Update 3/2/12: Manning’s motion hearing scheduled March 15, Jane Hamsher finds Stratfor’s FBI source
Supporters rallying in Ft. Meade, MD
Ft. Meade announces Manning’s next court date is March 15. In an official news release email, the Ft. Meade media desk announces that military judge Denise Lind scheduled Bradley Manning’s motion hearing for March 15, at 10 AM EST, at Ft. Meade, MD. It could last two days, as the media advisory email notes, “For planning purposes, this hearing is scheduled for March 15 and 16. The hearing is open to the public.
Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, has requested a May start date for the court martial, while at last month’s arraignment it was revealed that the prosecution has pushed for an August date. It’s expected that the military judge will announce a finalized date at the March 15 motion hearing.
Jane Hamsher compares Manning and Statfor’s FBI source. Investigating the still-unfolding Stratfor email release, FireDogLake’s Jane Hamsher discovered that a source for the private intelligence firm appears to be the FBI’s James Casey. Emails show the head of Stratfor, Fred Burton, considered Casey “as his own little Wikileaks window into the DoJ.”
Just as this information comes to light, however, comes the news that Casey has retired from the FBI to start his own, one-man private intelligence firm. This will likely preclude any chance of an FBI internal investigation, leaving Casey off the hook after divulging scores of secrets to Stratfor.
Hamsher concludes, comparing Casey’s treatment with that of Pfc. Bradley Manning:
Moral of the story: Bradley Manning gets charged with “aiding the enemy” for potentially leaking information that was available on the SIPRNET to hundreds of thousands of people. This guy gets a gold watch and no investigation for potentially leaking the existence of a sealed DoJ indictment of Julian Assange that I imagine almost nobody knew about.
This is continually the case: a low-ranking soldier faces life in prison for exposing documents the public deserves to see, while higher-ranking officials are routinely immune after leaking higher-level secrets. (Read more…)
Occupy the Roads sends a photo of the Bradley Manning RV. ‘Occupy the Roads’ has driven around the United States, visiting 52 cities so far, spreading the word about Bradley Manning. Here’s a photo of the WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning RV.
Occupy the Roads - for Bradley Manning
You can always send photos of support to iam.bradleymanning.org
"I am Julia Beguería, a student from Zaragoza, Spain. I believe in TRUTH over all, and I feel very proud of him, of what he did. I think he should be a nobel prize, but instead of that he’s in jail…what kind of justice is it?"
Every person in the world who understands the importance of a free and open Internet to the future of freedom of information and of democratic self-government is being asked to stand in support of Manning and Assange — a once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing.
On 2/23/12, Bradley Manning was arraigned at Fort Meade, Maryland- meaning his case will proceed to court martial in June or August and he will be tried on 20 + counts- including leaking classified documents (to wikileaks) , unauthorized use of these documents, theft of same, aiding the enemy and so many others. He could receive a life sentence.
Of course, one of the items he leaked was a video of an Apache helicopter attack on Iraqis where civilians, including children, and Reuters newspersons were murdered by U.S. gunners (a documentary entitled is now being shown ( see Washington Post article of 2/22 in the Style section entitled ).
I – David Eberhardt, peacenik and Cde Pink member from Baltimore, Md. was able to address the court at the end of the proceedings and say, “Judge? Isn’t a soldier required by law to report war crimes?” There were many other stretches of silence during the quite boring and routine procedure of arraignment- in which prosecutors, defense, and even Bradley all nod their heads in agreement with the Judge- but, besides wondering if Bradley’s defense really wants loud demonstrations, many other occasions where I could have shouted out this message- but- I was glad not to be hustled out of the courtroom, let alone arrested.
I chatted with Michael Ratner, down from New York from the Constitutional Law Center and looking after Jul;ian Assange’s (wikileaks director) interests (Michael has much experience as a lawyer defending radical defendants- whether Bradley is one or not). I asked him if he had see the movie about the “White Rose”- the student group executed in Nazi Germany- had he seen the courtroom scene.
I can’t say this ws too similar- what with the female Judge so unlike Herr what was his name, who screamed out insane Nazi proclamations- but, still….the comparison was unavaoidable.
The courtroom – with its spiffy US uniformed bailiffs- had an eerie, horrible feel- as if a humonguous train was bearing down on the petite Manning- it had the feel of a gas chamber entrance with all its hypocriseys (too strong)?
Press was there in abundance- possibly more from the rest of the world than the sleepy US which would rather not be bothered about war crimes. I would say- in the courtroom-20 media and 15 civilian. I do not know if Manning’s relatives were present. I wish I had asked.
Bradley has not expressed a great deal of political involvement- p;erhaps wise given the sentence he faces.
But- the whole world is watching. I wish I had said that also.