
“… apathy and blind eye of the American people …”
American people are in grave danger from their government in the present time.
Some of these military personnel are on their fourth and fifth tours of duty! They have become irreversibly changed forever and these people will becoming back to the US. And to no jobs. Only jobs supplied by the government to police it citizens.
The banking cartel that has taken over the government are going to take your pensions soon and when this happens there will be close to civil war. (You really need to research what is about to happen in the United States – don’t just fob it off as conspiracy or lunacy – because it will soon be too late to take measures against it.)
The US spends more on military than every other country combined. Who sold chemical agents to Iraq? Who sold nuclear arms to North Korea? Who spies on it’s own citizens? Who implements torture and imprisonment of it’s citizens without due process?
It takes men like Bradley Manning to highlight the tyranny we and the rest of the world are living under.
Wake up America. The rest of the world is depending on your to take your government back before it’s too late.
Signed.
Very well summed up.
I want to add the following. Not only the american mainstream media and american government are displaying the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as righteous wars, but also the mainstream media and governments of their allied nations like Germany, UK and France.
In the past (basically since the beginning of time) propaganda was a very efficient tool, offering governments an easy way to handle difficult matters. However in the last couple of years a lot of people around the world have started to ask questions and were not satisfied with the way things have been “reported”. First it were a number of blogs that offered different angles. Those already had an influence on the media landscape as you could observe how some newspapers slightly adjusted and new newspapers and online news portals appeared that at least tried to bring independent news. Then sites like wikileaks came along. Now IMMI seems to be the next great step, as it offers professional journalists possibilities that they didn’t have for a long time (if ever), independent journalism might be possible for the first time.
Governments and mainstream media are loosing credibility all the time and if they don’t realize this and do things to improve on that, it might be too late in a couple of years.
(sorry for bad english)
You are not wrong; I don’t mean that Americans are ignorant people but that they are often ignorant to the real story and hardships brought about in these countries. Having said that I doubt if many are purposely apathetic or are choosing to turn a blind eye; large sectors of the American media play a huge role in this by the enormously simplified way they often choose to report on things.
were you there? No you weren’t. I was and we lost men that day and we were well within the ROE. SO unless you were there on the ground you have no voice
I wish there was someone in the Pentagon with the guts of Manning, who would release a picture or video of the plane that hit the Pentagon. We’re all supposed to believe that a plane hit the Pentagon, but none of us have seen it. Again, why the secrecy? I hope the Bradley Manning incident makes more heroes stand up.
Thank you thats whats gonna happen.
And how exactly put Manning your “brothers” in danger?
Maybe in danger of beeing brought to prison for the crimes of war they committed, but that’s pie in the sky anyway. And that would be rightful.
Other than that I can’t see how he put anybody in danger (other than himself)
Haha. All you American morons going on about Manning breaking the law, etc. fail to understand and appreciate that in exposing possibly illegal acts, he might in fact not be breaking the law at all.
Also, who gives a fuck about American law? It’s designed to protect the guilty if they’re powerful enough and/or wealthy enough. It’s stupidity is sublime.
The only reason the US is involved in the Middle East is part of a big power-play involving resources and strategic positioning, so that the US can keep on as the world’s biggest parasite, and the most violent one at that.
You are completely correct. I don’t know what some of these other commenters are talking about (ex. Bradley being a bad person), maybe they are government agents or provocateurs trying to feed propaganda into the minds of other soldiers reading this.
By making the general public treat a hero like Bradley Manning badly, they can stop other kind-spirited soldiers from coming out and “doing whats right” because these soldiers will then be skewed into 2 main camps 1) soldiers that will do anything and everything to support the governments causes (regardless of good or bad) and 2) soldiers that still plan on doing good, but are intimidated from doing any good (as there is supposedly no personal advantages to leaking – as per other people looking down upon them for their actions). This is all lies though. And the American People will stand up and expose the corruption within. Freedom is born and bred into us, so the American philosophy will not be stomped out (long-term), the embers are still burning – and the (freedom)forest fire is coming soon.
the collateral murder video Had to be released legally in the first place through reuters freedom of information request.
Instead the military tried to cover it up.
the fact the military hid it from reuters proves they a) KNEW they were in the wrong and B) knew it would cause a PR problem.
forget the irrelevant rantings of people who DONT GET IT.
The army HAD to release it LEGALLY, HID it instead, and someone who saw the illegal and immoral behaviour of those officers in charge of hiding this stuff had the guts to step forward and DO what should have beendone in the first place.
I’m ex military and i know that the core requirement of order is not about blindly obeying orders, but the officer corps giving Legitimate, Legal orders. When they start giving illegal ones every soldier is both duty, legally and honour bound to disobey those illegal orders.
Ignore the rantings of the
Jarrad; I tried to address that very fact in an earlier post. I think it is important to note that he did not do so; the information he released did not put anyone in danger. If he had I do not believe he would have deserved our support. There are very valid reasons for classifying certain information but there is a line there somewhere that is crossed when you start classifying information simply because you want to withhold the truth from the people because the truth does not draw the pretty picture you want it to draw. Even without addressing the issue of whether the US should even be in this war there is a bottom line here: the video shows that awful mistakes were made. Instead of sweeping that under the rug those mistakes need to be thoroughly looked at, we need to learn from them and work at trying to find ways to prevent them from happening in the future. Hiding that information and thereby sabotaging this process does not make your brothers safer.
I would also like to express with this my sincere hope that all soldiers may return home safely and with that my sincere hope that anyone reporting from a war zone in whatever manner recognize the responsibility that comes with that task.
You can catch far more flies with honey than vinegar.
When you shout at readers (ALL CAPS) they take offense– they are not your children/property, and your philosophy of “might is right” will backfire.
Tasteless profanity, it is just that, tasteless, and your readers will judge you accordingly.
Taken together, your credibility quickly disappears in the dust. You will find yourself alone and on the losing team. My guess is, over 50% of the readers never even read what you had to say.
Now my opinion: Manning and Assange are heroes. One day when the history of the Internet Renaissance is being written, their names will be revered like those of Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, et.al. Would that we could all be so brave and wise!
@Daniel: “What I don’t know won’t hurt me” is a fallacy, ok? You can live your own life that way, but when your ignorance harms inncocent people, it becomes a criminal fallacy.
Whether or not Bradley Manning has gender issues is completely irrelevant, however your statement of this tells us more about you than it does him.
If you were there, you should know that WE paid for your services. WE have a right to know what is being done with OUR money in OUR name.
If you were there and you would like to introduce extenuating circumstances, then perhaps you should seek legal advisement.
In the meantime, you are simply another commenter voicing your opinion. Please don’t tell the rest of us we are irrelevant.
Good post Sam. Your spot on and I am glad to see someone here gets it. Now follow this thought process through to the MIC and international banking cartel. Follow the money.
Nothing creates more profit than the MIC and WAR — they always fund both sides and the military soldiers in the field are the pawns. They catch the flack, not the elite in the CFR and Tri-lateral Commission who control the military.
Poor guys that go over their an actually believe that they are somehow protecting our freedoms and American Liberties. They should have Goldman Sacs and JP Morgan insignia on their uniforms and drive vehicles that say Exxon/Mobil on the side.
The military commiting crimes is its own undoing.
Bradley Manning probably will go to prison, but it isn’t going to turn out like you’re envisioning it in the end.
Careful what you wish for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95xm_5BIn24
Thank you for this encouraging article.
People are beginning to wake up. The darkness of censorship is coming to end at last.
“You can’t stop the signal, Mal. Everything goes somewhere, and I go everywhere.” (Mr. Universe from the movie Serenity)
Would you kill us too if it would keep us quiet? Put us in prison?
It isn’t our fault that at least some your “platoon” broke ROE and are therefore criminals. If you think shouting is going to keep the truth from emerging, you’re wrong.
I do not support anyone who acts in this way, or in this case, on this forum, talks in the way you do.
Sam Crawshaw: I like your post and your website.
The US government is likely going to implode from it’s own weight and debt soon. The whole world should prepare.
On the bright side, it is just another cycle of history happening. It would seem that the burden has been placed on our generation to bring down the walls while remembering our humanity. We all need to be as strong and true as we can and hope for the future. It is not a small burden but, hey, we may as well make the best of it!
“HE JOINED TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.”
That’s right, his job was to protect the country, it’s citizens and it’s constitution, not some corrupt government that tries to cover up crimes in order to misrepresent the facts to the very people it’s supposed to serve.
Leaking this stuff was the right thing to do, only because it goes against your orders, it does not mean that it’s wrong, I thought we already established this fact in Nurnberg more than 60 years ago.
I am sorry that you were in Iraq with all that entails. You say that your unit were well within the ROE. If so the ROE need revision so that innocent people like (including the two children on their way to school) are not killed or injured. Firearm safety teaches don’t shoot unless you know for sure what you are shooting at.
This may be hard in a life and death situation like Iraq.
The solution: Get out of Iraq. Get out of Afghanistan. Stop medling in the affairs of other countries.
Then well-meaning people such as yourself will not be put in this terrible situation again.
you must be out of your mind. you, Americans, think you are the most informed and elite people in the world. well, there it is right on your face. you don’t know shit about what your gov is doing.
[...] http://www.ec2012.org , http://www.livingtogethernetwork.net. Her former article on this issue was “World History Before Our Eyes”. Katharine Dawn may be contacted via http://www.livingtogethernetwork.net or http://www.ec2012.org. [...]
[...] http://bradleymanning.org/de/3780/world-history-before-our-eyes/ [...]
I understand where everyone is coming from on both sides of the fences. I serve two tours in combat, one in afghanistan and iraq. First of all, I don’t support the some of the ideals of your government and the current lawmaker bodies that force restain on its people. I don’t agree on the what the war has produced.
What am trying to understand is how individuals with no military experience or have never been in a combat situation can condemn our military men and women. I don’t agree on the inoccent killing of an individual. Then again how would you react in the same situation. Have you ever been faced with the enemy barrelling down on you? Should I not harm the the child who is shooting at me or strapped with explosives? Don’t tell me how you would react because you won’t know it your there. Thats how it was for all of us. The innoccent have died in every war and you think that we are the worst country for it. If they died due to blantant murder, that is true crime. Thousands can die weekly in countries that still slaughter their own people due to governmental power, ethnic differences, and the like. But we should of ignored murderous saddam.
One individual said that “we should have more people like spc then maybe 9 million people would of die due to the hands of the nazist. 11 million people died (5 million jew/6 million other ethnic minorities) and the nazist would of killed them all if someone didn’t step. We discovered the camp, we never knew about them.
I understand what he did, but so many nations that hate us and are watch while we divided. One day someone (China, Russia, or both)will be knocking on the US’s door with all our secrets and we could probably steamroll us over. Does anyone think that there going to spare people like spc, antiwar activist, free thinkers or the individuals of wikileak. They are going to kill everyone. Why, because they don’t have our sense humanity? Pure hated. The Spc has to face the consequences. He knew this would happen. They aren’t going to release him. Now the whole world knows about us. The odds are building against us. With as many antiwar activist now, if we are invaded, whos going to fight. This activists would want our criminal military to protect us. What if one day our military was weak. Lets not blame the servicemen and women and just blame the government.
Quit talking like you own people Quirk ya big dope. Military vets pay taxes too. DURKA!
LoL: I really don’t care.
“Lets not blame the servicemen and women and just blame the government.”
Regardless of what side of this issue you land on I think that is something people should remember time and time again. I think it goes a little further than just blaming the government – MSM should also take a hit for continuously treating their audience to an incredibly simplified account of selected facts and loads of spin.
But loading it on the troops is and will always be simply wrong.
Nicely said!
TELL THAT TO THIS IDIOT MANNING! Do you think those 90,000 files contain servicemeber names and SSNs??! YES. Do you think he was responsible enough to screen and black out names?? NO. A criminal act is a criminal act. He didn’t think, he did a “snatch and grab” on a government SECRET computer and sent it to “some random joe” on the internet. A complete stranger… He acted like a 2 1/2 year old, not a hero seeing genocide on a grand level. Please, PLEASE READ HIS EMAILS and IMs. He’s a punk kid, who’s life is over. Great, I hope he doesn’t have any kids. I would hate for him to be a parent or role model!!!!
For someone calling himself “the Facts” you are pretty poorly informed – or simply ignorant. Well that kind of rhetoric doesn’t fly. If you want to suggest that there are individuals working in clandestine operations endangered because of these documents I would say go for it, you have 90K documents to choose from. Pick one and present your case. Otherwise “the Windbag!” s a better name. The beauty of this is that these documents are available to all of us to allow us to make an informed decision on where we stand regarding this conflict. They present us with some facts so we don’t have to simply take the words of windbags on how wonderful a job we are doing to the ever grateful and fortunate citizens of Afghanistan.
It isn’t working and that is something the world needs to be aware of.
I stumbled across this thread and – sitting at the other end of the world eg. Africa – I am glad to know that there’s people in my once beloved US of A who think and act. You guys really dont know how your Government and with this the whole country -yes YOU too – are looked upon by the rest of the world. They can’t understand why the american population who once were on the forefront of change and innovation has become dumb and lazy not to see what the rest of the world finds obvious….
It’s time to revive the spirit of the 60 again, and see it through until everything is exposed. Some people will have to be brave. Like this very young man Manning. Get going!
Bradley Manning is a far more honorable hero than Stanley McCrystal and far more credible a witness to the real war in Afghanistan. Everyone knows this except for the lied to American public.
The truth may hurt but it is the truth. I would defend my family, friends and town from an illegal invading force with IEDs or anything else I could throw at them. The Military are the arm of the Corporations and the money vacuum machine of the MIC and the Banksters. People who join the military today become enablers of a corrupt Corporatacracy so far from the Constitution and the people that Mussolini himself would shuddered at.
The argument of a so called “security breach” and the assertion that WikiLeaks and whistleblowers are “putting soldiers in harms way” by releasing this type of information only goes so far.
There is a lot information defined as “secure” throughout the military and the government in order to protect misguided policy, the MIC, rouge illegal operations, and corrupt politicians (foreign and domestic).
Let us not forget that Rumsfeld himself stood at a podium on Sep. 10, 2001 and stated that over 2.3 TRILLION dollars are missing from the pentagon (over 1 trillion the year prior).
(Sep. 10, 2001 is the day before the 9/11 Mossad operation on 9/11 — according to retired top US military brass who have gone public.)
Does anyone trust the military under a Corporatacry/Fascist US government to tell the truth if does not support their agenda?
Follow the money! – over 3 trillion missing in 2 years??? (3 trillion is 3 million,million) Over 1/5th of the US GDP.
The military are the pawns of the global corrupt – Wikileaks doesn’t even scratch the surface. Grow up.
Dear Alex:
Here is another perspective on your motivation for the US using the military and illegally invading 2 countries (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan) to install puppet governments and permanent military bases:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6I9bOhWrM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDsW4DyyZvU
What military were you in cheesedick? Spain’s?
Good Lord. fundamental lack of understanding of what it is like to be in a combat zone, in an urban environment, in the dark. This is like explaining sex to virgins.
Reporters know the risk. You can travel with official sanction of either government, and keep operating units apprised of your situation, or you can go it alone and risk getting lit up by an Apache pilot who can’t tell a camera from an RPG in the dark.
Oh yeah, there is a curfew genius’s. That pilot knows noone is supposed to be out after dark, let alone 4 people carrying equipment. Tough call, he made it. Sorry folks, that’s war.
What a load. Any soldier recieving a TS level clearance knows exactly what he is getting into. They don’t hand those out.
Saying he has no option makes me question if you have even served. There are multiple options for an objecting soldier.
The Apache crew will have absolutely no consequences, I can promise you that. Tough call, their chain of command will not throw them under the bus for making it.
Manning will do at least 50 years. They just brought in the FBI and DOJ to help Army CID with the case. They aren’t going to botch this one. His current counts added up to 50 years, if they pin him with the Afghan info leak, he will end up dying in prison.
Whatever you think we did, the Army will be fine. The organization has been through much worse than this, and emerged stronger every time.
Completely wrong. Whatever your armchair general take on that video is, it’s not an ROE violation. If Manning disagreed with that, there is a proper channel for his dissent, and it isn’t wikileaks.
Now we can all see that the military complex will bring trumped up charges against Bradley and if this was no breach of security because the info was already in the public domain – there should be no charges!
He did an honorable act and deed and deserves the medal of honor.
Free Prv Manning now. He only exposed war crimes of the US military, we feel sorry for the soldiers who are naively serving their war masters and being shot up with experimental drugs to boot, they are already in a mind controlled state and drugged zombies.
As a person who immigrated from Russia to States, having served in Afghanistan during the 80s and knowing this kitchen not by reading newspapers, but from the inside…, to some degree I can understand why he did what he did. One of my many concerns I have with this incident is that persons’ names documented and leaked into public are now going to be used by radicals to be made example of. Very irresponsible move not by Mr. Manning, but publishers. The TIME magazine will soon publish an article telling a story of a single woman who cheated on her husband and actions taken towards her by Taliban. It will make you think in a bit different perspective.
As someone from an irrelevant country (China), I really hope Mr. Manning could be saved from any penalty for his conscience. But how can some of his disclosure become secrets in the first place? I can understand flaws of weapons should be classified, but one really doesn’t have to know innocent people were killed from NOFORN documents. It is only a secret in the West, but never in Iraq or Afghanistan. Even reporters of Reuters were killed there, but did Reuters ever tell you the stories of victims that they saw, or they sincerely never know it? US always say China should have more press freedom, but I don’t think American people know more facts than Chinese.
I know you won’t believe me, but in fact US gov. has never stopped their attempts to turn China into a Iraq/Afghanistan like place. It is not a secret in China that last year NED or CIA related institutions indirectly/directly organized and employed terrorists to kill innocent Chinese civilians in a scale of thousands, while news agencies like Reuters told the West it was an evidence of “Chinese bloody oppression” or like. The year before, they did similar things in Tibet, but invented another story for you. Unfortunately you don’t have people in your related departments with enough mercy, conscience and courage like Mr. Manning, to tell how some of your tax money was spent. It is not a hate message from me, my country (not people) probably did similar nasty things too, but the victims are almost always those who have nothing to do with any crimes. It is just a fact that some guys are making money from conflicts/wars that they made, using the state machines or paid taxes from others for investment. I thought Obama could be better than Bush on these matters, if he really is, US must be not actually run by him. I am not so optimistic these things will be much less in future, even if, under your help, Mr. Manning finally gets fair treatment that he deserves. Good luck.
With best regards (and sorry if I disturbed you)
Thank you, Everyone who has read and commented upon this article and all who are prepared to face truth in these pivotal and confronting times. As psychopathic forces ever escalate the destruction and immiseration of life on earth (check how many countries are in the anti-people grip of IMF macro-economic policies, and check how a mere 7 per cent of the global military budget would be enough to fulfill the Millenium Development Goals – which include ‘eradication of poverty’, ‘achieving environmental sustainability’, etc, etc), the people NEED the truth to make informed decisions. I believe that – if properly informed – the people would choose to divert our money and resources and ingenuity AWAY from misery and injustice, and rather work together to co-create a good life, a peaceful, sustainable and just world.
Thank you, FengNian for sharing with us from inside China : the internet is the People’s Media – it is HOW we learn the truth. The control of Western media (and Western governments, for that matter)by the power elite is well documented. Re the US – China policy, Webster Tarpley’s 2008 interviews : “The men behind Obama” are still edifying — youtube or check at
http://www.wholetruthcoalition.org/2008/11/06/the-men-behind-obama/ Obama is a well-groomed puppet of the real rulers of the world… I can’t believe how many intelligent people who advocate positive social change still think Obama might be ‘on the side of people and life’ !! For me, hope and belief in a positive future depends entirely upon authentic human values… and to reach those treasures, requires, I believe, breaking through the matrix, bursting the bubble of the lies. It’s about reclaiming our humanity, and doing what we all so want to do : ie, that which is right.
Thank you, Old Russian, for your concerns regarding the many persons whose warcrimes are documented in the Afghan War Files – now exposed to all the world. I can’t see how WikiLeaks could have shared these files in any other way than how they were written, and this HAD to be shared. This is certainly the Greatest Leak in History and, I believe, it will prove crucial to the Ending of War, to the rejection of the US military policy of “Full-Spectrum Dominance”, and to the demand by the people that we now channel human ingenuity and planetary resources AWAY FROM destruction and immiseration and, rather, TOWARDS the healing of the Earth, humanity and the web of life, and the co-creation of the world that the vast majority of us want to live in – one that bequeaths a living earth to future generations, one of peace and plenty for all (a goal that would cost a FRACTION of the money and manpower currently put into ruination).
With the release of the Afghan War logs, the truth has been unleashed. We are at an incredible moment. To those who had still believed in the glossy lies of governmental and military propaganda, the criminality of war is irrevocably exposed. I feel strongly that the youth – who, beguiled or desperate or for whatever reason, had joined the armed forces and haplessly found themselves in war zones, dehumanized and bullied, reportedly on speed while in the field and fed anti-remorse drugs ‘the morning after’ – need the support of the community of Peace activists. Their’s is a terrible load! Now is early times — we need time to collectively reel from the impact of this Greatest Leak in World History, we need to feel our outrage at war crimes and at having been so terribly lied to. But, Old Russian, I share here my deepest hope : that the international Community of Humanity — in our authority as the true and free people of the earth – offer clemency to ALL who have committed war crimes — if they become Conscientious Objectors, refuse to serve as the instruments of crimes against humanity, and support the call for Total Disarmament.