Closing arguments are being presented as we speak in the trial of PFC Bradley Manning, the soldier being court martialed on multiple counts after leaking classified documents and video to WikiLeaks.
The prosecution wasted no time building on their previous characterization of Manning as a fame-seeker eager to please the higher ups at WikiLeaks. Major Ashden Fein, delivering the closing arguments on behalf of the prosecution, stated that, as a result of his position, Manning ”knew the importance of protecting classified information and that a violation of those agreements could result” in criminal prosecution.
“This is a picture of a person who thought he was finally becoming famous,” Fein said while holding up a smiling photo of Manning. Fein also claimed Manning’s decision to use WikiLeaks to divulge the material boiled down to the fact that they could guarantee “near real-time disclosures on the web as fast as possible for the world to access.”
It is crucial for the prosecution’s closing argument that they build upon the notion that Manning was motivated not by the desire to get out an inconvenient truth, but for the notoriety that releasing that truth would bring. According to the prosecution, Manning thought the Collateral Murder video, in which unarmed Iraqis were seen killed by American troops, was “cool,” influencing his decision to release it to anti-government activists.
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Wrapping up, Fein saved one of his most damning comments for last, asserting that Manning had an end goal of “worldwide anarchy” and “deliberately placed all soldiers in Iraq at personal risk” with his theft of the global email address list, one of the myriad data files that were also leaked.
As of press time, defense closing arguments will most likely be heard tomorrow. Keep it posted to Queerty for the latest, and much thanks for the intrepid Kevin Gosztola who has been covering the trial for Firedoglake.com and keeping gay media abreast of the latest developments.
2eo
Completely innocent. Did nothing wrong, other than have a conscience.
It’s being stated so many times now. Just because the right want him to be a traitor doesn’t mean he is.
miphill
It’s not just the right who think this guy is a traitor.
Will L
@2eo: You have an odd way of arguing your point. You’ve never argued the facts. You simply call people ignorant if they don’t agree with you. Honey, you’d never make the debate team. You are correct that “It’s been stated so many times now (BY YOU).”
onyxsky
@Will L: okay then, can you inform us as to how this man betrayed the United States? whose life has been put at risk? What proof do they have that he wanted to establish a worldwide anarchy? these allegations are preposterous to say the least. i don’t recall them mentioning that he planned or hoped for a worldwide anarchy. do you? how is he guilty? thank you.
onyxsky
@Will L: okay then, can you inform us as to how this man betrayed the United States? whose life has been put at risk? What proof do they have that he wanted to establish a worldwide anarchy? these allegations are preposterous to say the least. i don’t recall them mentioning that he planned or hoped for a worldwide anarchy. do you? how is he guilty? thank you.
BJ McFrisky
B’bye, Brad. Hope your Trans-Defense gets you less than the death penalty.
.
On second thought, maybe not. Perhaps you and E. Snowden can share a cubicle rotting in hell—or, if there’s any real justice, there is no afterlife and you’ll just be extinguished from the minds and memories of the people you intentionally put in jeopardy.
.
Hope it was worth it.
2eo
@BJ McFrisky: I’d rather die before Manning, preferably with the paedophile friend you paid for.
2eo
@BJ McFrisky: Also your friend should construe that as a threat.
onyxsky
@BJ McFrisky: you cannot be serious. what exactly did they do wrong? keep pandering to your authoritarian government, it will get you nowhere.
onyxsky
@2eo: braindead people think he is a traitor
2eo
@onyxsky: Yup, you need only read through every Manning article, those of average or above intelligence understand the situation, those with subnormal intelligence think he is a traitor.
Only those of subnormal intelligence think thus, when the evidence is empirically the opposite.
BJ McFrisky
@onyxsky:
@2eo:
You suck-ups are going to be sooooo sad when he’s found guilty and goes away. I suppose you can always do what liberals do when they’re angry: go to Oakland and set fires. Oh wait—that’s right, 2eo isn’t lucky enough to be one of us Americans, so he’ll have to go to Liverpool to cry. In fact, he’s not even witty enough to come up with any decent insults—all he says is “pedophile, pedophile, pedophile.” For some reason, he/she/it thinks that child molestation is funny. Newsflash: It’s not. Truth is, it borders on mental illness that you’re so obsessed with it.