[Peace-discuss] Fw: Bradley Manning accepts responsibility--why and what next

Tue Nov 20 20:12:49 UTC 2012

Important reading...

--- On Tue, 11/20/12, Courage to Resist <courage at riseup.net> wrote:

From: Courage to Resist <courage at riseup.net>
Subject: Bradley Manning accepts responsibility--why and what next
To: jencart13 at yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 11:22 AM

Bradley Manning accepts responsibility

Bradley Manning accepts responsibility

Why, what it means (and doesn't), and what next
By Jeff Paterson, Courage to Resist. November 19, 2012. Published at Allvoices.com
Army Private Bradley Manning recently informed
the military court that he was, in fact, the source of information
published by WikiLeaks. While the 24 year old Intelligence Analyst,
effectively, took responsibility for transferring classified documents,
in violation of military regulations, he maintained that he was not
guilty of all 22 charges against him.
“PFC Manning has offered to plead guilty to
various offenses through a process known as "pleading by exceptions and
substitutions," explained Manning civilian defense attorney David Coombs
on his blog. Manning is “attempting to accept responsibility for
offenses that are encapsulated within, or are a subset of, the charged
offenses…. PFC Manning is not pleading guilty to the specifications as
charged by the government,” added Coombs. Nor is he “submitting a plea
as part of an agreement or deal with the government.”
"Pleading by exceptions and substitutions" is
very rare--so rare that most observers of the proceedings were
thoroughly confused. Some media outlets incorrectly reported that
Manning was “seeking a deal”, “pleading guilty”, or trying to nullify a
life sentence--or even the death penalty. It’s important to clarify that
no deal is being sought, Manning no longer faces the death penalty, and
his plea doesn’t prohibit the maximum sentence of life in prison.
Manning’s plea confused many, simply because the truth isn’t usually
offered up in such proceedings without something in return. But that is
what happened.
Why would Manning accept responsibility?
Manning needed to accept responsibility, so that
he could move forward with his defense as a whistle-blower, ahead of
the scheduled, February 4, 2013, start of his court martial at Fort
Meade, Maryland.
Supporters of Manning have long hailed him as a
young man, with a conscience, who heroically uncovered evidence of war
crimes and government corruption. Yet, many cling to the narrative of
Manning, the disillusioned, unstable, gay soldier, serving precariously
under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
Neither the defense nor the prosecution, believe
Manning’s difficulties in the Army are a primary aspect of what
happened. Neither side has disputed Manning’s motives, as summed up in
this online chat, prior to his arrest: “I want people to see the truth…
because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a
public… I was actively involved in something that I was completely
against.” According to the prosecution, Manning also provided the
following note, to WikiLeaks, when he, anonymously, uploaded a cache of
battlefield reports of the Iraq War: “This is perhaps one of the most
significant documents of our time… removing the fog of war and revealing
the true nature of 21st century asymmetric warfare.”
While doing his job, Manning analyzed horrific
surveillance videos of the bloody and chaotic Iraq War unfolding around
him. In stark contrast to the "Aiding the Enemy" and Espionage Act
violation charges the prosecution has painted him with, Manning is now
free to explain how he was trying to do the right thing, expecting
nothing in return, while sitting in that dark bunker at Forward
Operating Base Hammer.
“God knows what happens now. Hopefully worldwide
discussion, debates, and reforms – if not, we're doomed,” Manning
allegedly told a government informant before his arrest. Now with this
plea offering, he’s taken responsibility on the most favorable terms
available to him.
At the conclusion of the “Article 32” pre-trial
investigative hearing back in December 2011, Manning’s attorney David
Coombs explained that his goal was to show the court “why things
happened, while the government was only interested in what happened.” In
that context, this plea doesn’t represent a change of course for the
defense.
Read the entire article here...

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