Op Ed: Fear and Rhetoric – The Wired Chat Logs

July 15, 2011. By Michelle Tackabery, Bradley Manning Support Network

Did you learn something new about Bradley Manning today? I did. Read Michelle’s commentary here.

Entrapment? Adrian Lamo’s false promises

July 14, 2011. By Logan Price,  Bradley Manning Support Network

Wired has finally released a supposedly uncensored version of the alleged chat logs between Bradley Manning and the well known hacker Adrian Lamo. Glenn Greenwald has published his story, here, describing the ramifications.  The logs, which Lamo gave to the FBI, and then later to Wired, were the cause of Manning’s arrest last year and subsequent detainment, and the only evidence yet made public against him.  They had been supposedly redacted by Wired for journalistic reasons, until now.

However, there are many parts of these logs which should be of interest to the public, and help further explain Manning’s motives.  One of the starkest revelations is the extent to which Lamo may have socially engineered (or possibly entrapped) Manning, to gain confession which he later gave to the FBI.

There has been controversy over Wired’s exact reasons for withholding the chat logs until now. Many, including Greenwald, accused Wired editor Kevin Paulsen of having too close a relationship with Lamo, who gave him the logs, and that they were withholding them to protect the hacker, more so than the “sensitive personal information with no bearing on WikiLeaks, [that] would serve no purpose to publish.” This accusation may prove to be true.

In the logs, Lamo uses classic ‘social engineering’ to convince Manning to open up to him.   For the unfamiliar, Social engineering is a term coined and often used by hackers.  Loosely defined it means: “trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access.”

Early in their conversation Lamo establishes himself as a friend of WikiLeaks,

(10:38:37 AM) Lamo: I’ve been a friend to Wikileaks – I’ve repeatedly asked people who download Hackers Wanted to donate.
(10:38:44 AM) Lamo: And donated myself.

Neither admitting nor denying that he is a source himself,

(10:39:20 AM) Lamo: Whether I’ve given material, isn’t material. Semi-pun intended.

He continues to get closer to Manning by promising confidence. Manning may have thought that Lamo, due to his reputation before they met, and his promises of confidentiality and understanding embedded in the logs, was the last person who might turn him in.

(10:22:24 AM) Manning: uhm, trying to keep a low profile for now though, just a warning
(10:23:34 AM) Lamo: I’m a journalist and a minister. You can pick either, and treat this as a confession or an interview (never to be published) & enjoy a modicum of legal protection.
(10:24:07 AM) Manning: assange level?
(10:25:12 AM) Manning: or are you socially engineering ;P
(10:25:51 AM) Lamo: You must not have done your research
(10:25:57 AM) Lamo: I could have flipped for the FBI.
(10:26:05 AM) Lamo: Gotten a sweeter deal.
(10:26:10 AM) Lamo: Before they fucked up.
(10:26:14 AM) Lamo: And I got one anyway.
(10:26:14 AM) Manning: indeed
(10:26:16 AM) Lamo: I held out.
(10:27:04 AM) Lamo: I know what being in a little room having U.S. Code & its consequences explained to you by people who don’t smile is like.

Isolation

These logs are really much more damning for Lamo, and after reading them in full it is hard not to identify even more with Manning.

We see a picture of Manning as someone under enormous stress (having just committed a crime of conscience for which he may pay dearly) and looking for someone to reach out to. He appears isolated, both in the real world, by the fact that he has no one to talk to about his actions for fear of being turned in, and in the military– where he is isolated due to his size, temperament, and sexuality, not to mention his ethical and moral misgivings at having to participate in a war that he can longer agree with.

Lamo uses this to his advantage by offering to bridge both gaps, and perhaps offer Manning some sense of belonging and comfort that may allow him to open up. It is heavy social engineering, and a tactic that must have been somewhat familiar to Lamo,  who specializes in getting information he wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

(10:55:31 AM) Lamo: I apologize if I’ve made you feel awkward.
(10:55:37 AM) Manning: no, its me
(10:55:54 AM) Manning: i said too much too fast
….
(10:56:36 AM) Manning: i guess i can find out, though im restricted to SIPR now, because of the discharge proceedings
(10:58:10 AM) Manning: am i coming off too quick? ive closed myself off for awhile… so
(10:58:41 AM) Manning: i thought i’d reach out to someone who would possibly understand…
(10:59:07 AM) Manning: <– [this person is kind of fragile]
(10:59:29 AM) Manning: :’(
(11:00:53 AM) Manning: anyway, i’m going to go to the PX for a minute… i’ll be back in about 30-40 min?
(11:01:39 AM) Lamo: i’ll be around
(11:01:43 AM) Lamo: i usually am
(11:01:44 AM) Manning: k
(11:01:47 AM) Manning: ttyl
(11:01:48 AM) Lamo: around and understanding both
(11:02:17 AM) Lamo: be well, and stay out of trouble
(11:22:11 AM) Manning: wow, that was quick
(11:22:50 AM) Manning: uhm… anyway… i guess i can talk a little bit about myself… i mean, i’ve really got nothing to lose [i know, sounds desperate]

Later, as their conversation develops, Manning continues to open up emotionally, and Lamo pushes his social engineering project as far as he can.

(1:54:10 PM) Lamo: how old are you?
(1:54:15 PM) Manning: 22
(1:54:55 PM) Manning: but im not a source for you… im talking to you as someone who needs moral and emotional fucking support
(1:55:02 PM) Manning: :’(
(1:55:10 PM) Lamo: i told you, none of this is for print
(1:55:16 PM) Manning: ok, ok
(1:55:19 PM) Lamo: i want to know who i’m supporting
(1:55:25 PM) Lamo: no names as yet
(1:55:26 PM) Manning: im flipping out…
(1:55:32 PM) Lamo: security.
(1:55:43 PM) Manning: huh?
(1:55:51 PM) Lamo: re. no names as yet.
(1:55:56 PM) Lamo: except brad, i assume.

Manning’s isolation has created the perfect window for Lamo:

(2:01:02 PM) Manning: ok, so… im not suicidal quite yet…
(2:01:14 PM) Manning: but im pretty desperate for some non-isolation

Motivation

Although claims have been made in the press that Manning must have leaked the documents because he was “psychologically unstable” or a victim of homophobia in the military (as if such altruistic and courageous acts are impossible to accept for what they are) we have to remember that these logs come some time after Manning’s alleged leak, and show him struggling (who wouldn’t?) with the ensuing isolation and fear. By contrast, the logs recently published between Manning and blogger Zinnia Jones, dating to sometime before the leaks, show an optimistic army private– considering a gender change, and also exited about both changing DADT policy and saving lives in the military.

Nothing, in either version of the Manning-Lamo logs, shows Manning’s leak as motivated by self-interest, or instability. In fact, despite Lamo’s engineering, all indications are to the opposite.

(03:16:12 PM) Manning: i feel connected to everybody… like they were distant family
(03:16:24 PM) Manning: i… care?
(03:17:27 PM) Manning: http://www.kxol.com.au/images/pale_blue_dot.jpg <– sums it up for me
(03:18:17 PM) Manning: i probably shouldn’t have read sagan, feynman, and so many intellectual authors last summer…
(03:21:11 PM) Manning: -sigh-
(03:22:14 PM) Lamo: i get that
(03:22:45 PM) Manning: get what… that connection?
(03:23:38 PM) Lamo: yeah.
(03:24:08 PM) Lamo: which is why i’m sad for the people i sometimes have to hurt.
(03:24:10 PM) Manning: we’re human… and we’re killing ourselves… and no-one seems to see that… and it bothers me
(03:24:26 PM) Manning: apathy

(03:25:28 PM) Manning: apathy is far worse than the active participation (
03:26:23 PM) Manning: *hug*
(03:29:31 PM) Manning: http://vimeo.com/5081720 Elie Wiesel summed it up pretty well for me… though his story is much much more important that mine
(03:29:48 PM) Manning: *than
(03:31:33 PM) Manning: I prefer a painful truth over any blissful fantasy.
(03:31:48 PM) Manning: s/a/the
(03:32:05 PM) Lamo: *hugback*
(03:34:16 PM) Manning: :*
(03:35:44 PM) Manning: i think ive been traumatized too much by reality, to care about consequences of shattering the fantasy

We encourage you to read them for yourself.