Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was convicted of the largest military leak in the history of the US, was sentenced to 35 years in military prison.
25-year-old Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges he was facing on July, 30, for espionage, theft and fraud, for leaking hundreds of thousands of military documents to WikiLeaks. Judge Col. Denise Lind found him not guilty of the most serious charge of “aiding the enemy” which carried a mandatory life sentence.
According to ABC:
The 20 charges originally carried the possibility of 136 years in prison, but Judge Col. Denise Lind later granted a defense motion that reduced the potential maximum sentence to 90 years.
In his closing arguments during the two-week sentencing phase, Manning’s defense attorney, David Coombs, continued to portray Manning as a naïve young soldier who believed he could change the world. Coombs said Manning had “pure intentions” in releasing the documents to WikiLeaks. “At that time, Pfc. Manning really, truly, genuinely believed that this information could make a difference.”But in court documents released earlier this week that explained her verdicts, Lind said Manning’s conduct “was both wanton and reckless.” She added that it “was of a heedless nature that made it actually and imminently dangerous to others.”
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Last week Manning apologized for his actions in a short statement which he read during the trial’s sentencing phase:
“I’m sorry that my actions hurt people. I’m sorry that they hurt the United States. When I made these decisions, I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people.” He said he was sorry for the “unintended consequences” of his actions and offered that with hindsight, “I should have worked more aggressively inside the system.” Although he acknowledged that “I must pay a price for my decisions and actions” he also expressed the hope to “return to a productive place in society.”
Photo: AP/File
I would imagine after a huge amount of pressure and interrogation that this young man would be emotionally confused and physically tired. He has been under an immense amount of pressure and I don’t find it odd that he would offer that apology.
Shouldn’t we consider this man a modern day hero for having the courage to reveal the truth and question the institutional powers. What a sacrifice he and Mr Snowdon have made to stand against the might of a system that will go to great lengths to keep the truth hidden!
Manning is eligible for parole after 8 years, I think he will not serve the entire sentence of 35 years. The question is what is next. Now USA is running after Assange and Snowden. This is all so ridiculous, has the US Government nothing else to do, which is more productive?
I read in the news that Manning is now demanding a gender change. As a girl he might be released even earlier I guess and to answer to the above comment of James Becker, I think Manning is more a case for a psychiatrist than for a jail cell.
I feel like Bradley Manning doesn’t have his **** together. One minute, raging against what he calls the United States military’s overseas bloodlust, then “coming clean” and apologizing for it?
Clearly, he either wasn’t 100% behind his original motives, or he is just confused.