Army general upholds Chelsea Manning's conviction, 35-year sentence in WikiLeaks case

[The Straight Story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Army general upholds Chelsea Manning's conviction, 35-year sentence in WikiLeaks case.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/army-general-upholds-chelsea-mannings-conviction-35-year-sentence-wikileaks-case

[gopiscrap]

1. That's fucked up

[MohRokTah]

2. Given the UCMJ and the circumstances of the case, it is reasonable.

I know that's probably not going to be popular around here, but the UCMJ bears little resemblance to civilian justice. Under the standard justice system she would have been sentenced to ten years, maximum, and there's a good chance charges would have been reduced prior to litigation, reducing the overall impact dramatically. Furthermore, there would ahve been a good chance for a plea bargain in civilian courts.

The UCMJ, however, is very different and this is a just sentence under the UCMJ.

[msongs]

5. meanwhile our military who murder women and kids go free and get a great retirement package nt

[MohRokTah]

6. It's difficult to convict for murder under combat conditions.

It always has been.

Compare that to those who come home and murder women and children and you will find those members of the military who murder while in the US suffer enormous consequences for their actions under the UCMJ.

The haze of combat serves to make any convictions difficult at best and impossible under most circumstances.

[Hip_Flask]

3. Good...

[Oakenshield]

4. That's Murika for you.

Brutality for the little people, mercy and leniency for the powerful.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Whereas, the CIA torturers and drone operators who actually harm people walk free.

Chelsea Manning embarrassed the regime by exposing to the people in an allegedly "transparent" democracy what their public servants actually do.

The others are just murderous thugs and sadists who won't spend a day in prison because "we must look forward".