Bradley Manning, the military’s most famous detained gay, should never have been deployed to Iraq, according to a mental health specialist who evaluated him at the Fort Drum base. But his commanders — who have the final say on whether he stays or goes — disagreed, and shipped him off anyhow. Something about rage-filled outbursts at his superiors while on base? Meanwhile when he was in Iraq, Manning’s supervisor grew so concerned about the private’s mental health he disabled Manning’s weapon; that incident was followed by Manning being demoted for assaulting another soldier. It seemed to all be tied to a “personal relationship” gone awry, but clearly there are some deeper problems going on here. Either way, in exchange for ignoring Manning’s mental health problems, the military now has on its hands the greatest national security leak in its history. Not that the Pentagon has successfully tied Manning’s alleged file stealing to WikiLeaks.
Fagburn
Catch 22?
Or disinformation?
Support Bradley Manning – http://www.bradleymanning.org/
Cam
Well another issue…
If the military and the U.S. govt. wasn’t trying to subvert the “Freedom of information Act”, they wouldn’t classify every single document under the sun, and then wouldn’t have to have millions and millions of employees and soldiers have to have security clearences just to view routine paperwork.
If this guy didn’t have to have a clearence to view non-important, low level papers, then he wouldn’t have been able to use that clearence to view high level important documents.
B
No. 2 · Cam wrote, “Well another issue… If the military and the U.S. govt. wasn’t trying to subvert the “Freedom of information Act”, they wouldn’t classify every single document under the sun, and then wouldn’t have to have millions and millions of employees and soldiers have to have security clearences just to view routine paperwork.”
It’s really a different issue: look at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/30/national/main7102379.shtml for details. It involves the use of a “secure” system called SIPR that allowed an individual to access huge amounts of classified information. Usage spread after 9/11 in an effort to “connect the dots” but also for cost-reduction reasons.
According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11863618
“Siprnet uses the same technology as the internet, but has dedicated and encrypted lines that are separate from all other communications systems, according to a defence department users’ guide.
“The system is protected by a series of security measures, the guide adds:
* All users must be approved and registered
* Passwords are complex, and must be changed every 150 days
* Only accessible from specially enabled computers in secure location
* Computers must not be left unattended
* No linking to civilian internet without prior approval
* Media storage devices become classified at secret level once connected to Siprnet-enabled computers
* Audit trail of all users, including identity of all persons accessing Siprnet”
Also, “It is alleged that an online security system to detect suspicious use of Siprnet was switched off on computers used by the US military in Iraq following complaints that it was inconvenient, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reports.”
On a more basic level, there was an obvious “need to know” security-rule violation.
Viciente
This mentally disordered traitor is NOT gay. S/he is a tranny. A heterosexual tranny. Once again, gay people are being blamed for the actions of an unrelated group. Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals do not have a gender identity disorder and are not in conflict with their respective genders.
The concept of LGBT makes no sense. It killed ENDA. And it very nearly killed the repeal of DADT. It needs to end.
justiceontherocks
@Viciente: “S/he is a tranny.”??? Where did you come up with that?
cheeseyapacman
“ignoring Manning’s mental health problems, the military now has on its hands the greatest national security leak in its history.”
And yet he has not been convicted of anything along those lines, don’t imply it. He might be charged but he yet to be convicted. Remember, Innocent before proven guilty.
David Gervais
Re: No. 4 · Viciente
Here we go again:
It doesn’t matter if Bradley Manning is Male, Female, Straight, Gay, Other, Martian or Dolphin.
Civil Rights are the muscles of the body politic. We must exercise them or we will lose them. If we do not defend everyone’s rights, then we are defending no-one’s rights.
Other people have said things along the same lines:
No man is an Island, entire of itself; …
any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind;…. -John Donne
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. -US Constitution
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. – US Declaration of Independence
They came first for the …, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a …
Then they came for the …, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a ….
Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up. -Pastor Martin Niemöller
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -Martin Luther King
As No. 6 · cheeseyapacman said “And yet he has not been convicted of anything along those lines, don’t imply it. He might be charged but he yet to be convicted. Remember, Innocent before proven guilty.”
Viciente said “This mentally disordered traitor is NOT gay.” Most civilized countries consider that libel or slander. You are very lucky to be protected by the civil rights you would deny someone else.