Where are Manning's "friends" at WikiLeaks now while he guy goes off to spend a good chunk of his life in jail? 35 years should send a message to others who think they can leak confidential gov't documents they swear to protect.
Critic of Bradley Manning's treatment reinforces support for prosecution
.. toast to that .. some restitution for the abysmal treatment Manning received .. lol .. raised cuppa coffee after posting this ..
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 03/06/2013
Reporter: Leigh Sales
As Bradley Manning heads to trial for allegedly sending classified cables to Wikileaks, a man who had to resign his US government position for criticising Manning's treatment, PJ Crowley, reinforces his support for prosecution of the American soldier.
Transcript
LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Later tonight Australian time, the American soldier accused of the worst national security breach in United States history will go on trial.
Private Bradley Manning allegedly sent hundreds of thousands of classified cables to Julian Assange's WikiLeaks organisation, covering everything from intelligence reports to diplomatic briefings.
The leak caused massive ructions inside the US Government and around the world, but since Manning was arrested in 2010, he's become a cause celebre for human rights activists and civil libertarians because he's been detained under harsh maximum security conditions.
One person who raised concerns about Manning's treatment was the then State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley. Mr Crowley was forced to resign from the Government after he called the Pentagon's treatment of Manning ridiculous and counterproductive, even though he does believe Manning committed a grave offence warranting serious prison time.
Mr Crowley joined me from Washington earlier.
Mr Crowley, with the Manning trial about to get underway, what will the US Government need to prove to establish that Bradley Manning is guilty of espionage and aiding the enemy?
P.J. CROWLEY, FORMER US STATE DEPT SPOKESMAN: Well it will be a difficult charge to make, but I think the judge has ruled that there just has to be a proof of - that the enemy was in possession of the material that he leaked to WikiLeaks, not that the there was an intent on behalf of Bradley Manning to aid the enemy.
LEIGH SALES: Manning's offered to plead guilty to lesser charges of the misuse of classified information. In your view, why has the US Government not struck a plea bargain and what are the implications for the US of not doing so?
P.J. CROWLEY: Well I've always been concerned back from two years ago when - given his treatment at a brig in Quantico that this case was about more than just the particular facts of the compromise of hundreds of thousands of documents. I mean, it is a unique leak in that respect. But this is a necessary prosecution, in my view, because Bradley Manning went to Iraq to defend the national interest, not define the national interest. He violated his oath of office to protect the national interest and to safeguard classified material. These are serious charges and I believe that he should spend a considerable amount of time in jail, but given his treatment I think that he became a much more sympathetic figure than was justified and now my great fear is that by pushing this prosecution to this charge of aiding the enemy, that sympathy will just grow.
LEIGH SALES: The US Government might say though that it needs to send the harshest possible message to would-be leakers of classified information.
P.J. CROWLEY: Absolutely right, Leigh. And I think that this is what is at the heart of the military justice system. A civilian justice system is about protecting broader society. A military justice system is about reinforcing good order and discipline. I think a plea bargain with a prospective 20-year sentence fulfils that obligation to send a clear message to those in government charged with safeguarding classified material that there will be consequences if they violate that oath.
LEIGH SALES: Do you believe that Manning will receive a fair trial?
P.J. CROWLEY: I think that Manning has received a fair trial. He chose to have the trial before a judge as opposed to before a jury. I'm quite confident that the court can deliver a fair verdict, but again, I look at this not only in terms of the issues of law and the evidence, but the wider ramifications of this. Obviously this is a case that has captivated the world by its very nature. The leak involved relations between the United States and almost literally every other country on Earth. And I think there is a danger here that perceptions of US justice will be undercut if at the end of the case many people around the world believe that this is not a case of justice but a case of judicial excess.
LEIGH SALES: In the end, what sort of damage to national security did Manning's leak do? I don't mean reputational damage, I mean actual strategic damage.
P.J. CROWLEY: Well I think because of a lot of hard work, the impact on the ability of the United States to do diplomacy around the world, that has been successfully mitigated. At the heart of this case is the fact that with the release of several hundred thousand documents, including many classified, the lives of activists, government officials from other governments who have talked to the United States and provided an honest, candid perspective of what's happening in the world, even conversations between diplomats and journalists - these have been compromised, and in doing so, real livings and real careers have been put at risk. This is the real - the most significant damage created by the compromise of this material through WikiLeaks.
LEIGH SALES: Manning's supporters see him as an heroic whistleblower. As you mentioned, he's received more sympathy than perhaps he deserves and that's blown this case into something bigger than it needed to be. Is there anything that can be done now to alter that, or is it too late?
P.J. CROWLEY: Well, we'll see what happens in court this week. I think the prosecution should accept the plea bargain, should put Bradley Manning away for 20 years and remove him from the global stage and try to mitigate this perception that he is this sympathetic figure. But every indication is the prosecution's going to pursue this charge of aiding the enemy and we'll see what the court judgment is.
LEIGH SALES: Mr Crowley, thank you for your time today.
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