Military: U.S. soldier to be charged in leak of strike video

CNN ^ | 06 JUL 10 | The CNN Wire

[DCBryan1]

Manning of Potomac, Maryland, is suspected of leaking a classified 2007 video of an Apache helicopter strike that killed 12 civilians in Baghdad, including two journalists from the Reuters wire service, the military said.

[DCBryan1]

Charge should have been treason.

[TokuMei]

I heard that Bradley Manning is a TRANSVESTITE.

I dunno about W->M or M->W, but that’s what I heard.

I don’t know what to think cuz.....cuz it’s weird and sometimes we can’t tell.

[Gene Eric]

You gotta wonder if there was financial motivation involved given the nature of the casualties.

[bigheadfred]

2007 video of an Apache helicopter strike that killed 12 civilians in Baghdad

Not civilians. And even if they were, SO WHAT?

[Moose4]

I’m still trying to figure out what the difference is between what Manning did in that one case with the Wikileaks video and all of the other “war porn” that show up on places like Apache Clips and Weasel Zippers. Is it just that the ones on other sites have been reviewed and released by the DoD? Is there an approved method for getting that footage out into the public domain?

Don’t get me wrong, I think Manning should get the book thrown at him. But there’s literally thousands of video clips from things like Apaches and Spectres floating around out there, and I’m curious why what Manning did (other than releasing it to the anti-American punks at Wikileaks) is criminal, when the release of so many other clips isn’t.

}:-)4

[OldDeckHand]

What a horrificly written news article. First, what are the charges and specification. And second, how about linking to the charge sheet, which I'm sure they have their hands on. It's DOD policy to distribute to members of the media redacted copies of the charge sheet in high-profile cases such as this.

With respect to "treason", the government would need to prove that he was working specifically with an enemy of the state. I don't believe the evidence supports such an accusation. But, Art 106a Espionage, is appropriate here, and I'm curious if they have charged that. Under certain conditions, including the dissemination of classified material that jeopardizes troop safety or national security (amongst other things), the death penalty may be applied. I think it's highly improbable they'll seek such a penalty, but it is a possibility.

Then again, I'm not entirely familiar with exactly what was leaked. If the government thinks men died because of the information he put out, he's in "heap big trouble".

I'm thinking he was probably charged with multiple specifications of Art. 92, and hopefully multiple specifications of Art. 106a.

[OldDeckHand]

And the other thing that’s strange is the period of time that elapsed from the time he was placed in pre-trial confinement, until the time that he was formally charged. It’s been (I think) over four weeks. That’s unusual.

[jazusamo]

The difference is he released classified info and is accused of adding unauthorized software to a classified computer system. Those are both huge no no’s.

From reading previous articles it’s not just this video either, he supposedly turned over thousands of classified documents.

If true, which it seems likely it is, he’s going to be spending a good part of the rest of his life in Leavenworth.

He knew exactly what he was doing because he had to have had a Top Secret clearance and anyone having it has been well educated about the consequences of breaking the oath.

[SunkenCiv]

Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, 22, for allegedly transferring classified data onto his personal computer and adding unauthorized software to a classified computer system... suspected of leaking a classified 2007 video of an Apache helicopter strike that killed 12 civilians in Baghdad, including two journalists from the Reuters wire service... leaked the video to the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.com, which posted the video in April. Wired.com reported that Manning confessed to the leak in a series of online chats with a former computer hacker. He allegedly owned up to leaking other items to WikiLeaks, including a classified Army document assessing the threat level of the website, according to the article, as well as State Department cables.

Thanks DCBryan1.

[SuperLuminal]

Put him on IED detail...naked...

[Tzimisce]

Hm.

[ASOC]

He will go to jail, no doubt.

OTOH, rather too much of what is classified is embarrassing to the service or damaging to some brass hat’s career....

And yes, I held a TS/SCI/TK clearance. Unless something has changed, you have to wonder about the classification system. I followed the rules, but had to scratch my head sometimes. Got out of that business as soon as I could.

As always, YMMV.

[Alas Babylon!]

Agree with you. You and I had a similar career.

[jazusamo]

I hear you about much of the classified material. My son works with computer and commo systems and that’s one of his gripes. The thing with him is he has to stay on top of people that should know better than to do some of the things they do in order to keep them out of trouble. He’s a MSgt and sometimes an officer doesn’t like to be told they can’t do something they want to do. :)

[Amberdawn]

Definitely looks as if “he” goes both ways....

[OldDeckHand]

Here's a link to another story. This story contains the copy of the Charge Sheet that CNN elected (for whatever reason) not to attach.

Army Intelligence Analyst Charged With Leaking Classified Information

They've charged him with 4 specs of Art. 92, and 7 specs of Art. 134. Apparently, they've elected to use 134, rather than Art 106a, to assert the espionage elements of their case, and cited 18 USC § 793, which isn't as penal as Art. 106a. I suspect, although I'm not certain, this may have to do with the fact they're building a federal case against the people who actually received the leaked information. I'd have to read a little more to be sure.

Also, they've cited multiple violations of 18 USC § 1030, which deals with computer fraud.

All in all, he's still looking at some lengthy prison time. Think decades, not years.

[sinanju]

Too bad for him that Kool and the Gang are in charge now and want to make an example of anyone who leaks.

Dear old noblesse oblige, kick-me sign-wearing GWB would undoubtedly have let him get off with a wrist slap.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

I heard that Bradley Manning is a TRANSVESTITE.

I dunno about W->M or M->W, but that’s what I heard.

Apparently Bradley Manning is a Male to female transgender / transsexual in the very early stage of transition (being in the planning stages of transitioning from being physically a boy to physically a girl).

http://www.queerty.com/is-wikileaks-air-strike-alleged-leaker-bradley-manning-transgender-20100621/

http://gawker.com/5568351/is-wikileaker-bradley-manning-pre+transition-transgendered

(1:13:10 PM) bradass87: i just… dont wish to be a part of it… at least not now… im not ready… i wouldn't mind going to prison for the rest of my life, or being executed so much, if it wasn't for the possibility of having pictures of me… plastered all over the world press… as boy…
(1:14:11 PM) bradass87: i've totally lost my mind… i make no sense… the CPU is not made for this motherboard…
(1:14:42 PM) bradass87: s/as boy/as a boy..
(1:31:40 PM) bradass87: i just wanted enough time to figure myself out... to be myself... and be running around all the time, trying to meet someone else's expectations...
(1:34:11 PM) bradass87: waiting to redeploy to the US, be discharged... and figure out how on earth im going to transition...

[TokuMei]

GOOD FIND!

This is exactly what I’m talking about, and such statements are WAY more important than the treatment (non-treatment) they’re getting from the media.

The man was DEEPLY troubled, and the disclosures were symptomatic of a disorder or illness that he was suffering.

Somewhere I heard that 30% or more of people who do take the sex change surgery kill themselves within a year or so of having done so.

This guy was mentally-ill, and our media is afraid to report that. My guess is that they NEVER will.

Should this keep him out of prison? No.

I think he’s dangerous and should be put away for good.