There is an old adage that the truth will set you free, but this is not an expression that has much meaning to the US military establishment. Bradley Manning broke the law, there is no question in releasing what is now known as Wikileaks, the soldier opened to the world thousands of documents that revealed the thinking of American diplomats. I doubt if a single one of these documents resulted in the death of a single soldier, but to the military and to the Obama administration, the American people are not allowed to know what their leaders think or thought.
Bradley Manning for months was placed in a maximum security prison where he was confined for 23 hours a day to a cell. He was stripped of his clothes at night in order to prevent “suicide.” No evidence has ever been produced that he was a suicide risk. His lawyers are demanding access to 1,400 emails which apparently discuss how Army officers worried about this little guy.
OK, he did break Army regulations. OK, it is perfectly permissible to punish him in some manner. But, he is NOT a threat to the national security, never was. It is time to employ common sense.
