This is hardly a surprise, but after locking up Bradley Manning in solitary confinement for seven months — a condition that much of the world has deemed to be torture — and looking for ways to use a computer hacking law to charge Julian Assange, rumors are that officials have offered Bradley Manning a plea deal, in which he would claim that Assange “conspired” with him to get and leak the documents. From all the info that’s come out already, there’s been little to suggest that there was any actual conspiring, but it appears that our Justice Department has decided (incorrectly) that Julian Assange is the more important target than Bradley Manning, and so it wants to bring Assange down.
Found by ECA.
How about taking them both ‘down’?
OK by me.
#1 that works for me too.
I’m ashamed for my country. We have no decency. We “should” suck it up and recognize the truth like water will find any leak. Our attention should be to the sufficiency of our vessels and who we allow access to them and the quality of the water itself.
More evil/harm/death/cost is experienced by “secrets” than the truth without secrets would cause. But sheep like #1 and #2 will argue for it under the notion that secrecy is necessary/makes us strong/is patriotic or just to have someone they can deem beneath them to assail. Mindless boot jacks who don’t appreciate their own FREEDOM are like that.
Silly evil Hoomans.
#1,2
That’s okay. The more despotic the better eh?
The Chinese and others must be laughing their asses off thinking of how we lecture them on human rights.
And for what? A tiny amount of information (< 2% of the material) – approved for release by the US government, that most media outlets describe as 'boring' as we already knew it all. Information that the US government itself admitted caused no harm.
And as with 911, our government demonstrates the incompetency that allowed the leaks in the first place: denying access to the New York Times to government workers.
Reminds me of local Telephone Books being classified “Secret” at certain times and places, or the Post Office spending millions on change of address cards as part of Nuclear Bomb Attack response.
Our government = unbelievably incompetent.
Our Government = Unbelievably Incompetent
Our Citizenry that put them there = a horror show of ignorance, laziness, dishonesty and stupidity that’s going to get them everything those attributes are capable of earning.
=O(
So “solitary confinement” is now considered “torture” by much of the world?
When they did that survey (of the world), did they ask people in China, North Korea, Iran, etc what they would consider to be torture? I’m sure there are more than a few in Chinese prisons who would be delighted if all they had to endure was solitary confinement.
1. There are NO CHARGES against Bradly.
2. the information he gathered WAS,
NOT ENCRYPTED and NOT from the USA.
It was UN POSTED/MAIL MATERIAL and intercepted FROM the internet IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.
3. Assange released Much of the data to USA newspapers BEFORE posting data on his site. AND ONLY after the papers, PRINTED MOST OF IT.
4. Assange redacted(removed) many of the names and ANY secret data, BEFORE POSTING.
Our past presidents and creators of this government would be ashamed of what is happening.. this is SUPPOSED to be an open government. with FULL participation OF THE PEOPLE..
@#4 Manning by evidence and his own admission have done what is considered the worse crime against his own country: he committed treason. This crime across the centuries and cultures was always the lowest of the low (please do find me one culture at any time which have celebrated treason…).
Fact that we have democratic system means that he is sill alive and in court process as defined by law. Most other places or times in human history he’d be already be executed, more or less painfully.
His complaint about solitary confinement is BS. It is for his own protection. Even prisoners hate traitors (at same level as child molesters). Expedited (but proper) process and execution is best for all.
As for idiotic “Information that the US government itself admitted caused no harm” I must repeat example from my country of origin, which is most likely repeated all over the Globe. This “innocent” leak have exposed people in Govt. there who were willing to help US cause by names and actions. Some now sit in hiding worse than traitor Manning: if they are found they will be killed. Never mind that US cause will now lack anyone with half brains to stand for it there, no matter how willing they would be. Because another leak and their lives would be on line. Hence, people ready to help US across the World are in danger of summary execution and any future help to US across the World is severely hampered … “No harm”? Bunch of idiots.
#9 you seem to “know” a lot of “facts” about this case. I would be inclined to question how you “know” all this information. Your comments are very suspicious and dare I say require further investigation. Explain yourself or suffer the consequences – now.
… or
Have you been assuming things again #9?
#9..
WHAT NAMES??
WHY HIDE?
SPIES??
Corp designated political controllers?
#9–dismal==whats wrong with you? I mean, really? Bad childhood? Divorced? No cookies at Christmas? What drives you into the ditch??
Solitary Confinement. Not physical torture==like you, its MENTAL!! Lots of people, most people, break with this unnatural circumstance for humans. We are after all, social creatures.
For his own protection? Yea, and no pillow or blankets for his own protection as well. Your ban against telling the truth is probably just another self involved desire to keep the fact there are people like you in our government services??
Secrets should be rare and well kept. In my experience, such secrets WILL BE KEPT because those with access all agree it is proper. Its situations like this one where secrecy is creeping and overtaking regular information necessary for an informed electorate to control what its government is doing that is the GREATER danger.
Stop keeping secrets and the revelation of secrets becomes a non-issue.
Why do so many hate the truth?
#9 clearly “knows” to much. He needs to turn himself into the nearest authority ASAP for possibly taking part in treasonous activities.
This is the worst administration since I’ve been alive. I wonder if Assange has the ‘football’ codes, maybe that’s why that ICBM went off ‘accidentally’ near the L.A. coast.
Obama certainly is running the worst administration in memory. That’s why it is called Bush’s Third Term.
Really, the credit does go to BushtheMalignantRetard and his criminal gang. Like a diseased sick and rotting cow crapping and dying in a stream, the damage continues downstream for miles.
We’ll never know how Obama would have governed on his own, captured by BushtheMalignantRetard’s mess. I’m actually kinda surprised he even went ahead and took the office. Pretty obvious at the time he would be blamed for what was necessary to fix the mess.
Good Mindless commentary GF. Stoopid Hooman.
Also to consider..
Assange IS NOT a USA citizen..
NONE of what he did was DONE on USA soil, NOR on USA servers..
“computer hacking law to charge Julian Assange”
NOTHING WAS HACKED..
ASSANGE didnt capture the DATA.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20101215/09551812291/us-is-apparently-torturing-bradley-manning-despite-no-trial-no-conviction.shtml
“but Glenn Greenwald is now covering how he is being tortured, despite the fact he has not been tried. He has been held in intensive solitary confinement, meaning he spends 23 hours of the day in total isolation. He has not even been given a pillow or sheets for his bed. As Greenwald highlights, there is widespread agreement that such prolonged solitary confinement is well beyond the standard level of torture, is forbidden in many modern civilizations, and leads to long term psychological issues for those who go through it. ”
THERE ARE NO CHARGES ON BRADLEY..he has been JAILED for 7 months.
The DATA he gathered was on Public domain.
ECA, I read that a Pentagon spokesman said that Manning is alone in a regular cell, not in “solitary confinement”. Of course, no one knows for sure… it’s top secret.
#17
http://cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20025724-503543.html
“Manning has been denied a pillow or sheets for his bed and, even during the one hour per day he is freed from his cell, he is barred from accessing any news or current events programs, Greenwald writes. Additionally, the brig’s medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning.”
I am thankful we have people like Manning and Assange. They cast the pure clear light of truth in the dark corners of corrupt governments, especially the Great Satan.
We can now disband our entire security apparatus and replace it with Assange’s excellent judgement as to what everyone should know. Think of the savings!
I eagerly await his disclosure of items covered by HIPAA. I am sure the government is concealing dirty secrets in colons.
Talk about following the Pied Piper.
#19–Nextlie==there is no middle ground for you is there. Its stupid on one end of the scale or the other==from your boot licking politics to your sense of humor.
Sad thing is how long you might last in a world of your own fantasy making. Just not enough jails to your way of thinking?
Silly Hooman.
I still can’t get my head around how the detractors all vehemently argue that we, the people, shouldn’t know what our elected officials are doing in our name, and paying for with our tax dollars.
Assange has done nothing that until recently, newspapers the world over haven’t been doing for years and years.
They generally don’t any more though as their new corporate masters are just shills for governments of all flavors and heavily dictate what does and doesn’t get printed.
#19..
NICE comment..but have you read any of the links in this list..
the DATA HE Gathered, was PUBLIC DOMAIN..NON-ENCRYPTED, UN conversations.
lets do it the easy way..
DO YOU EXPECT your Public posts in ANY forum to be PRIVATE??
HOW about posts on facebook?
AS with any conversation IN PUBLIC…you learn to keep your voice down, and find a PRIVATE place to speak.
There are PROBABLY no charges pending, BECAUSE its NOT part of the USA..UN is an independent organization. THEY are responsible for Their OWN protections..
This DID NOT happen in the USA. It was done from a Foreign country across the internet of OTHER countries. The information was NOT released to 1 country..it was released TO ALL OF THEM, so that NO ONE could take advantage from them.
Torture is ventriloquism
In the midst of all the news about Obama’s sellout on taxcuts and other insanities from our supposed ‘leaders’, this didn’t get much play and it should have as it threatens even further our ‘right to know’ what the government is doing in our name(s).
On Friday, December, 10th, by unanimous consent, (another way they avoid accountability), The Senate passed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (S. 372) .
Sounds good doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t !!
For the first time ever, federal employees will not be protected for blowing the whistle on a violation of law. The excuse given to justify this dangerous rollback is that it only excludes minor violations of law. The fact is there is no such thing as a minor violation of law. Either it is violation of the law or it is not. Federal managers should not be allowed to decide what laws they can violate.
In fact, this provision overturns one of few Federal Court decisions in 30 years that ordered corrective action for a whistleblower. The provision also runs counter to every major study on how to detect fraud, including the most recent study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. These studies have found that the best way to detect fraud is to protect whistleblowers who report even suspicious activity because it is often the suspicious activity that leads to the discovery of major fraud.
Well, glad to see this site has become the Bobbo & Oleo Bywater Baggins Show.
Klaus Fuchs and you would have gotten along quite well, I am sure.
So a guy that publishes the truth is worse then the guy that’s provided the information? Only the US justice system would think that.
Hey Faxon–Klaus Fuchs, arguably good example of what should be kept secret. But it wasn’t kept secret, and the world continued on even to today where it is considered THE BEST SECURITY that Russia and USA have onsite inspections of each others nuclear weapons facilities. Why? Because openness avoids accidents.
Ironic huh?
So, even the very best (minus one) example of “good secrets” actually is very debateable. The very best? I’d say our development of the A-Bomb during WW2 is a “real” necessity based secret. The rest are exercises in mismanagement coverups, paranoia, and the joy of having power over other people.
Suck it up Faxon. You got one case, and one case only. D Day timing and places? Ok–3 cases. All about ACTIVE WARFARE. I see a trend, a rule that 99.99 people would get behind. The rest really is debatable, and when that is the case, I give the nudge to the truth before submitting to government liars.
Why do you support authority so?
#14
You must be under 36 then. This is nothing.
Cursor_
#6 Don’t vote Republican, unless you’ve already made your money.
All they would have had to do was make me listen to rap music, I’d tell them anything they wanted to know to make it stop.
I still wanna know why Wikileaks only has stuff from the U.S., and doesn’t also expose the dirt on the Chinese, Russians, Iranians, Saudis, French, Germans, Indians, et all.
Or… is it like watching the Olympics in the US where they only show American athletes and pretend no one else is there? In other words, I am only hearing about the American dirt from Wikileaks.