Comments on: What We Steal Secrets leaves out

By: Katia Leitao

Katia Leitao — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:19:03 +0000

Exactement. It had the every same effect on me. what a writer!

By: Katia Leitao

Katia Leitao — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:14:40 +0000

Fuck- that is beautifully written!

By: Nathan L Fuller

Nathan L Fuller — Mon, 27 May 2013 21:37:56 +0000

Thanks — fixed that.

By: Nathan L Fuller

Nathan L Fuller — Mon, 27 May 2013 21:37:30 +0000

Thank you! Fixed.

By: Elizabeth Barger

Elizabeth Barger — Mon, 27 May 2013 19:09:49 +0000

it is important to understand the Pfc. Bradley Manning did not break the law or betray his country. He was mandated to expose war crimes by the law of the land that, even though diluted by the Military Commissions Act of 2006, still refers to the Geneva Conventions that the US has signed into law.

Manning swore to defend the nation from enemies without and within. He is a brilliant man who was put in the position of analyst because he could evaluate evidence and understand consequences. Some of the information he explained to higher ups was not welcome and got him into hot water with those superiors who had nothing to gain by the truth being outed.

Everybody says, when they see the men convicted at Nurenberg, that of course they would not have gone along with those crimes, and of course it is every soldier’s duty to call out and resist being part of war criminality. But when a qualified expert, like Bradley Manning, exposes those crimes, it is a different story. It is the old human urge to kill the messenger.

If Bradley Manning goes to prison for the rest of his life because he uncovered war crimes and embarrassing ambassadorial behavior, then we must understand that none of us is free to uncover the truth, and must continue our lives chained to lies.

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 27 May 2013 09:34:56 +0000

Everyone here is failing to see one major fact and it’s the fact that’s going to put Manning in jail for a long time. He stole classified documents from a classified system and released them to the public. It’s a major crime and regardless of the motivation behind his actions he belongs in jail for doing. If at any time someone with a clearance could just decide to give out classified information on a whim the fallout would cost a lot of people their lives. There are consequences to every action and his consequences need to be severe.

I spent years in the Army as Military Intelligence. Some of those years under great stress and at personal loss while deployed. Never once did it cross my mind to betray my country. He couldn’t have know everything written in all of those thousands of documents or what greater picture those individual pieces of information would provide someone seeking to do harm. Every single person I knew in MI knows his story and as soon as they heard it they knew what his punishment had to be. It’s drilled into for months on end that if you break their (The Army’s) rules, you are going to be punished.

He admitted to doing these things and that’s all that’s going to matter. So don’t be surprised if he ends up in prison for the rest of his life.

By: Michael Gilfillan

Michael Gilfillan — Sun, 26 May 2013 16:34:14 +0000

Excellent article, I just have one small critism that in no way detracts from the narrative.
As was noted by Russell in his May 25 post, in a real life situation like Bradley was in, the isolation is felt both before and after. Overcoming this is why Bradley is a true life, honest to god, Webster dictionary definition hero. It can be looked up.

By: Michael Gilfillan

Michael Gilfillan — Sun, 26 May 2013 16:03:04 +0000

You are so right on brother.
I was especially stung by your last paragraph, “But there was one secret stolen in this case and it is the most important one of all. It is the secret uncovered despite the military’s and current administration’s extensive, long-term efforts to bury it so deeply it might never be revealed. It is Bradley Manning’s voice. One brave person somehow surreptitiously recorded the long courtroom statement that Bradley waited three years to make, and in that incredible act allowed us to listen to what the authorities most feared—the unique, untrembling voice of a sane, selfless, soft-spoken patriot who held tightly to his truth and would not be broken. And because of that bit of brazen courage, we needn’t just read Manning’s long-brewing, well-chosen words; we can instead hear the clear, bright music of a beautiful soul revealed.”
I can still feel the chills from reading that.
There was indeed one stolen secret, stolen back and Bradley’s voice will speak it to the world during the court marshal.

By: Michael Gilfillan

Michael Gilfillan — Sun, 26 May 2013 15:49:12 +0000

YOUR CONCLUSION IS SUPPORTED: PFC BRADLEY MANNING NEEDS OUR SUPPORT – WITH US AT HIS BACK, HE CAN DO WHAT HE WENT THERE TO DO.

By: Winston Weeks

Winston Weeks — Sat, 25 May 2013 23:59:51 +0000

Excellent article, thank you. One small detail, it was an Icelandic victory (not Swedish) Wikileaks won in regard to bankcard donations. http://rt.com/news/wikileaks-visa-iceland-valitor-346/

Thanks again for a great article.