Michael Ratner: When Truth Becomes an Enemy of the State: Bradley Manning on Trial

[marmar]

When Truth Becomes an Enemy of the State: Bradley Manning on Trial

Tuesday, 04 June 2013 14:58
By Michael Ratner, Truthout | Op-Ed


Yesterday, after three years of confinement, Pfc. Bradley Manning finally went on trial in a military court at Fort Meade, Maryland. But it is less a real trial than it is a trial run, an experiment on how to make an example out of a government whistleblower, intimidate journalists' sources, and make journalists and publishers targets.

What Manning did for his country was priceless, and for that he will pay a heavy price. Here's a young soldier who put his future on the line so Americans had a chance to see the human and moral cost of the wars their government is waging. Manning's information shaped the American public's understanding of the ongoing wars and the way the press reports on these conflicts. This shift in perception is largely responsible for US troops finally coming home. Manning now faces a life sentence and the most serious charge against him carries a potential death penalty.

Government prosecutors will try to prove Manning had reason to believe his actions would aid the enemy. In his testimony earlier this year, Manning explained his political motivation, arguing that he had hoped to "spark a domestic debate" over current US wars and saying that he did so to have a "clear conscience."

In a telling sign of just how fair of a trial Manning will get, the military judge already ruled that almost all questions and evidence the defense can raise about Manning's intentions for acting are irrelevant to the trial. The judge has also stated that two dozen prosecution witnesses will testify behind closed doors. Many of these will be discussing the WikiLeaks documents available to all everywhere, except in the courtroom, since the government still considers them secret. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/16774-when-truth-becomes-an-enemy-of-the-state-bradley-manning-on-trial

[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[idwiyo]

2. K&R

[Pelican]

3. Swing and a miss....

[Octafish]

4. The guy exposed the gangster nature of the state.

The real traitors are the selected "leaders" who lied America into illegal, immoral, unnecessary and disastrous wars for profit.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R