Closing arguments in Bradley Manning's court martial begin Thursday at Ft. Meade. The government has been allowed by the judge to keep the "aiding the enemy" charge against Bradley, in which they must prove the defendant
"aids, or attempts to aid, the enemy with arms, ammunition, supplies, money, or other things; or without proper authority, knowingly harbors or protects or gives intelligence to, or communicates or corresponds with or holds any intercourse with the enemy, either directly or indirectly." Prosecutors allege Bradley was instigated by Wikileaks to get the leaked information, send it to them, with the express purpose of getting it to Al Queda.
As Emily Bazelon wrote Thursday in This is Vengeance, Not Justice
"None of this fits with the facts surrounding Bradley Manning. For the government and the military, his leaks were destructive and crazy making. But he says he did it to spark public debate. He had increasing doubts about the war, and he wanted to expose American wrongdoing so the public would know what was happening. “I felt that we were risking so much for people that seemed unwilling to cooperate with us, leading to frustration and anger on both sides. I began to become depressed with the situation that we found ourselves increasingly mired in year after year,” Manning said in court earlier this year. "I also believed the detailed analysis of the data over a long period of time by different sectors of society might cause society to re-evaluate the need or even the desire to even to engage in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations that ignore the complex dynamics of the people living in the affected environment everyday." Here’s his full statement."
When the closing arguments end, probably fairly quickly, we expect the judge's verdict. I will be at the trial, and we'll be talking Thursday evening at 10pm EDT with journalists and others who have been attending the trial. Please join in.
Expect the Bradley Manning Support Network's full page ad in The New York Times on Thursday. Friday we will protest at Ft. McNair in Washington, DC, where the Commanding General, who oversees the military "justice" system is based. Saturday there are international actions supporting Bradley Manning. You can join in or make your own. If people in Afghanistan can make a protest for Bradley, so can we:
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