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BY JASON KIM
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
In a Ft. Meade Maryland military court pre-trial proceeding, accused saboteur Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, declined to enter a plea for the record, accepting and exercising his court rights Thursday.
As reported by ABC, "PFC Manning would like to defer both on his plea and on motions," said David Coombs, Manning’s civilian attorney. “This legal defense is designed to allow Manning and his lawyers to determine how the prosecution will utilize the evidence and witnesses at the trial.”
In 2010, the then 22-year-old was arrested and accused of transferring an estimated 700,000 classified state documents to Wikileaks- the now infamous online activist content outlet, lead by Julian Assange and his team.
The state will push 22 charges against Manning, including: aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet, knowing of the accessibility of the information to enemies, stealing property and transmission of defense information.
If convicted, Manning could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison. The prosecution has said that they will not be seeking the death penalty for Manning.
Col. Denise R. Lind, the military judge assigned to the case, will hear from both sides arguments about motions, deposition of witnesses, and clarification of charges by the prosecution.
Coombs pushed to receive a set trial date, arguing that his client had already spent 635 days incarcerated. The prosecution, however, added that a more viable schedule for trial would be in August instead.
Coombs added, “If [the] government gets its way... Manning would have spent over 800 days before trial begins" in pre-trial confinement.
Next schedule of proceeding will take place on March 15.
Our comments follow the quotes.
"I am a US Soldier. I love how all these people, whose lives are not at stake by the actions of one, have these comments of courage and patriotism."
The kinds of crimes perpetrated by the military puts us, the citizens, in danger.
Just like the Soviet Union, Nazi's, imperialistic Japan, etc... (These are only examples of the past century) expanded their military presence in the name of patriotism and greater good, these institutions ultimately sunk their countries into sever depressions and civil revolution. As well as the incalculable wasted finite resources that could've been more intelligently used for the education and advancement of society as a whole.
It wasnt until they were stretched beyond their means, (debt) that they were humbled and dismantled.
"There is a right and wrong way to do things. What this soldier did has put countless soldiers lives at stake."
~Manning didnt put countless lives at stake, the administration who gave the orders to go to war in the first place, did. End of story. Do you mean to tell me Manning was also responsible for the deaths of the soldiers before he blew the whistle?
"If he truely had an issue, it should have been brought up the chain the right way. Thanks to this traitor, my life is now in harms way going to the “stan” next month.
~He did have an issue and as did Lt. Colonel Daniel Davis, a veteran of 17 years, who's report on the progress of Afghanistan fell on deaf ears. Apparently the "chain" has broken its chain with reality and doesnt seem to concerned with reporting the facts to congress or the public. This is why we need more whistleblowers! (See link below to read the Lt. Col's unclassified report)
http://www1.rollingstone.com/extras/RS_REPORT.pdf ( Lt. Colonel Daniel Davis's report, Lt. Col. DAvis is a 17-year Army veteran recently returned from a second tour in Afghanistan.)
"Everything we do, no matter how big or small, fuels their cause to fight against us."
~I actually agree with you on this, EXCEPT, we havent tried stoping the war yet and prosecuting those who have mislead us and broken the law.
"This traitor gave them years of fuel to provoke good people to cause us harm."
~Good people will not cause us harm, good people will defend themselves against aggressors. You need to get over your own feelings about this. Its not helping anything, because it isnt about how YOU feel about what your doing, you can feel your being patriotic, and doing God's will, and serving with honor until your blue in the face, BUT, its about how THEY feel ultimately that will determine whether they choose "democracy."