aggressively prosecute those who expose war crimes, and diligently protect those who commit them

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/21-3

Published on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 by Common Dreams

Global Progressive Community Reacts to Manning Sentence

35 year sentence proves US will 'aggressively prosecute those who expose war crimes, and diligently protect those who commit them.'

- Jon Queally, staff writer

Announcement of Pfc. Bradley Manning's 35 year prison sentence by military Judge Col. Denise Lind on Wednesday was met with swift condemnation in the U.S. and across the globe with progressives and supporters of the army whistleblower calling the sentence a clear miscarriage of justice.

Though less than the 60 years military prosecutors had pushed for, many critics of the three and a half decade sentence say that in the context of recent war crimes that have gone unpunished—including the invasion of Iraq, the killing of civilians in Afghanistan and elsewhere, extrajudicial killings, torture, rendition, and warrantless surveillance—it seems absurd to punish a young man who was motivated to expose some of the workings of these misdeeds via public disclosure.

What follows is a sampling of statements—including tweets, excerpts, etc.—cataloging the reaction from human rights groups, experts, journalists, and activists on the sentencing announcement.

..more..

[leftstreet]

1. Expose crimes: Jail. Commit crimes: Nobel Peace Prize

Clemency now!

[Hydra]

2. Worked for Kissinger

I didn't know we were voting for another Kissinger though...

[truedelphi]

4. Some of us suspected that, when

Geithner was appointed, and then Kissinger was called in to be his adviser.

[G_j]

5. I thought Geithner worked for Kissinger

for a few years. Did I miss something else?

[Hydra]

9. Possibly?

It's hard to follow all the connections- it's a huge incestuous orgy and it's like all of them are related, work together in various places or on various boards, or both.

[truedelphi]

16. On the official WH page, for Obama's staff,

Circa 2009, Kissinger was one of Obama's advisers.

I don't know if Geithner worked for K. or not, though.

I was too busy tracking the lies Geithner told Congress back in 2009. He should have been impeached from his office at Treasury for lying not once but at least twice to Congress.

[G_j]

17. that says it all

should have figured..

[RainDog]

3. k&r n/t

[markpkessinger]

6. Sadly, that about sums it up n/t

[JDPriestly]

7. Force may not make right, but it sure decides who is "wrong." If you are weak and disagree

with those with a lot of force, you will pay. The strong profit from their crimes while the poor pay for the pettiest of "crimes." That's the way it seems to work in the US these days.

[tblue]

8. Hopeless and Changelesss.

My sad is big.

[Cryptoad]

10. The newly declassifed documents

show what a lot of crap yall are being feed by the Paulist.

Man are yall being played!!!!!!!!!

http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Semiannual%20Assessment%20of%20Compliance%20with%20procedures%20and%20guidelines%20issued%20pursuant%20to%20Sect%20702%20of%20FISA.pdf

[neverforget]

22. This is about Bradley Manning and him exposing Iraq war crimes and his sentence

But I'm sure you knew that

[Cryptoad]

23. I dont think you even read teh title of the document.

you are just making stuff as you type now.... geez

"Semi-Annual Assessment of Compliance with the Procedures and Guidelines Issued Pursuant to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Submitted by the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence"

[neverforget]

24. Lol. This thread isn't about Snowden or FISA.

It's about Manning.

And what does that redacted document have to do with this?

[mindwalker_i]

11. My best guess is that Obama is furiously trying to keep prosecutions from happening

because he doesn't want the country to become deeply embroiled in q (real) scandle. He wants to "move forward" instead, which I can kind of understand. Unfortunately, just denying the past doesn't make it go away, invites future crimes, and makes it seem like a cover-up.

This country seriously needs to open up this and other big-ass cans of worms and deal with it! Without prosecuting the banks for STEALING houses from people, they're doing it again. They're doing other things that caused the '08 crash again. Not prosecuting the Bush admin for starting an illegal war or for torture invites future (or present) presidents to do the same, but also destroys any failth in the system to stop the powerful from doing whatever they want.

With the deck so stacked against the average person, if said person decides they're going to break the law to get ahead somehow, I really can't condemn or even blame them.

[gopiscrap]

12. Yes we seem to have lost our way and have got it

backwards!

[MNBrewer]

13. Hope. Change.

[indepat]

14. Does exposing the misdeeds of war criminals get one persecuted, prosecuted, and given a

long prison sentence whereas those who perpetrated the war crimes get diligently protected? Does this clarify the system of justice in the land of the free and home of the brave.

[Dustlawyer]

15. Please let us march and protest and demand PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS!!!

Lets get our Representative government back and then pardon Manning, give him reparations and a hero's welcome home!
If we get rid of the campaign cash bonanza that allows legal bribery of our politicians by the corporations and the 1%, we can fix all of the things that are wrong with this once great country! Bust up the big banks and media conglomerates. Stop the subsidies to the richest corporations in the world and give them to the alternative energy companies that need them!
Above all, remember how this shit happened so it cannot be repeated in the next thousand years!

[MotherPetrie]

18. K&R

[Fire Walk With Me]

19. White House message to whistle-blowers of war crimes: FUCK YOU. n/t

[99th_Monkey]

20. At least Team Obama is consistent

Consistently covering up War Crimes and pardoning those who commit them

Yay USA!! ... WarCrimesR-Us!!!

[cantbeserious]

21. Obama DOJ Asks Court to Grant Immunity to George W. Bush For Iraq War

http://warisacrime.org/content/obama-doj-asks-court-grant-immunity-george-w-bush-iraq-war#.UhPHfrX5o3Q.facebook

By Inder Comar

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., (Aug. 20, 2013) — In court papers filed today (PDF), the United States Department of Justice requested that George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Paul Wolfowitz be granted procedural immunity in a case alleging that they planned and waged the Iraq War in violation of international law.

Plaintiff Sundus Shaker Saleh, an Iraqi single mother and refugee now living in Jordan, filed a complaint in March 2013 in San Francisco federal court alleging that the planning and waging of the war constituted a “crime of aggression” against Iraq, a legal theory that was used by the Nuremberg Tribunal to convict Nazi war criminals after World War II.

"The DOJ claims that in planning and waging the Iraq War, ex-President Bush and key members of his Administration were acting within the legitimate scope of their employment and are thus immune from suit,” chief counsel Inder Comar of Comar Law said.

Snip ....

http://warisacrime.org/sites/afterdowningstreet.org/files/Certification%20of%20Scope%20of%20Employment.pdf

[G_j]

25. so when the prosecution stated they wanted a stiff

sentence to, 'send a message' to others.
What kind of message is the DOJ sending to potential war criminals?

[Democracyinkind]

26. Official policy, no matter if (D) or (R)....

Change you shouldn't have believed in.