Manning Trial: Superficial
Justice to Save American Face (Die Tageszeitung, Germany)
"The Obama Administration's
excessive pursuit of whistleblowers has earned it a lot of bad press
internationally. The case of Bradley Manning, who sat a long time in solitary
confinement before the trial even began, ensured that NSA
whistleblower Edward Snowden had the world's sympathy when he chose when to come
forward. This isn't good for the United States. ... Military justice is
political justice. It is wrong."
PFC Bradley Manning: Having already spent more time in detention than a number of U.S. soldiers convicted of war crimes, is he the victim of a politically-motivated kangaroo court?
The verdict was political and unjust. Manning's
acquittal on the charge of "aiding the enemy" is just a cheap
concession to maintain the pretense of democracy.
The verdict against WikiLeaks
informant Bradley Manning appears suspiciously in line with the Obama
Administration's political needs. His acquittal on the charge of "aiding
the enemy" poses as a miniature victory for the defense - but that alone
speaks volumes about what the public has become accustomed to.
The accusation was absurd
from the start. And it seems almost as if the judge's decision last week not to
drop all charges was made purely with the intention of in the end absolving
Manning - at least on this point. It looked better that way.
The Obama Administration's
excessive pursuit of whistleblowers has earned it a lot of bad press
internationally. The case of Bradley Manning, who sat a long time in solitary
confinement before the trial even began, ensured that NSA
whistleblower Edward Snowden had the world's sympathy when he chose when to come
forward. This isn't good for the United States.
The trial of Bradley Manning had
to accomplish at least two things at once: The verdict had to be dramatic enough
to deter whistleblowers; but also, it had to show that even at military tribunals,
everything is above board. An acquittal on the most far-reaching indictment with
a simultaneous conviction on all other counts met that goal perfectly.
To think that this is a
coincidence would be naive. Filmmaker Michael Moore rightly points out in
an article on the Huffington Post
that Manning has already been detained longer that all of the soldiers accused
of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan put together - and even in those cases, it
is claimed that the military justice system fulfilled its function. Superficial
justice on the outside, and no uncertainty among the troops inside. Military
justice is political justice. It is wrong.
