Question:
How could a buck private, Manning, get so much information?
I can see him getting a small part of it, but I do not believe he could get so much without either help from someone above him or what is more likely someone planting a bomb where he would fall over it and pick it up.
Remember, there is the poison pill out there somewhere. That would have to contain something far more damaging than what we have seen so far.
That kind of information raises the specter of a person in high places.
I know I will be flamed for my next comment, but here goes anyway:
We are lucky that this information has been released because it makes it very clear to everyone, no matter how liberal, that our government is being operated by people who are totally incompetent.
We are living in difficult times, but it is better for this information and the incompetence that make it available to be revealed during this time period than for it to happen during an armed confrontation with one of the world’s major nuclear powers.
Now that we know we have such incompetence in the state department and in the Pentagon, FIX IT and FIX IT NOW.
More than Manning should go to prison.
Once a servicemember has access to SIPRNet, there are many places to go and see. Usually getting access requires a security clearance and "Need to Know". Sometimes just the duty position validates the "Need to Know". Example is that while I worked in the Special Ops Command Post, there was only one computer that was on the nonsecure (NIPRNet) network. The rest or the 15 or so computers were all on SIPRNet. All email was classified Secret or above, all websites we maintained or visited were classified Secret or above.
Now about this POS Manning, he deserves what he gets. But I also put blame on his supervisor for not checking him. I put blame on the computer security people for having a 'write-enabled' CD burner on a classified computer. And I blame the network security people for not noticing that someone was going to SIPRNet websites that were outside the scope of the individuals responsibility. They all need investigating, and reprimands where necessary.