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Subscribe to RSSA host of military and civilian officials have lamented the leaking of more than 75,000 classified documents about the Afghan war to Web site WikiLeaks, saying that the disclosure of the secret information could endanger U.S. troops. But a Republican congressman today went a step further, calling for treason charges – accompanied by the death penalty – against the 22-year old analyst charged with leaking the information.
Asked during an interview with Michigan radio station WHMI if he supported capital charges against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst charged with illegally downloading and leaking the classified information, Rep. Mike Rogers said "I would support it 100 percent."
"We know for a fact that people will likely be killed because of this information being disclosed," said Rogers, a Michigan Republican and a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
"[Manning] put soldiers at risk who are out there fighting for their country," he added. "And he put people who are cooperating with the United States government clearly at risk."
Manning will face a military hearing similar to a grand jury proceeding later this month, NBC reported Monday. He is currently being held at a Marine Corps facility in Quantico, Va.
Treason charges in the modern era have been rare. In 2006, American Adam Gadahn was charged with treason after appearing as a spokesman in Al Qaeda propaganda videos. He was the first American charged with treason since 1952.
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This isn't news really. It would be news if an idiot in Congress did not call for charges of treason, and death penalty if found guilty...
American Dude needs to ask himself why he's suffering mentally and emotionally soooo... much where he has to blame someone that he doesn't even know personally for his short comings??? Yo need to take responsibility for you and stop pointing finger every which way you can accept backwards!!!
Gawd, doesn't anyone in the GOP ever read the Constitution?
1) Treason requires a declared war. Afghanistan is not a declared war. Even the charge against Gadahn was iffy for this reason (charged is a great deal different than convicted, especially when you don't have the person in hand.) You can only declare was against other countries. You cannot formally declare war against political groups, no matter how badly you hate them. We are NOT at war with Afghanistan.
2) Treason requires either two eye witnesses to an overt act or a willing confession in open court.
3) Treason requires that material aid and comfort must be given to an enemy. While one could make the case that Gadahn gave valuable English-language services to al-Queida, Manning has no connection with any group and it would not be possible to prove that he gave direct and material aid to an enemy.
The problem with this whole thing is that the military and U.S. government have, since the super-secrecy of COMINT that started in WWII, have abused the classification system. Originally the military classification system was used to protect sources of information from enemies. It became much more structured and complex during WWII when it was critical that the allies conceal their successes at intercepting and decoding German and Japanese encrypted messages. (This called the Conventry paradox.)
But the military and U.S. government started using the military classification system to keep information, not from enemies, but from the American public. This reached a peak under Johnson during the Vietnam War and again during the Bush/Cheney administration.
The information that Manning released does contain information that the Taliban (not al-Queida) could use to possibly silence informants. But on the other hand it also portrays years of misrepresentation and misinformation about the war in Afghanistan to the American people. It is a cornerstone of representative democracy that both the electorate and its elected representatives be properly informed. This poses a real legal problem.
At this point I have no real opinion on the rightness or wrongness of what Manning did. I was an intelligence analyst and I saw the system abused for over ten years firsthand. I have seen the lasting effects of this abuse as history is skewed by misinformation or withheld information. I have to admit that there were times that I knew what was going on was wrong and that the American public should know. For example, at one time an NSA RADINT analyst showed me the radar tapes from the two destroyers involved in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. There were no North Vietnamese patrol boats on the tapes. Period. LBJ lied. Period. So, what do you do. Do you let the public know what they should know? Or do you do what I did and walk away from a military career and not discuss it while still under legal restrictions?
Chris-537131: The one thing that you need to realize is that the military operates under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is different from any other normal laws. If a person who is in the military is convicted of a crime by the civilian courts, the military courts also can convict them, and it is not considered double jeporady. In this case, the UCMJ would be the law that the offender would be tried under and not civilian law. Therefore, if the offender is guilty, then a very, very long term prison sentence at Leavenworth Military Prison is what they deserve, along with a Dishonorable Discharge and loss of all pay and allowances!!
Good call.......Now Impeach Odumbo for treason
For what charge? What crime, felony or misdemeanor, has the President committed? Or has policy you do not agree with suddenly become grounds for impeachment?
Thought so.
Americandude
Why don't we try GWB and Darth Cheney for war crimes and execute them. Impeach Obame for what may I ask w/o the standard Teabagger nonsense.
Can't we just execute all the politicians? I'd support that compromise. There's no reason why we can't all be satisfied by mass executions.
I think we need to arrest any politician for treason that accepts money from a company that fires Americans and then hires people in COMMUNIST CHINA.
Americandude
Good call.......Now Impeach Odumbo for treason
STUPID!!!!!!!
I wouldn't tell anyone else that if I were you.
To declare Waterloo(war) on the President and to have been disloyal to the people of America with a self-serving NO; now that is Treason GOP; associates of Bin Laden
Good Post. Now quit believing everything you see on television, take a reading comprehension class, and pay attention to the subject at hand. The President has not committed any treasonous acts. At the very least though, the Manning - Assange collaboration can certainly be tried and found guilty for acts of intentional espionage and treason under the United States Code.
And in Manning's case - - - for all intents and purposes, he agreed by enlisting that he understood he would be voluntarily placing the Uniform Code of Military Justice above his Constitutional Rights as an American citizen for the duration of his enlistment.
Treason was specifically defined in the United States Constitution, the only crime so defined. Article III Section 3 delineates treason as follows:
However, Congress has, at times, passed statutes creating related offenses that undermine the government or the national security, such as sedition in the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, or espionage and sedition in the 1917 Espionage Act, which do not require the testimony of two witnesses and have a much broader definition than Article Three treason. For example, some well-known spies have been convicted of espionage rather than treason.
In the history of the United States there have been fewer than 40 federal prosecutions for treason and even fewer convictions. Several men were convicted of treason in connection with the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion but were pardoned by President George Washington. One of American history's most notorious traitors, in which his name is considered synonymous with the definition of traitor, is Benedict Arnold. The most famous treason trial, that of Aaron Burr in 1807 (See Burr conspiracy), resulted in acquittal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason
IMO - He violated the UCMJ and the rules governing the security of classified information. There will be a GCM and he will get to see the inside of Leavenworth. After that, the public will decide whether to honor him as a 'Whistle Blower' or as a convicted criminal.
AC, I agree with your intent that treason will be difficult to prove and agree that he violated the UCMJ for the evidence that is currently public. Additionally, I believe that prosecution for treason will be much more difficult to prove since Manning did not directly aid the enemy. It's my belief that the element of "adhering to their Enemies" may not have been achieved by Manning. Benedict Arnold and those prosecuted under the sedition and espionage acts had "intent" to supply information to a specific enemy. Manning's intent, on the other hand, was to expose what he perceived to be war crimes and "political spin" that resulted in placing our troops in danger. It’s my guess that the “intent” portion will fall short for a conviction of treason.
They really don't have to charge him with Treason. There are a lot of thing that are just as bad that can be proven more easily.
He has for starters violated Article 92 -- Failure to obey order or regulation, and Article 98-- Noncompliance with procedural rules. Both of those could land him in Kansas City's most famous accommodations for a VERY long time. However, if they really want to get nasty they still have another card up their sleeve.
Since he has leaked classified data to a source that could potentially provide the data to an enemy during a time of war, they could potentially charge him under Article 106(a) --Espionage. That would be much easier to prove and, in time of war, also carries the death penalty. Just ask Julius and Ethel Rosenberg how good an idea violating THAT Article is.
The Wikileaks guy is not an American citizen so how can he be charged for treason against America? He can and should be charged with knowingly and willfully releasing classifed information and endangering the lives of Afghan informants. There's probably plenty of charges which can be brought against him. Manning, however, is an American and should be charged with treason if they have enough evidence to convict; he probably had help since his position hardly put him in the position of having access to that much data.
Judy,
An Army Intel guy will have access to Top Secret information, that's what Intel does.
Mike Rogers is just another example of the low-educated hoot bumpkins that infest the Republitarded Party now. The US Constitution is very specific on what is considered treason. Manning, while certainly committing crimes, didn't commit treason. But then Rogers is just another "I don't really know what that there Consty-tutshun really says! Snort! Snort! Snort!" Hoot Bumpkin. Sheesh. The American Conservretarded are such an embarrassment.
Low educated? Man you need to get a grip. Treason is a possible death penalty offense. Obviously you have never served nor know anyone that is presently serving. If you did, your azz wouldn't say such assinine things.
I guarantee if it was your bytch azz on the line or your precious little Johnny in harms way and this leak caused Johnny to get his frikken head splattered all over Kandahar, you would be singing a different tune.
You seem to be the low educated with all of the little childish name-calling.
I don't usually agree with GOP statements. But having served in Afghanistan and knowing the situation and how we count on locals for certain things I believe he should be charged with treason. Now locals won;t help. Guaranteed some will be killed. And their will be an American that will die at some point cause they go somewhere or do something a local could have warned them about but didn't knowing others who helped were murdered by Taliban. Was the US foolish in substandard security of names of informants. Absolutely. And if he knew it was so easy he should have let them know. Not leaked documents. If he had just leaked a coverup of the Iraq chopper raid that killed people it would be one thing. But to release all the info he did is, of classified info by a military annalist is treason to a tee. He served in the military and took the oaths to protect. Instead he is the reason for more deaths. Already reports of a name of an informant being killed there. That alone should be reason for a murder charge. Could have left it with the video. But needed to leak hundreds of thousands of pages. Poster boy for treason. Video is whistleblowing. Informant leaking is treason. And if not treason it is definitely a murder charge for those killed cause of him
I'm highly suspicious of the timing of the release of these classified documents!
twisted,
I agree with you 100%. The document leaker committed treason and should face life in prison or the death penalty. When the informant leaked the classified document he handed the death penalty to the Iraqi informants and the US soldiers who depend on information from the Iraqi informants to avoid being ambushed.
Corrections to #5.2 are in bold type. Sorry for the errors.
twisted,
I agree with you 100%. The document leaker (Pfc. Bradley Manning) committed treason and should face life in prison or the death penalty. When he leaked the classified document he handed the death penalty to the Afghanistani informants and the US soldiers who depend on information from the Afghanistani informants to avoid being ambushed.
When the Republicans bring charges against Bush and Cheney, then they can level treason charges against this man, not till then, They are being hypicritical.
Man,
Stop with the Bush/Cheney BS. Your arguement goes in the trash with that opening statement.
John, get with Americandude and play a game of spin on the bottle.
ITM
If people want to try and impeach Obama now, why not refer to the Hague these issues of warcrimes and let be done with. Surely Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have nothing to hide or be ahamed of right. The Hague has successfully tried all those how have been brought before it w/ dignity and honor. So why not?
John, get over the Bush Cheney rant. We know you are just trying to deflect criticism from the Obama Administration that is the worse ever in the history of this country. If you are looking for a traitor, you need go no further than the Obama White House.
If republicans continue to post demands for the impeachment of Pres Obama for no legitimate reason, democrats can continue to demand Bush and Cheney be charged for their many criminal acts and acts clearly violating the Constitution which they swore to uphold. You can't make such outrageous statements against Pres Obama who has done absolutely nothing wrong and not expect some blow back.
Hey where were all the faux patriots when a CIA agent was outed?
What a bunch of hypocrites. The entire republican party should be executed for treason. They have been trying to destroy America for the past 40 years.
leave Bush alone/ war has been going for ever. and if Bush was still in office things would be better. The men and women that this person put in arms way / is the only reason you have the freedom to express your views, in some countries they can not say anything against the goverment if so they would be shot. so this person needs to be tried for treason. and you need to be sent over to the battle fields and see how you like being shot at..i have to go to work now so i can pay my taxes and have the freedom to tell people that America is great and God will help the men and women that is serving our Country. God bless America
Should W, Cheney and Rummy be charged with treason for using lies and deceit in getting us to invade Iraq thereby causing the deaths of thousands of American young men and women? Or is that just considered murder...
Joe,
I totally agree.
Joe, you would have to charge every member of congress that voted in support of the Iraq War. Bush could not have invaded without congress's approval. How many soldiers died in Afgahnistan last fall while Obama deliberated on whether or not to send additional troops. His indecision clearly aided the enemy in that we did not have strong enough forces their to protect the troops their. Get off the blame Bush rhetoric. He's been gone almost two years now.
Joe,
President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Former Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld should all be charged with treason for using lies and deceit in getting the US to invade Iraq.
STLMike,
Every member in Congress? Really? How about the voting was skewed when the Bush Administration only presented one side of the "facts". Even Dick Armey said that he deserved better than to be lied to by Dick Cheney and that he would have never had voted to go to war had Cheney not lied to him. Dick Freakin' Armey! If Armey had voted against the war, do you really think it would have had the support to pass?
As far as Afghanistan and the pathetic please-don't-blame-Bush cries, how many have died between 2003 and 2009 because the war effort was diverted from the Afghanistan war to the trumped-up Iraq war, allowing the Taliban and insurgents to re-establish and renew their attacks?
Yeah! And hang Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and LBJ retroactively for using false information or false flag attacks too! Darn those Republican warmongers.
When a prseident works very hard to destroy America for 8 long painful years, a mere 18 months is not a lot of time to remember who ruined the USA. It will take much longer than 18 months to fix all of the destruction that he did to America.
Yes, Joe, they should especially if GOPers continue stating Pres Obama be impeached--for what, who knows other than being a democrat. Beginning in 2007, Democrats could have easily held investigations into what Bush/Cheney and friends did but they chose not to. Now we hear the likes of Michelle Bachman telling everyone that when the GOP takes over they will spend all their time investigating Pres Obama, his administration and democrats. The GOP should be careful what they say about what they wish to do.
If leaking of secrets was grounds for Treason, most of congress would have been hanged by now...
That might not actually be such a bad thing...
He is a cowardly weasle, fry em!
By the definition in the Constitution, he certainly gave aid to the enemy. How can you call it anything else when he provided them with a list of our informants?
He should be put to death for treason. Period.
And someone needs to be put in control of our military who can actually handle the job. This military is a MESS.
If anybody is guilty of treason, it would be Dick Cheney and George Bush for outting a CIA agent for political gain. That is treason, and a far more serious crime. I don't see the GOP pushing for charges of treason against them. I am so sick of the outright crimes and double standards of this party. I often wonder how the American people became so stupid as to support the GOP, when the GOP clearly only represents the very rich. I don't see too many very rich people around here, but I see a lot of misguided Texans gladly voting against their own best interests. I guess most of these poor southern republicans still have bad feelings against the Democrats for passing the civil rights amendement. It is beyond time to get over that.
this is still an argument that does not have anything to do with this case. It doesnt make his actions any less illegal or any less grounds for murder charges based on people killed directly cause of his name leaking. I dont disagree. Its just not apart of this case
I thought outing a covert agent was grounds for treason? I thought giving succor to the enemy during times of war was grounds for treason. If thats is true, Darth Cheney is guilty. One we all know who told Scooter what to do and to whom, and basically leaving our troops w/ barely any support in Afghanistan is criminal if not genocide.
"help, rednecks...." right on. It has always amazed me that the party that gives such shameless, gratuitous but empty lip-service to "supporting the troops" could accept a president hanging out one of our CIA officer to dry just for the sake of political vendetta. Of all the Bush crimes, this was one of the worst, and one that hardly caused a ripple. Party first, America last, the Republican way.
I am truly stuck with the opinion that in time of war any attempt to usurp the Commander in Chief is treason and the list is long; here's a few associates of Bin Laden
Limbaugh
Beck
Hannity
Fox and all
Cheney and cheney
GOP
our legal system will haggle this down to jaywalking. it's such a joke....
regardless of people thinking bush and cheney should be charged with treason has nothing to do with this case.
Get him to pay for all the money the public has spent trying to correct this!! Stripe him of all wealth and put him on a tread mill to generate electricity in jail to pay for his life sentence! It's a green solution all the way!
Good ! Lets charge the leaker with Treason. And while we are at it ........ Lets Have a TREASON Trail for allowing the Rockefeller Trilateral Commission, (TC) and the Rockefeller Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) for Establishing (Agendas) of Manufacturing Job Exportation and for keeping Illegal Immigration Alive and Well. Manufacturing Job Exportation and Illegal Immigration have Destroyed the US Citizens Middle Class and the USA is on the Edge of the Economic and Political Abyss. The END of America as we have Known it !
YES ....... Lets have those TREASON Trials ....... and Convict Wall Street Bankers, their Army's of Pimp Lobbyist's that they Hire to Bribe Washington DC's Politicians with.
Nearly All of the Presidents from Both Main Party's have had the Presidential Cabinet Saturated with Wall Street CFR and TC members for the last 40 years.
It is time for a Change OK ........ the the TREASON Trails would be a Great Way to Start True Change. Not Bush Change and Not Obama Change ...... but REAL Change. A change to a New Wall Street FREE Political Party that has not been in the IRON Grip of Wall Street.
www.constitutionparty.com
http://breakingfreeinamerica.blogspot.com/
where did they leak names of people who are then murdered? Or is this just a rant for something that as usual has nothing to do with the article?
Everyone needs to let the investigation proceed without a lot of chest beating, while calling for the obvious. Each and evey person, who ferretted out this information and through it to the wind, needs to be prosecuted for: espionage, treason and violating Article 3: Section 3 of the United States Constitution. Self-serving bravado from spectators is not helpful. Those. who are in any way apart of the: investigation, peosecution, judiciary or may be involved in the appeal process must not respond; or in any way give the appearance of prejudging any person of procedure. The vacuum this creates, lends itself to self-serving tyrades by cynical demagogs; who care more about poitical advantage than anything else.
Well said.
Yes go treason charges on Bush and Cheney. Does GOP really want to do this? If they really want to do it. They have to include Bush and CHeney in on the charges.
This little weasel will at the very least get life without parole in Leaven Worth!!!!!!!!!
As for the argument about Bush and Cheney give it a rest, all administrations have their own dirty little secrets. The truth is most Americans can't handle the truth concerning what it takes to keep this country free and safe.
Lastly if you haven't served you don't know your *** for a hole in the ground.
Sorry, but I know plenty of people who did serve and fit that description all too well.
Having served in the military doesn't make you the only person on earth who knows anything. In fact, unless you served in a legitimate response to an attack on our country, I'd say it makes you a fool who risked his life for nothing more than the egotistical posturing and power games of privileged men.
In other words, someone who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, as you so inelegantly put it.
Well, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home, I'll be more than happy to escort you to Walter Reed Army Medical Center or Brook Army Medical Center (my dime) to let you tell those fools that yourself. Then we can take a little tour around the Military Cemeteries and let you view they birth and death dates of the fools. We can take a little stop at all the Fisher Houses as well so you can talk to the families of the fools. Though your opinion is accepted, and your emotion (in your own right) is understandable, but please beware your words. It seems as if you are placing blame on kids (mostly) who raised their hands voluntarily to defend our nation and obey the orders of those above them. It is not their fault. Please do not call them fools. If you still feel this way, I extend the offer to escort you through those places on my own dime and you can express your opinions to them directly. Based upon the words of your post you belie your own name. As it's been stated a billion times, it's OK to hate the war, but don't hate the troops.
For those not familiear with Hestia I leave you with this.
Of all of the Gods, Hestia was the mildest, the most tender and loving, and the most forgiving. All I ask ma'am is that you reconsider your wording.
Typical Republican demagogy!
If we start executing every American who tells us anything about how we are governed, we might as well appoint a dictator today and get it over with - and stop pretending that we are any better than any other third-rate police state in the world.
So you think it's fine for those Afghani's who tried to help us to be executed by the Taliban?
Just curious also as to what action you are going to take now that you have this information. I would hate to think innocent people are going to die for American citizens to be informed about something that won't cross their minds again 30 days from now.
What will you personally do to make it worthwhile?
What will you 'personally' do to make these things unnecessary?
Then I want our former VP to be tried for treason as he assisted outing Valery Plame!
This kid is in serious trouble, and evidently does not vote republican.
Anyone that uses the word "teabagger" to describe someone is automatically an idiot. It's like getting a blood test and, yep you're drunk at a certain level. Open your stupid gag hole and croak "teabagger", yep, you're an idiot. It's a perfect measurement for low cerebral content.
What I really think is going on is that people that use that term enjoy doing what that term means. It's called projection, and it's sad.
They named themselves, watch the FOX clips of Beck, and friends calling them and themselves tea baggers. They proudly sported their name until someone checked the urban dictionary. Guess that makes FOX, Beck and pals automatically idiots.
Don't like being called a Teabagger? How does Nazi sound...
Jody, please....it doesn't make them idiots, it just means that they're not perverted and perhaps a bit naive.
And MoJoe99, while you may not agree with them (I don't either), it doesn't make them a "Nazi," just as mere disagreement with Obama does not make him a "Socialist", a "Marxist", or a "Communist."
Democrat or Republican does not matter in this case. We are at war and this traitor should be court martialed and executed by firing squad if convicted. This country needs to get serious with the treatment of criminals that are traitors.
Well this Liberal Lefty happens to agree with Representative Rogers, PFC Manning did irreperable harm to the interests of the United States in wartime from the field of battle. He gave material aid to the enemy, endangered his fellow service men/women and our allies, and in general committed treason.
The only hurdle I see is the second part of the first paragraph defining treason: "No Person
shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the
same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
Other wise it looks clear cut.
This liberal lefty agrees with you.
"Treason" this guy is a HERO! He has put all the "dirty laundry" of the "war hawks" out there for people to see. Sure the facilitators of "war against everyone" (republicants) are worried that their tactics will be found out. If anyone gets "treason charges" brought against them is george bush and dick cheney.
It will be treason because by leaking information, he may very well cost American soldiers' lives. The Taliban are already putting out contracts on the people mentioned in the documents. It will be treason because it provides an enemy combatant with vital information that can be used against us. Treason is the appropriate charge regardless of our feelings about the war.