FORT MEADE, Md. — Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday for handing WikiLeaks a massive cache of sensitive government documents detailing the inner workings of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Manning, 25, was not allowed to make a statement when his sentence was handed down by military judge Col. Denise Lind. Guards quickly hustled him out of the courtroom, while at least half a dozen spectators shouted their support.
“We’ll keep fighting for you, Bradley,” one exclaimed.
Manning was also dishonorably discharged and demoted to the rank of private. He was ordered to forfeit all pay and benefits.
Manning was convicted on July 30 on 19 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, for his role in the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history. The charges carried a maximum sentence of 90 years, and the prosecution had requested Manning serve 60. His sentencing brings to a close a three-year saga in which he endured nine months in solitary confinement and saw himself transformed into a symbol of one individual’s potential in the internet age to roil the world’s sole superpower.
Breaking: Manning Sentenced 35 years…
Now the fun part begins. The appeal. It will ‘all’ come out. Speaking of which, Gen. Dempsey said today that it “was not in the interest of the U.S. to support the Syrian rebels.” So we’ll back Assad. (Which is what the good general was saying.) That’s the Assad who supports the murderous Egyptian millitary and its coup. Those supporting the military coup in Egypt has grown by one….the US of A. Saudi Arabia, Israel, the U.A.E, Jordan, Assad of Syria, and now the United States all support the war crimes committed by the Egyptian military. And another thing. American Christians, especially those on the Right, are wailing about 60 Coptic churches being laid to waste in Egypt. On the very day that General Assi of Egypt was removing the duly elected president of Egypt from power and throwing him into prison, the leader of the Egyptian Coptic Church was standing by Assi’s side and congratulating him. Bad move on Mr. Coptic guys part. He appears to have been to clever by half now that 80 of his churches are in ruins. Instant Karma.
General Dempsey is full of crap… all speculation on my part, but, from researching, this is what I think about the Syria thing and it has to do with Benghazi. I have friends that are retired military that think I might be correct. Here it goes: Stevens, with all his background, was assisting the CIA in Benghazi. He was helping secure captured arms in Libya to funnel to the Syrian rebels. So, maybe, that what was the “mission” in Benghazi was all about. The twist to this is “Al Kaida” is supporting the rebels as well. Hum. Could they be assisting the CIA in this? Who knows? It is known that a Turkish ambassador was at the “mission” hours before the strike. There are security videos of Stevens and the ambassador standing in the open, without heavy security, sending the visitor away. Well, what was that all about? Maybe, funneling arms through Turkey? Seems possible.
The administration has recently came out in support of the rebels, sort of. But, what to so if “Al Kaida” is doing the same…
Pretty good stuff for the military industrial complex? Eh?