Outrage over judge allowing Govt to reopen case for baseless slander
Specialist Jihrleah Showman, drawn by Debra Van Poolen.
By the Bradley Manning Support Network, July 20, 2013.
In an extremely rare, last-minute move weeks after the government rested its case, military judge Col. Denise Lind allowed prosecutors to expand their rebuttal case, making way for unsupported accusations against PFC Bradley Manning. The late addition far exceeded the usual limits of a simple rebuttal, once again raising supporters’ and journalists’ suspicions about the validity and fairness of the proceedings.
In a cynical move, the government prosecution recalled former Specialist Jihrleah Showman, a supervisor against whom Manning had filed an Equal Opportunity complaint. Following Manning’s complaint, Showman was admonished for her use of homophobic language in conversation and workplace signage. In the years since, she has vied for media appearances, augmented by her own vitriolic Tweets, attacking Manning as well as his supporters. Now, at the eleventh hour, she claims to recall a conversation with the 25-year-old army private in which he allegedly shared anti-American opinions.
According to the defense, Ms. Showman is lending an intentional and inaccurate spin to comments Manning made regarding his refusal to follow any authority blindly as an “automaton” (in Manning’s own words) so that they conform to the prosecution’s characterization of someone disloyal to the United States.
No other witness from the prosecution or defense ever testified that Manning harbored any anti-American sentiments, including Ms. Showman herself during previous trips to the stand in this case. In fact, several witnesses offered just the opposite. Lauren McNamara, with whom Manning chatted socially online, testified that Manning told her that he was “concerned about making sure that everyone, soldiers, marines, contractors, even the local nationals, get home to their families.”
Amnesty International responded to the judge’s failure to dismiss the Aiding the Enemy charge “a travesty of justice,” following up an earlier release calling for the court to dismiss this charge levied with “no basis.” Amnesty’s Senior Director for International Law and Policy called the government’s case around this charge “ludicrous”, noting “The prosecutors in this case, who have a duty to act in the interest of justice, have pushed a theory that making information available on the internet–whether through Wikileaks, in a personal blog posting, or on the website of The New York Times–can amount to ‘aiding the enemy.’”
PFC Manning’s alleged comments came during a routine one-on-one professional conference, the sort that superiors are instructed to document. Although Showman provided written documentation for other similar discussions in this same time frame—apprising Manning of the unit smoking policy, suggesting that he reduce caffeine consumption, and the possibility of her recommending him for “Soldier of the Month”—she failed to assign the same importance to these “newly remembered” comments until after Manning had been arrested on suspicion of sharing classified information with WikiLeaks.
Showman asserted that she had verbally informed her own superior, then Master Sergeant Paul Adkins, of these alleged comments. Adkins, however, did not corroborate her version of events when he testified later in the afternoon. After numerous sworn statements declaring that he could not recall Showman reporting such incidents, Adkins did eventually sign one written by his lawyer in June 2011. This later statement came as part of Adkins’ appeal to the Army having reduced his rank after Manning was arrested, claiming that he had reported such an incident up the chain of command. In all previous declarations, which Adkins himself wrote and signed, there is no mention of disloyal or anti-American statements.
Other superiors in Manning’s chain, such as Chief Warrant Officer Kyle Balonek, testified he had never heard about this allegation, and that he would expect any incident of this sort to have been documented in writing. In fact, this controversial testimony comes only after a defense motion articulated the prosecution’s lack of evidence to support its “Aiding the enemy” charge against Manning, and after several witnesses testified that Manning never displayed any anti-American sentiments.
Given that Showman’s latest testimony contradicts that of every other witness in this trial, including her own earlier statements, it remains to be seen how much weight military judge Colonel Denise Lind will place in this unconventional addition to the court record.
Supporters of PFC Manning, however, are taking action around the world on July 27 to state the actual facts presented in this case: PFC Bradley Manning is a whistle-blower who intended, and accomplished, serving the public good. In Washington DC, supporters will converge at Fort McNair on July 26 to appeal directly to the Convening Authority of this trial, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, to free Bradley Manning. A full page in The New York Times next week will declare, “We are Bradley Manning — We will not relent until this American hero is free.”
Words rarely heard in government these days: Honor, Truth, Wisdom, and Integrity. Bradley exhibits all of them!
The real shame about all of this is that he also had to exhibit great courage as well — the courage to speak up against the military is no small thing.
Mistrial!
Manning is an American hero and Showman is an intolerant, homophobic lackey!
I think her telling lies is an act of terrorism trying to undermine the American govt and the judicial system. Off to Guantanamo with her.
I have seen the video of the helicopter firing on innocent civilians including children and the glee with which they enjoyed seeing them hit their targets. It made me sick to my stomach to realize that our young men could be so callous about the deaths and destruction they caused. But this is war and that’s unfortunately what war does. So it is no wonder that so many of our vets commit suicide upon their return home. I believe that Bradley Manning should not be persecuted for revealing the true nature of war- a war we should never have begun, as it was under false information that we attacked Iraq.
Beautifully written. You expressed my feelings about all of it. Thank you.
Mine sentiments exactly!
I’m beginning to think the only way justice can be served for anyone in the military who is accused of a crime is for them to be judged by a civilian court. The civilian court system is not without its problems but military courts seem to have their own biases favoring the military hierarchy. What was revealed on those video crimes Pfc. Manning gave to Wikileaks was basically “war crimes.” I think fairer and more impartial judgement could be obtained in a civilian court of law. Too many people in a chain of command have too much to lose if they honestly tell the truth about an incident which does not correspond as the “truth” as seen by the upper ranks.
this country is incrementally becoming the kind of banana republic we have criticized in the past.
It’s not a war; it’s a series of monstrous murderous invasions.
The powerful psychopaths behind the invasions like to use the word “war” to make their invasions sound more legitimate. Let’s not assist them by using the word ourselves.
@Richard re: “War”
Thank you for saying that.
Sorry but I thought that this had become a ‘Peacekeeping Mission’!! I feel sorry for all those who are away from their families and we know they are in danger but Manning showed everyone what is really happening, since CNN and Fox are ‘worried’ about other things!
Who is this woman who is attacking Bradley Manning for being un-American I find it very suspicious that she has come out now with this falsehood. If Bradley Manning was anti-American he would not have revealed to us what our country was doing in our name. He wanted our country to be what we all want it to be – a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world!
I don’t know about a beacon of democracy. Right now it can’t sink much lower in the eyes of the world, even that part of the world that used to be on your side.
Is she really as ugly as the sketch artist makes her out to be??
No, she is as ugly as her perfidious and hateful words demonstrate her to be.
this person is as mean as it looks to be, no doubt Jealous because Bradley was so ambitious and cute as handsome, actually it does not look like a woman or what a demon to me.Go away Demon leave Bradley alone .
We are with Bredly!!!!!!!! Everywhere are selling governments and judges!!!!!
Let’s face it, a military court handling this “trial” is basically a kangaroo court. The outcome has been pre-determined. He should have been released long ago for “time served.” The military makes up their own rules as needed. Good bye, Bradley Manning. Good bye, Freedom & Justice for all.
Unfortunately, the members of the court-martial are all committed, by their military oaths, to obey the
decisions of their superiors, who represent one side of the dispute. I, on the other hand, am only committed to the truth and justice of the case. After long and careful consideration, I find Bradley Manning innocent, on the grounds that the material he has made public does reveal war crimes and high misdemeanors on the part of the very organization which is “trying” him.
It would be appropriate for a few million more citizens to appoint themselves jurors and state with me “I Find Bradley Manning Innocent.”
I am not a citizen, so could not be on a jury, but I too find Bradley Manning innocent – and the US govt guilty of acting like dictators. I find your president, elected to represent your people, is negligent in failing to do so and squash the circus. Prosecute or put her away in the funny farm for being mentally incompetent to manage her own affairs.
You would also have had to have been a career military officer, stationed in the Washington DC area, to have been part of Bradley Manning’s jury pool–if he had selected to be judged by such a panel. Instead, military judge Colonel Denise Lind will be “the decider” alone.
I totaly agree, with what is going on we all need to rally the world to stand up for our Justice that our government is overruling and especially giving military all authority ,We need to somehow override this authority, I thought People ruled but as this trial we are seeing the real truth before our eyes . Get rid of Denice the Judge, More Judges need to stand up to the plate for Manning and use their expertise in this suitation for all us for their freedom as well as ours .If you talk about Africa , and aparthid, we are there. and we volunteer for this kind of treatment to protect our country , we are young and inocent men and women and we are perscuted for telling the truth , or trying to get anyone to listen , we go to all lengths to have someone listen to us as we are now and everyone says, I do not want to be involved , are you telling the truth, EVEN when they SEE the TRUTH the ones who did the damage still have their freedom running free, afraid, knowing someone else will get the blame. They HIDE behind the LIES, And the JUDGE knowing, is letting this happen wanting to be IN CHARGE AFRAID of Bigger conquences from OBama and his cronies. Stand up , this is not only Bradley this is for us . HE did this for us telling us FINALLY what is happening to our Soldiers and Money that is being spent , where is your son, Oh he was lost in Action, Oh really by who ,? Well , America.
How freaking convenient for the prosecution to just suddenly come up with a just suddenly remembered mind boggling revelation from this vindictive woman “proving” Manning’s anti-American sentiments. The judge should not have allowed this unsupported, mendacious crap and the fact that she did would only appear to support the concept that she is acting as a tool of the prosecution.
El tribunal de la inquisició devia ser una cosa semblant al judici de Bradley Manning,preparaven la foguera avant que el tribunal,opinions subjectives que son el fonament de la acusació .I tantes coses semblants de aquell primitivisme ferotge que amb l´embolcall de la modernitat sembla que no faci tanta pudor
La denuncia de fets ignominiosos ens permet la correcció,que es un benefici per tothom.
Our flag doesn’t deserve unwavering respect thanks to people like Ms. Showman and Judge Lind. Seems like they are trying to top the Russian’s latest trial…”anything you can be, we can be worser” [sic]. Is there ANY justice? Tragically, both are women…trying to suck up to those in command I suspect. They are Vile, vile, vile!!!
In contrast to Bradley’s trial, no charges of murder, or even lesser charges, have been brought against the crew of the helicopter seen murdering innocent civilians in the video Collateral Murder. In fact, failure to report this and bring charges is itself a felony. Yet the Army stated that the crew’s actions were “consistent with the rules of engagements.” This declaration is another felony inciting the murder of civilians and promising amnesty to those who do.
.
My point is that only Bradley faces charges and no one else. This selective prosecution reminds one of the judicial system in Nazi Germany and I expect no better of our perverted justice system. (For the record, I twice volunteered and served as a combat medic in Vietnam, believe in the Constitution and, through Veterans for Peace, still uphold my oath to defend it.)
Thanks for your service Mr. Ross. I am glad some of our former servicemen/women are willing to stand up for what is morally right though comments I have seen by some on other sites would indicate your senti- ments to be “unAmerican” or “not patriotic.”
We have a lot of “sheep” in this country.
Since the freedom of speech was bound by our forefathers as an inherent right by all citizen’s of this country I would think our right to speak anti anything would be foremost protected. Of course when one pursues a military career it would be most unlikely that he would dare consider anti american sentiments at all. After witnessing the US gunning down in cold blood the journalists who were but walking through a deserted village camera gear strapped to their shoulders.They were not cramped down in a dark corner or walking in a manner that misconstrued as the enemy. This is not war this is a country that boasts about its diplomacy, humanity and as Mr Bush himself assumed, ‘God would continue to bless!!! ‘ Representing hypocrisy in ranks of military that no one need be accountable for. Instead they pursue the person who leaked their misdeeds. Had they felt confident in the battle they chose that day. Had they felt that the world around them would look to their deeds as those necessary at War Time… Why than react with such indignation towards Manning and Assange? The only detail that need be scrupulously addressed in court is if any intelligence was released that would have ACTUALLY compromised the safety of our troops on a whole. If they prove beyond doubt that he intentionally and knowingly released intelligence that he KNEW would compromise/harm the troops than that is what he should be on trial for. With details and timelines. It sounds to me the prosecutor’s request for a rebuttal was but a desperate move to try and prove what they couldn’t in the trial.
David, I don’t blame the helicopter crew or anyone who gave the orders to shoot. When you go to war this is what happens. I’d like to know when a mistake is made, so it won’t happen again. So we can make informed decisions. Yes, there will be really grave mistakes, and I’m VERY sure the men involved in the shooting are sick about it. But, to prosecute this young man….that is evil. Just rude and low class. The people who do that are not people of duty & honor. Honor means something, honesty means something. If we lose that, we’ve lost it all. I would have told too. Bradley’s problem is he thought someone would care. His poor parents taught him the truth was important. To tell the truth no matter what. Well, I taught my kids critical thinking and not to trust people who don’t deserve your trust. Now, let’s see who’s kids make it in this world.
Obviously, you didn’t see the video of “Collateral Damage” because if you had seen it, you would have not replied as you did. These men were laughing and targeting unarmed men and journalists saying things like “got another bastard”. They are evil, vile men and this was not about war, but rather about callous psychopaths having “fun”. This was much more than someone making a mistake.
Exactly what I was thinking as I read his comment!
I have more chance of winning the lottery without buying a ticket than those murdering scum have of facing trial.
All politics, all spin.
Joan Clark is right, Virginia, you cannot have seen Collateral Murder and comment as you do. Perhaps I want to give you the benefit of the doubt as you so the helicopter pilots by wondering if you have a family member in the Service and in harm’s way, and you don’t want them to have this happen. Perhaps I am too generous to give you the benefit of the doubt since yours is so sadly misplaced.
Although I don’t think the helicopter shooting was a “mistake” or the killer was sick about it, it’s an intentional murder and the shooter apparently enjoyed it.
However, lets just assume that was a “non-intention mistake” for a while, and we look at what happened afterwards. It turns out to be that this kind of mistakes happened again and again. From drone killings, NATO air-strikes, and night raids, you can see all these kind of killing innocent people event happening repeatedly. There are never efforts of reducing these unjust killing and wars.
Also, war is not an excuse at all, and never can be the excuse. Otherwise, we justify doing extremely bad things under the name of war, and we will find there’s no reason to condemn Nazi at all. It’s world “war” II, isn’t it?
ONe wonders why the government is so vehemently prosecuting whistle blower. One need not wonder why. It is obviously because the government is guilty of so many crimes that it is trying to keep Pandora’s box closed. It is the government who needs to be prosecuted for its crimes, not brave whistle-blowers like Bradley Manning and Edward Snowdon.
ANd for those of us who stand for our brave whistle-blowers, rest assured that we are now on “the list” of people the government is watching.
hum, well I guess I’m on a “list” now. Not sure what they will get from me…. I can give them a basil plant….all my money went to the banks…lost about everything on the 401K….jobs are about gone… I might have something in the icebox…
After Bradley Manning is convicted. Col. Lind will get her Brigadier’s star. There will probably be a ceremony at the White House and President Zero himself will probably pin them on her!
I hope the star melts to her chest and emblasions her forever for the damage of Bradley,s Life Forever and the Damage she is continuly doing to our Country for going along with the cronies of the white house.
Late moves like this often happen in political trials. The prosecutorial intent is to throw a bit of fog because previous handling of the case did not gain a victory in public opinion. They usually do not care about these obvious lies once the achieved a guilty verdict.
US history is full of examples, e.g. in cases like American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier or even more drastic in the one of journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal: more than two months after an alleged killing a police officer suddenly remembered a “confession” by the accused, which he failed to report initially. He remembered it only when the accused and arrested newsman filed charges for police brutality. This resulted to a guilty verdict by a jury in 1982. It send Jamal to death row and keeps him in jail even today.
The situation for Bradley Manning is serious. To believe he would receive a fair trial is naïve at best. It is very important to keep public pressure on – he and so many other who did a tremendous service to the american people and beyond will only be freed through the people. Thanks to the great work of the Support Network the world is getting to know the truth.
It looks like we the people could be the Jury for Manning all of us on Facebook , send it to President or to a Special Judge and overturn this kind of law that the military is using for the gov benifits and theirs to cover up their atrosities . I am so outraged I do not have patience to see this happening to someone else,s son, and maybe to my grandson,s one day . Seals go get the crew from the Helicoper and one who order the shoot , Do SOMETHING you know the truth, and why did the one say he found info in osama home ? That was not Bradleys fault, this helicoper thing has been going on a long time , no one reported it a cover for the gov again, We really need to get Obama out of the Office and Put Ron Paul in he know,s the suitation, you people who voted for Obama were looking thru rose colored glasses, thinking a black president who finally work, but you know he was really elected before you voted, by the Illumitatie. They all are hiding behind their Lies to over throw us all ,
Story is not getting much publicity in other US aligned countries.
This “war” by the US affected the entire world. Outside pressure is also needed, however they’re doing a good job at shutting it off.
Example there’s a news report recently of a white guy killing a black guy in self defence in the states he got off so the courts are racist apparently – ok, that’s bad, but not a single mention of Manning case.
When you sit down and take a good hard look at what the govt. is doing to Bradley Manning — including this latest which stabs the First Amendment in the heart — it seems virtually useless to keep a gun in the house against burglars or rapists
Big Brother can do whatever it wants, including a SWAT team bursting into your home on false –or no — pretext.
Combined with the not-so-secret surveillance of our phones and computers — and now the proposed surveillance of our car license plates — what happened to the country that was bequeathed to us by the Founders? They must be spinning in their graves.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Disappointed when she had the ‘hots”?
Hell, no, Charles! They went far afield to dig up this thug (yes, females can be thugs). Suborning perjury does not seem that far off. They persecute a whistleblower to cover their crimes, then commit more to cover that crime.
With this court, we have relinquished our authority. If anyone wants to be heard and respected, please don’t levy emotional judgement nor name calling against those, who have offended our cause. You’ll need their compliance.
I haven’t heard about a cross examination of Showman, which could easily be led into a degradation of her credibility or characterize blatant hypocrisy without easy disregard by the court. Find-out who your friends are (in the court), work with them.
Ms. Showman has the perfect surname for perfidy.
Obviously our totally corrupt government is behind this in an attempt to tar Manning to cover their own law-breaking. But the curtain has now been drawn open for all to see who the real criminals are. The corporatocracy that has bought our erstwhile democracy.
No sexism.
Just a treacherous individual willing to say anything, without regard to truth and justice, in vindictive pursuit of someone she hates.
It seems to be becoming “The American Way” – droning on and on…
Everyday I get word that shows the U.S.A. is not much better than a facshist global state – yesterday I read in Der Spiegel that President Jimmy Carter says “THERE IS NO FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA AT THIS TIME”. Today I wake to read this news on the Manning trial.
Judge Lind has to dismiss the government’s sneaky cheat tatics here using its irresponsible tool called Showman.
Here’s why, if the possibility of being seen to be un-American by anyone is in anyway mixed into the canvas of a Manning conviction then U.S.A. nationalism and militarism will be akin to the culture of Nazi German – flag and facshism. Lind has already proved her capibility to trample on the U.S.A. Constitution that protects freedom of the press by dismissing the charge of “aiding the enemy”. And the press itself, the main corporae media is going along in lock-step in the same way they did in bring the U.S.A. UK and Australia into the UNLAWFUL IRAQ WAR BEGINNING IN 2003.
So dont hold your breath on Lind or USA propaganda.
These actions are very dangerous and in my mind “un-American”. There are too many tools now in too deep and the critical tipping point has probably pasted for what was a somewhat honourable sovereign state. What gave me admiration in aspiring to the U.S.A. from Australia were the hallmarks of free speech, civil rights and the ability to self-correct any wrong. These things gave me hope but it appears Martin Luther King, John Adams, Daniel Elsberg sacrficed in vain.
When young U.S.A. soldiers confide in me that they know there duty is sick and a farse it gives me hope – When older Veterians for Peace and military brass speak out like Manning it gives me hope.
BUT if Lind allows the US-showman act in this important court case, the words chilling affect will not be sufficient to describe the ice-age coming down the the line.
If the Government allows this testimony and the Government is worthy of it’s Constitution and public support it will open the pandora box and allow the trial lawyers to define “American” and “un-American”. We can have that discussion if Showman continues otherwise its very simple:
we the people hold Manning’s truth to be self evident.
Kangaroo courts like “judge” Li E’s should only be allowed to
pass judgement on kangaroos.
Not heroic whistle blowers.
Let Lind do the dirty and watch the world condemn
her and the government she disgraces herself in serving.
Bradley Manning is the strongest candidate in
the world to receive the Znobel Peace Prize.
In fact it is the only way to restore the prestige
it had before giving it to war criminal Obama.
Steven Fenichel, MD
this is what I mentioned earilier in my message was to give the unwarrented Medal of Honor to Bradley Manning, he is the Hero . What are Earth has Obama ever done to deserve getting a Medal of Honor does anyone know? Was he in the War? He was suppose to get them Home from any war. And Prosecutes them , Let him stand up to the Plate and Dismiss all charges against Manning , Bradley and before the Public and the World Give His Medal of Honor to Bradley knowing he will not tolerate anyone of Americans SHooting down our own Soldiers and our Military with their coverup Lies Hiding behind a defenselist young smart Soldier who let us know the TRUTH.
I have seen only barely a mention of the hearings of Bradly Manning outside of here. Why is the media not reporting on this? This is a travesty!
What does “un-American” even mean? It sounds like some Orwellian crime. Is it illegal now to criticise America? This is like something out of Soviet Russia.
Bradley Manning just told what he saw. He told the truth. I want to know the truth. Who holds the strings to what I should & should not know, when it comes to the truth. The truth is the truth. I’m getting REAL disappointed in governments that don’t allow the truth to be told. I fear for MY AMERICA! It’s mine and I want it BACK!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
^ well, that is the link to the white house. Can’t hurt to send the President a note telling him to FREE BRADLEY MANNING. Be nice you all.
Submitted to the White House;
Dear Mr Obama,
I wish to support you by informing you that it is common knowledge even all the way over here in Australia that you have a wonderful example of a genuinely caring individual serving America and humanity in the American military yet currently you the American government and the American military are treating this fine example of human being and an American citizen like a hardened criminal – like someone that has committed some crime against humanity.
Sir, you and I as conscious human beings know what the truth is here and what is truly right and wrong.
I invite you to please honour this state of being and do the right thing by our friend and humanitarian Mr Bradley Manning.
Sincerely,
Alf de Hombre
In my view, there will be no escape for those right up the chain of command and especially those responsible for managing the military by measure of their own conscience for this injustice placed on this young American hero faithfully serving his country in the name of truth and justice and taking great personal risk to do so.
True Justice will prevail. Bradley Manning will be set free. Bradley Manning is already globally recognised as a true hero for truth and a real American. And anything short of this recognition by the government in my view is treasonous to the people of America and humanity.
Sorry if I am a bit harsh here – but that is how it is.
Typical government kangaroo court
I’m not sure why anyone thinks that Bradley Manning would get a fair trial…this is the same country that kills innocent civilians, violates the constitution, spys on it’s own citizens, and puts the needs of Corporate America above the needs of the People. It is disgusting…this trial is not fair and was never meant to be fair…it is a witch hunt meant to prevent others from outing the government for their crimes. It didn’t stop Snowden, and it won’t stop others…sadly Manning will probably spend the rest of his life in prison…but he will always be a bigger hero than any of the beaurocrats who are putting him there.
The article says we don’t know how much weight the judge will assign to these Showman accusations. Isn’t there a jury to “find facts” here? So I Googled, and found on Huffington Post that Manning “eschewed” the jury trial in order “likely to avoid the added uncertainty it could bring, said military justice expert Eugene R. Fidell”. They told me in law school that a jury trial is a crapshoot, but my brother, a prosecutor, told me that if you put people in a jury box, they become citizens. I hope Manning doesn’t have to pay for his attorney getting an education on the fact that soldiers are people.
it is going to be VERY difficult to demilitarize our planet – thank you Bradley for at least having a go
If you read Nick Turse’s book, “Kill Anything That Moves” and Jeremy Scahill’s book “Dirty Wars,” you get a fair picture of how ugly America can be in war. Young, inexperienced soldiers are given three things: high-powered rifles, mixed messages–(1) dire warnings that anyone in the foreign country could be an enemy looking for an opportunity to kill and (2) perfunctory recitations of the rules of engagement–, and finally the statistic that very few soldiers have been found guilty of a war crime related to civilian deaths. So what would you expect would happen?
When a man like Bradley, who has a super-strong conscience, tries to do the right thing, he gets charged with espionage while the war criminals are never charged. And when the prosecution is having trouble proving its case, all of a sudden, up pops Jirleah with something she just “remembered.”
I say, “Kangaroo court!”
This judge has lost all semblance of impartiality. I saw her coming from the time she couldn’t rule that bradley had been tortured, offending international norms, and probably military ones. She needs to be recused. This is no longer a trial, but a legal lynching. If this is the message the United States Army is trying to send out, it is succeeding splendidly. Apparently no one in the current administration, from the President down to the Joint Chiefs, is aware of the extent that the internet has changed the world. The actions of the bully no longer go unquestioned. In the long run, the consequences will be severe.
I sincerely hope he is awarded the Nobel Peace prize which would speak volumes for his courage. It should be retracted from Obama, who did not earn it, but was given it in expectations of peace.
The military courts are too often kangaroo courts. I learned once, in a blitz of ethical issues that came up in my community that one should follow not “who” is right, but “what” is right. Bradley Manning is like the White Rose Resistance of the Nazi party, whom we — the Allies, America — championed. A young Nazy soldier returning from the front saw what was actually happening, what was being kept from the German people, and with some college friends, began producing pamphlets that they then spread over the city, to inform the public about what was really happening. They were all caught and beheaded.
And now look at us. Instead of examining the horror of what we are doing, we kill the gentle messenger who points it out. And as for taking the word of a superior officer against whom Bradley filed a complaint about mistreatment! Come on, folks. She has zero credibility .
Col. Denise Lind just another of the droves of mindless ignorant stupid puppets. Dumb is as Dumb does, giving a chimpanzee the title of a judge doesn’t make it so.
Col. Denise Lind should be dis-honorably discharged then deported as a clear and present danger to every free American. The military is run by mindless stupid puppets.
The government is obviously trying to rig the trial of this American hero who has only tried to tell the American people what the world already knows – that our government is committing the same war crimes and crimes against humanity for which we hanged the Nazi German government at Nuremberg after World War II. What happened to a government of, by, and for the people??? Whoever stole it, we want it back immediately!
May I just say – for you good American people who are fighting this travesty – your govt probably thinks you unpatriotic for not bowing to what they want, for arguing and refusing to stay silent – but the rest of us in the world – we look around and think ‘they are not all bad’. Keep fighting.
If this was going on in an oil filled sandy country, one would have at least half expected America to invade and bring their democracy with them.
I am interested in the remarks about the lack of a trial by jury. As I understand it, historically, the jury was introduced to allow the citizens to mitigate an unjust law or an unjust prosecution, or even an unjust Judge, by a finding of not guilty by even one member of the jury, who could at least express the will of the citizens. Why was this discarded? Do they really have juries in courts-martial?
It looks as if a movement should be started to get a promise from a presidential candidate, that Bradley will be pardoned.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, the mainstream media, all aided & abetted the enemy everyday as they would announce and discuss the U.S. military’s every move and strategy openly to all the world and especially Al Qaeda. Surge this, change tactic that. Where our soldiers would be, how many of them there would be. Who’s kidding who ? They gloated in self-importance in discussing their strategies publicly to bolster their case and only to put troops in incredible danger. They conducted military strategy in public. What about the billions in direct payments each month to enemy fighters to show everyone how the “surge was working”. To accuse Manning of “aiding & abetting” is the height of arrogance and hypocracy.
Criminals indeed!
If 25% of the allegations against Ms. Showman are true and accurate, she is an authoritarian sociopath and poses a far greater threat to American democracy than either Manning or Wiki-leaks ever will. She falls into that category of folks who demand loyalty to the USA, but believes democracy to be fully dispensable.
I like the way artist Michael Daly puts it, (July 20). It is indeed, “very simple:
we the people hold Manning’s truth to be self evident.”
Now we just have to free him — and ourselves — from LAW in the hands of the lawless.
What sickens me most is that women — once fairly universal victims of laws and lawmaking that enabled tyranny on women’s lives; women who even yet remain embattled for our human rights — women, like the judge and the prosecutor’s witness, are wielding law for lawlessness and tyranny. This is clearly the case in the shocking treatment of Bradley Manning under a hammer RULE OF LAW that only tyrants and the lawless can mistake for justice. This galls my feminist soul and politics. Everywhere I see women seem to be taking the lead, speaking for and implementing tyranny, violating human rights wily nilly. As though the Western world’s early feminists and women’s rights advocates struggled merely to take their seat at the table of tyrants, not to dismantle tyranny! For this, the lives of Jane Adams, Emily Green Balch, the suffergettes? For shame! Judge Lind does women’s history a grave disservice and no woman worth her integrity should stand for it. I find this repeat feminine face of fascism (check out Nazi Germany, it is chilling) horribly troubling. I for one, encourage all peace women to petition and demand of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, a coalition of organizations which pool the activist strengths of 12 million American women, women’s rights advocates, to address these blatant violations of established humanitarian law in the Manning case, and to hold Judge Lind accountable to a feminist yardstick of justice.
Women’s rights advocates claim “women’s rights are human rights”, acknowledging implicitly and explicitly that human rights are universal. To remain silent when women in power/in office violate this inalienable principle of “rights”, is the height of irresponsibility. After all, women now hold public office on the strength of the women’s movement. Women must hold women in public office accountable. WOMEN are a political class; we are self-aware of this power when we wield our political voice for our HUMAN RIGHT to good health care, which includes safe abortion; surely then it is in our interest to wield this same power in every case, to drive human rights into the rule of law as inalienable and clearly differentiated and definable from the (lawless) rule of power (violation of human rights).
The silence of women as a political class in Bradley Manning’s case( as also Edward Snowden, and a myriad other whistle blowers) is a blind-spot in women’s struggle for human rights that needs to be gone, NOW. For all the individual women on the correct side of history, standing tall with Bradley Manning, leading the fray, if only we could manifest our collective political voice and demand Bradley Manning’s freedom under human rights law. It is only right.