"These comments underscore the show-trial character of the prosecution of Manning. From the beginning of his imprisonment 1,294 days ago, the Obama administration has sought to make an example of the young whistleblower in order to intimidate him and silence other would-be leakers. At the root of the government’s method is a fear that its policies of war and Constitutional encroachments are engendering deep social opposition. Morrow’s “message” to those who may seek to expose the crimes of the government is that if they speak out, they will meet the same fate as Manning—years of cruel and unusual punishment, isolation, the denial of due process, and a lifetime in prison, or worse. Moreover, the government has requested that Manning be imprisoned until the year 2070 despite never having offered specific evidence that Manning’s leaks endangered US forces, as required by the Espionage Act. So weak is the evidence against Manning that Judge Lind was forced to reject an argument put forward by the prosecution that the release of diplomatic cables aided “terrorists” by causing a “chilling effect” that led to a decline in information from foreign spy sources. "
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 05:51:03 +0000
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