Manning: I’m Not a Pacifist

[struggle4progress]

... “I accept that there may be ‘peaceful’ or ‘anti-war’ implications to my actions—but this is purely based on your subjective interpretation of the primary source documents released in 2010-11” ...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2013/10/09/manning-i-m-not-a-pacifist.html

... Manning’s concerns relate to the 2013 Sean MacBride peace award which was granted to the former army private last month by the International Peace Bureau in recognition of her “outstanding work for peace” in “revealing information about US war crimes”. The award was accepted on Manning’s behalf by Ann Wright, a retired US army colonel ... Manning says she had no idea she had been given the award, let alone accepted it. The first she heard about it was when people wrote to her in prison quoting from Wright’s acceptance speech ... Wright suggested that Manning was “overwhelmed” that the Sean MacBride award had recognized “her actions as actions for peace.” Yet the former soldier insists that she has never perceived her actions in transmitting more than 700,000 classified US classified documents to WikiLeaks in 2010-11 as an act for peace ...
Chelsea Manning rejects 'pacifist' label in first statement since sentencing
Read Chelsea Manning's full statement
Exclusive: In first public remarks since guilty verdict, WikiLeaks source expresses intense upset at public presentation of her
Ed Pilkington in New York
theguardian.com, Wednesday 9 October 2013 12.45 EDT

[JI7]

1. she did voluntarily join the military, and at a time when she was not given equal rights in there

[struggle4progress]

2. Chelsea's Guardian Statement (David Coombs)

09 October 2013

... a story was published ... regarding Chelsea Manning's reaction to receiving the 2013 Sean MacBride Peace Award. In this letter, Chelsea stated that she was not informed that she had received the award or that Col. Ann Wright was accepting the award on her behalf ...

I had a phone call with Chelsea ... We discussed the letter that she sent to the Guardian. I reminded her that we spoke about the Sean MacBride Peace Award on three separate occasions: once when she received the award; once prior to Col. Wright accepting the award on her behalf; and once when the award was delivered into my physical possession and I informed her that the medal was made out of disarmed and recycled nuclear weapons systems. After being reminded of these conversations, Chelsea indicated that she did, in fact, remember the award and our discussions about it. She told me that she got confused ...

Chelsea stated in her letter that any "official" statements would come from her through a signed letter or release. I discussed with Chelsea the logistical difficulties of her decision given that it is often necessary to respond to an issue in a timely manner. Chelsea understood my concern and is reconsidering her position on this issue. For now, I will continue to provide updates and statements by Chelsea on the issues that impact her ...

http://www.armycourtmartialdefense.info/2013/10/chelseas-guardian-statement.html