webfact Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Obama shows clemency to Manning, intelligence analyst behind leaks By Roberta Rampton and Ayesha Rascoe REUTERS Chelsea Manning is pictured in this 2010 photograph obtained on August 14, 2013.Courtesy U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In one of his final acts before leaving office, President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. military intelligence analyst behind the biggest breach of classified materials in U.S. history, the White House said. Just last Thursday, anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the recipient of materials from Manning, tweeted that its founder Julian Assange would agree to extradition if Manning was released. Manning has been a focus of a worldwide debate on government secrecy since she provided more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts - a leak for which she was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison. Manning, formerly known as U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman. Manning, who is held at the Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, military prison, accepted responsibility for leaking the material. She has said she was confronting gender dysphoria at the time of the leaks while deployed in Iraq. Her sentence will now expire on May 17, the White House said. Manning was working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2010 when she gave WikiLeaks a trove of diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts that included a 2007 gunsight video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing at suspected insurgents in Iraq, killing a dozen people including two Reuters news staff. Her attorney had argued her sentence exceeded international legal norms, and she has twice attempted suicide. "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case," the WikiLeaks tweet of Jan. 12 said. Assange has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden for the investigation of allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape in 2010. Assange, who is Australian, says he fears further extradition from Sweden to the United States, where there is an open criminal investigation into the activities of WikiLeaks. It also published emails in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 presidential election that U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian intelligence agencies hacked from the Democratic National Committee and the accounts of leading Democrats as part of a campaign to influence the election. Obama also pardoned retired U.S. Marine Corps general James Cartwright who pleaded guilty in October to making false statements to the FBI during an investigation into leaks of classified information. Manning was among 209 commutations granted by Obama on Tuesday and Cartwright was among 64 pardons. Manning's clemency was criticized by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who said Manning endangered troops, intelligence officers, diplomats and allies with the leaks. "We ought not treat a traitor like a martyr," Cotton said. But civil rights groups praised the move, calling it overdue. "Chelsea Manning exposed serious abuses, and as a result her own human rights have been violated by the U.S. government for years," said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Phillip Stewart; Editing by Sandra Maler and Grant McCool) -- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 And yet, Jonathan Pollard, who's to be said spied for Israel has served his full 30 years in jail and many clemencies request to Obama fell of deaf ears.... his misdeeds are no way as bed as Manning or Snowdon where by they exposed top secretes to anyone unlike Pollard that did for Israel only.... Somehow I think that if Bin Laden was in US jail he would have pardon him too, just to spite.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Obama is showing his true colors his last few weeks in office. He stabbed one of our best allies in the back, is freeing Islamic terrorists and also a demented traitor who is very likely responsible for American deaths. The charges that Obama was always a left wing ideologue at heart have certainly been proven true now that he has nothing to lose politically. Good riddance! Edited January 18, 2017 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the guest Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 13 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said: Obama is showing his true colors his last few weeks in office. He stabbed one of our best allies in the back, is freeing Islamic terrorists and also a demented traitor who is very likely responsible for American deaths. The charges that Obama was always a left wing ideologue at heart have certainly been proven true now that he has nothing to lose politically. Good riddance! Don't worry, Trump will reverse all of this madness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stander Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 The whole Bradley Manning sentence clemency is disgusting. Leaking info that hurts the military...no big deal. Leaking info that hurts Democrats...worst thing ever and treason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 1 hour ago, webfact said: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case," the WikiLeaks tweet of Jan. 12 said. I think here lies the reason. Obama just made Wikileaks a lame duck. In case Assange disagrees to extradition, he has lost his credibility. If he agrees, Wikileaks, Trump and Russian connection comes to daylight. Russia just lost one tool from their arsenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 12 minutes ago, oilinki said: I think here lies the reason. Obama just made Wikileaks a lame duck. In case Assange disagrees to extradition, he has lost his credibility. If he agrees, Wikileaks, Trump and Russian connection comes to daylight. Russia just lost one tool from their arsenal. Not buying it. The public is not going to expect Assange to turn himself in. I don't like the guy, but think he would be stupid to go through with it. I am sure that he can come up with some excuse to placate his adoring fans. The same thing will happen with Obama freeing a convicted traitor that betrayed the men that he served with in the military.The MSM will make excuses and justifications for him - just like they have been doing for the last 8 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boon Mee Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Completely unbelievable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stander Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Manning is a traitor. HE has committed treason. He is not a woman and he is no civil rights martyr. He is treasonous no matter what gender he feels like being Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawan Dok Krating Daeng Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 2 hours ago, Ulysses G. said: Obama is showing his true colors his last few weeks in office. He stabbed one of our best allies in the back, is freeing Islamic terrorists and also a demented traitor who is very likely responsible for American deaths. The charges that Obama was always a left wing ideologue at heart have certainly been proven true now that he has nothing to lose politically. Good riddance! There is no end to your dishonesty. Where is your evidence that Manning's release of information led to any American deaths? There is none but that doesn't stop your malicious, unsubstantiated and dishonest allegations. Information released by Manning exposed and embarrassed the Department of Defense, particularly on Iraq and the Department of State. Secretary of Defense Gates said that the release would only have a modest affect on foreign policy and the State Department's internal review of 2011 was never concluded seemingly because there was no significant threats from the leaks. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/just-how-damaging-were-mannings-wikileaks/ So no Greenwald quotes this time? His words no longer fit your dishonest narrative? Well here he is talking about the commutation of Manning's sentence: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawan Dok Krating Daeng Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 1 hour ago, stander said: The whole Bradley Manning sentence clemency is disgusting. Leaking info that hurts the military...no big deal. Leaking info that hurts Democrats...worst thing ever and treason. Who are you talking about? The OP is about Chelsea Manning. Why are you going on about someone who does not exist. Way off topic I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawan Dok Krating Daeng Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 5 minutes ago, stander said: Manning is a traitor. HE has committed treason. He is not a woman and he is no civil rights martyr. He is treasonous no matter what gender he feels like being Manning did not release information classified by the UK Government. So why the hysteria bout traitors and treason. Nothing really to do with you Brits. You seem to be most upset about Manning being transgender. Really indicates your repressed state of being more than anything. Fortunately you don't get to define anyone but your own self. Maybe time to pull your head in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Troll posts removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaman Al Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 2 hours ago, Ulysses G. said: Obama is showing his true colors his last few weeks in office. He stabbed one of our best allies in the back, is freeing Islamic terrorists and also a demented traitor who is very likely responsible for American deaths. The charges that Obama was always a left wing ideologue at heart have certainly been proven true now that he has nothing to lose politically. Good riddance! Glenn Greenwald who you keep quoting on all the Trump threads as someone you believe to be credible, trustworthy and accurate in terms of journalism has said that he is glad that Manning, whom he "admires and thinks is heroic" is having the sentence commuted. He would prefer a complete pardon but the importance is Manning's freedom. What is your response to that? How credible do you now see your journalistic hero Greenwald? Will we now see you continue to use his quotes on the Trump threads? As for traitors who harmed American soldiers lives? Nixon - yes, Reagan - yes, Manning..........no, as Stated by Defence Secretary Gates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stander Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Bradley Manning gets his "sex change" surgery paid for by the tax payers before he gets out. Once out I'm sure the LGBT people will make him a rich person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottocus Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Good riddance to the worst president ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaman Al Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 9 minutes ago, nottocus said: Good riddance to the worst president ever. seems 65% of the American public would disagree with you. He was a beacon of light compared to the dark days of Bush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckysilk Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Bradley Manning being released is unbelievable. This traitor better hide as I'm sure someone will be out to take him/her out. Well done Barry your the worst president in my lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM07 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Great! Now go and pardon Edward Snowdon and I am willing to see his overall mediocre presidency in a slightly better light! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaihome Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 1 hour ago, stander said: Bradley Manning gets his "sex change" surgery paid for by the tax payers before he gets out. Once out I'm sure the LGBT people will make him a rich person. Link, please, that the government will be paying for surgery. From what I have read the opposite is actually true and one motivation for the clemency is to take the burden of her future care (and associated lawsuits) off the military that is ill-equipped to deal with it. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick dasterdly Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Obama decided to release Manning as Wikileaks said Assange would agree to extradition if this happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaihome Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Just now, DM07 said: Great! Now go and pardon Edward Snowdon and I am willing to see his overall mediocre presidency in a slightly better light! Manning was not pardoned. She was convicted, apologized, and served 7 years. Let Snowden do the same and we can discuss his future sentence commutation. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaihome Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Just now, dick dasterdly said: Obama decided to release Manning as Wikileaks said Assange would agree to extradition if this happened? I assume you mean Assange's extradition to Sweden to answer questions on his sexual assault charges. The US has no pending legal action or extradition petition pending against Assange. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick dasterdly Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) 18 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said: Obama decided to release Manning as Wikileaks said Assange would agree to extradition if this happened? 15 minutes ago, thaihome said: I assume you mean Assange's extradition to Sweden to answer questions on his sexual assault charges. The US has no pending legal action or extradition petition pending against Assange. TH Either way, Assange has said all along that he wasn't prepared to go to answer charges in Sweden as it was a ruse for him to be extradited to the US. Not sure why would this has been mentioned in the OP if its not about Assange being extradited to the US. It seems v odd. Edited January 18, 2017 by dick dasterdly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawan Dok Krating Daeng Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 46 minutes ago, Luckysilk said: Bradley Manning being released is unbelievable. This traitor better hide as I'm sure someone will be out to take him/her out. Well done Barry your the worst president in my lifetime. Why is it unsurprising that the pro Trump transphobes and bigots are so quick to call for violence to deal with non conformists. Don't see any 'Dems' planting people to incite you to violence here. Nobody to look to but yourself for such baseness. Well done President Obama. You're the best President in Luckysilk's sad and bitter lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simple1 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 7 hours ago, ezzra said: And yet, Jonathan Pollard, who's to be said spied for Israel has served his full 30 years in jail and many clemencies request to Obama fell of deaf ears.... his misdeeds are no way as bed as Manning or Snowdon where by they exposed top secretes to anyone unlike Pollard that did for Israel only.... Somehow I think that if Bin Laden was in US jail he would have pardon him too, just to spite.... The news I listened to clearly stated Manning did not provide material classified as Top Secret or above; Pollard was in different league of criminality. and also finally admitted to not only selling highly classified info to the Israelis, but to other parties The news item claimed, based upon precedence, the 35 year sentence was grossly excessive as usually at his level of crime sentencing would normally be between 5 - 7 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicog Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) I wasn't aware of the details of Pollard's case but his action seemed far more damaging than Manning's. Quote He sold numerous closely guarded state secrets, including the National Security Agency's ten-volume manual on how the U.S. gathers its signal intelligence, and disclosed the names of thousands of people who had cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies. That gets people killed (if they're lucky). Edited January 18, 2017 by Chicog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM07 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 1 hour ago, thaihome said: Manning was not pardoned. She was convicted, apologized, and served 7 years. Let Snowden do the same and we can discuss his future sentence commutation. TH And why would we do that for Snowden? Because he made it clear, that the US government has established the biggest spying operation on civilians in the history of forever?! Yeah...hang him high! ...and how do you call it, when someone get's off a 35 year sentence after 7 years on initiative of the POTUS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stander Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Transgender privilege. If only Snowden had pretended to be a woman, he could have been pardoned too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andaman Al Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 2 minutes ago, stander said: Transgender privilege. If only Snowden had pretended to be a woman, he could have been pardoned too. Are you paid to be so obnoxious or does it just come natural? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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