WASHINGTON — A soldier who served in Iraq has been arrested for allegedly leaking classified information, the US Army said Monday, following a report that he claimed to have transmitted a video of an air strike to Wikileaks.
** The US Forces Iraq said the army “is currently conducting a joint investigation of Specialist Bradley Manning, 22, of Potomac, Maryland, who was deployed with the 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division in Baghdad, Iraq.”
** “He was placed in pre-trial confinement for allegedly releasing classified information and is currently confined in Kuwait,” it said.
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Treason charges? Can we actually finally make an example of these people who leak classified information? Im including washinton in that question also.
Much more information is needed before conclusions can be reached. However, it looks like the kid took some “cool” video footage of a bombing run and put it on the web. IF that is the case, this is hardly the type of behavior that should rise to the level of treason (which requires specific intent to provide aid to the enemy and/or usurp the government and is punishable by death).
I should have clarified that I wasn’t suggesting we run out and hang him. I meant if its all found to be true of course. I have heard that it was an inordinate amount of info and he was releasing to people who really arent exactly looking out for our best interests. Can the fact , if found that this is true, that our enemies thrive on this and use it to do exactly what your definition covered be used against him?
I don’t think for a minute that he will be up on treason charges but he needs a serious hard core smack down for violation his SC and actions detrimental to his brothers in the field…
Again, I don’t know what he disclosed. The article was quite cryptic. There are a lot of things that are classified, but, release of them would not put people in harm’s way. I am not justifying his actions, just wondering (aloud) what he really did here.
Again, I don’t know what he disclosed. The article was quite cryptic. There are a lot of things that are classified, but, release of them would not put people in harm’s way. I am not justifying his actions, just wondering (aloud) what he really did here.
As a I.
Does this change anything?
“The Department of Defense takes the management of classified information very seriously because it affects our national security, the lives of our soldiers, and our operations abroad,” according to the statement from Iraq.
“allegedly releasing classified information” Lets take the alleged out and how would that change things? Again thinking aloud.
What crime? Have you seen the video in its entirety? Have you been in combat conditions while looking through NVG’s/FLIR?
Things get confusing, but that wasn’t the case here. If you intermingle with bad guys who are carrying weapons while a battle is going on, you’re taking a risk that will most likely end badly for you.
This kid was busted for releasing FLIR/VADR tapes, not treasonous, but definitely stupid on his part.
Maybe they should just take him and send him to the front lines and where he gets to face those that are encouraged by him relasing such videos which are used as propoganda. I think his perspective might change slightly once his sorry ass got from behind a monitor and “lived the life” for a few years.
Maybe they should just take him and send him to the front lines and where he gets to face those that are encouraged by him relasing such videos which are used as propoganda. I think his perspective might change slightly once his sorry ass got from behind a monitor and “lived the life” for a few years.
Do not mistake what I am saying. The little punk needs to have his ass handed to him. A few years (yes, years) in Leavenworth shoud do the trick. All I am saying is, let’s not call this treason. That is a charge that needs to not be used lightly.
As always your expertise in these situations trumps all and I mentioned treason simply because this shit drives me bananas.
On top of everything else the little turd could have kept his mouth shut and walked into a high five/ six figure income as soon as he left service. That dishonorable isnt going to open any doors for him, if hes guilty.
Junior enlisted troops (and senior officers, as well) don’t get to decide what intel to declassify. That comes from much higher in the chain of command. A peer of mine once left a document that was classified secret in the Xerox machine and it was found by others later that day. After the military investigatory and discipline system was through with him he ended resigning from the service after having received commanding general’s non-judicial punishment for his failure to protect classified information. Now, imagine what happens when an E4 decides on his own to release secret (if not top secret) information such as this young soldier did.
Can we actually finally make an example of these people who leak classified information? Im including washinton in that question also.
30 months and $250K for Scooter.
I’ll point out that this kid apparently didn’t try to sell information or deliberately try to aid our enemies, so both espionage and treason are out. He did appear to be aware of the political consequences of his actions (the comments about Hillary).
Can we actually finally make an example of these people who leak classified information? Im including washinton in that question also.
30 months and $250K for Scooter.
I’ll point out that this kid apparently didn’t try to sell information or deliberately try to aid our enemies, so both espionage and treason are out. He did appear to be aware of the political consequences of his actions (the comments about Hillary).
Ha! I was trying to make a new point: that an example was made that makes it pretty clear there are serious penalties. Scooter got a reasonably serious sentence. I’m not arguing the merits of the case vs. others, just the actual sentencing example.
Junior enlisted troops (and senior officers, as well) don’t get to decide what intel to declassify. That comes from much higher in the chain of command. A peer of mine once left a document that was classified secret in the Xerox machine and it was found by others later that day. After the military investigatory and discipline system was through with him he ended resigning from the service after having received commanding general’s non-judicial punishment for his failure to protect classified information. Now, imagine what happens when an E4 decides on his own to release secret (if not top secret) information such as this young soldier did.
As a former Trial Counsel in the Army JAG Corps, I fully understand that. My point is what this kid did is a far cry from Article 106a of the UCMJ (espionage) or 18 USC 2381 (treason).
I just heard a leak today. An ex-coworker said something she wasn’t supposed to. In my old office we had a penalty trophy that goes to whomever screwed up last.
If leaking information for being stupid is considered treason, then just about everyone with a clearance is a traitor.
Having said that, knowingly putting classified information on the internet should suffer a serious punishment!
Wired magazine has a good article on the event. Looks like he had a Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI) access. That’s as high a clearance as an E4, or most any other military member, could ever hope to be granted. Some of reason for what he did looks to be his anger at being demoted and at the possibility that he was going to be discharged from Army before his enlistment was up. Most likely, he was going to receive an administrative separation, possibly under other than honorable circumstances. I guess we’ll find out more on that in the near future. I’m also hoping to learn how a fellow like this was ever granted that kind of clearance. He must have really buffaloed the psych folks so badly that they didn’t catch his obvious narcissism and essentially shaky personality when he was undergoing his background investigation.
If it’s true about him sucking up a quarter-million NSA cables and then distributing them he’s in more trouble than he can imagine. A single unauthorized release of such a document is a minimum 10 years imprisonment. Maybe he’ll be kept in prison until he dies and then will immediately be imprisoned again when he’s reincarnated. It could happen, right?