Wikileaks & the American Legion
IVAW represents members with divergent views based upon political, spiritual, and many other world-views. Our three points of unity are linked only to those who they intend to serve and benefit. To this end, our members work with and find value in various outside organizations and in this dispatch I would like to share my comments on a particular issue: the thousands of documents relating to the Afghanistan "conflict" published through http://wikileaks.org/ and the "unofficial" opinion of the American Legion through an organizationally supported blog titled "American Legions: Burn Pit."
The blog entry:
This angers me on a level that is completely unhealthy.
On the list of “Mannings I hate the most”, this piece of filth has astonishingly managed– as a lifelong New England Patriots fan – to pass Eli and Satan Peyton.
The Pentagon is focusing on jailed Army Pfc. Bradley Manning as the main suspect in the leak of tens of thousands of secret U.S. military documents related to the war in Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official told CNN Wednesday.
Manning, 22, is believed to have accessed a worldwide military classified Internet and e-mail system to download tens of thousands of documents, according to the official, who did not want to be identified because of the ongoing criminal investigation of the soldier.
Its bad enough that this clown put our national security situation is even worse straits than it was, but the danger he has placed Afghans in is absolutely unconscionable.
Hundreds of Afghan civilians who worked as informants for the U.S. military have been put at risk by WikiLeaks’ publication of more than 90,000 classified intelligence reports which name and in many cases locate the individuals, The Times newspaper reported Wednesday.
The article says, in spite of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s claim that sensitive information had been removed from the leaked documents, that reporters scanning the reports for just a couple hours found hundreds of Afghan names mentioned as aiding the U.S.-led war effort.
“The leaks certainly have put in real risk and danger the lives and integrity of many Afghans,” a senior official at the Afghan foreign ministry told The Times on condition of anonymity. “The U.S. is both morally and legally responsible for any harm that the leaks might cause to the individuals, particularly those who have been named. It will further limit the U.S./international access to the uncensored views of Afghans.”
The guys at Blackfive are tearing this up.
Grim doesn’t hold back:
That is a betrayal of the brotherhood. If this was indeed done by a servicemember, it merits the firing squad. Only in that punishment do we cast you out and recognize you as the enemy you have elected to be: and then allow some riflemen to perform their natural function toward enemies.
Neither does Laughing Wolf:
If there were true justice in the world, Assange would have to watch everything that happens to each and every person on that list who is caught by the enemy. In this world, I will settle for doing everything I can to see him charged with the murder of each person so caught. U.S. law, international law, the law of Allies, I don’t care. With luck, it would be good to see him indited in as many jurisdictions as possible for each murder. For he is as guilty of each murder as if he had done the torture and killing himself. Period. So is whoever leaked the information to him. Period. I want them found, and tried at the highest level and highest possible penalty. Period.
My buddy Jimbo even made it on TV:
And for those that think that everything in the files is the Gospel truth, and should be treated as such, Noah Shachtman has a piece you need to read:
Echo company got into a gunfight in August 2009 in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. You’ll learn that by reading the report found in WikiLeaks’ database. You’ll learn that, after a chase, the marines killed one insurgent. You’ll learn that the insurgents supposedly fled and that the troops — part of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines — decided to stay the night in the area, in case the militants returned.
What you won’t learn is that a marine sniper team sparked the shoot-out with a surprise assault on the insurgents; that every member of that team was nearly killed in the battle; that the incident would kick off a three-day siege in which the Taliban nearly had the Echo company squad surrounded; that this spot eventually became an Echo company base; or that, while this extended gun fight was going on, British and Afghan troops were nearby, waging a more gentle form of counterinsurgency as they sat cross-legged under shady patches of farmland and talked with village elders.
Other comments not necessarily American Legion members:
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Bryce Oldham says:
How did a PFC get clearance to handle Classified documents anyway. He should be tried in a military court for treason. His commanding officer should be held accountable for the PFC’s conduct.
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james peverelle says:Git a rope . He should be tried under the UCMJ an punished to the max .
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Dennis Guinane, SMSgt, USAF (Retired) says:I would like to know what MOS this PFC holds, and if he had access to all of the “Top Secret” material on a regular basis. And, I do believe that he should be tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. When convicted, he should be sentenced to death for causing the suffering and deaths of, not only our allies, but also of our own military personnel.
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John Nanninga says:
If Pvt. Manninga is the source, is he requesting to be the modern day “MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY” So be it. jn
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THIS SOB IS GUILTY OF TREASON AND DESERVES TO BE SHOT AS AN ENEMY OF THIS COUNTRY AND BURIED INA BURLAP BAG. THE FATE OF ALL TRAITORS. BUT WIPE THAT SMILE OFF HIS FACE FIRST.
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Duane Marshall says:
Not only should they put this PFC to death. But, the owners and publishers of the website. This is a act of a traitor against his own country. Lose lips sink ships
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Jon says:
Clearly that SOB PFC held an MI MOS. If the powers that be lack the stones to charge him with treason or murder, how about a charge of unauthorized retention of a classified document… for each of the 30,000 pages… with the sentences to run concurrently… in a supermax facility in lockdown 23.5 hours out of every 24… for the rest of his life… and then extradite him to any country who lost a citizen or national due to his treason and let them hand down a death sentence.
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Matt Dresner says:
Classified material is available to anyone with the proper security clearance, and rank has nothing to do with it. I agree that a charge of treason is called for. The next thing that needs to be investigated is the overall physical environment which the traitor (alleged, sorry my bad), worked. Who else had access to these documents? Did this guy talk in his sleep? Classified documents are created for the purpose of limiting access to them. It is not as important the WHO as to HOW, and to close up all the rat holes, so we don’t have more leaks.
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phillip strauss says:
why dont we tar and feather this child or cut him up into little pieces and feed him to congress or his would be executioners. no trial. no jury. no explanations of the higher ups involved. this is what america has become. i served in world war 2 in the u.s.merchant marine and the u.s.navy as an engineering officer. i am ashamed. this is what america has become.
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Mal says:
Mothax said – “The leaks certainly have put in real risk and danger the lives and integrity of many Afghans.”
How about?, “The leaks certainly have put in real risk and danger the lives and integrity of many Americans.”
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JMcD924 says:
To move a mule, use a 2×4… If these documents were not released would the Military ever even think at looking into how insecure the security is?? And yes, there will be life lost, folks embarrassed, but maybe, in the future, we will save more lives by having a real enviroment that is as it name implies… secured.
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L. C. Jones says:
When found guilty, UCMJ all the way…..death….no repeal….no long stay of execution….get it over with and set an example!
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IN WORLD WAR 2 THERE WAS A SOLDIER THAT WENT AWOL. HE WAS LATER TRIED IN A COURT MARSHAL,FOUND GUILTY AND WAS EXECUTED AS A RESULT. THIS WAS DONE TO MAKE OTHERS AWARE THAT THIS COULD BE THEIR FATE AS WELL. PRIVATE SLAVIK WAS HIS NAME AND THE CRIME WAS NOT AS SERIOUS AS THIS MANS. IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME TO WARN ALL OTHERS OF THIS TYPE OF AIDING AND ABETTING THE ENEMY IS NOT TO BE TOLERATED THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME FATE AS ALL TRAITORS.
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John M. O'Connor, SGM, USA Retired says:
I would love to smack that smile off the face of this little traitor. He begs to get the sh** knocked out of him. How did this guy pass all the security value screening? Did the DSS/OPM investigators due their job when his investigation was conducted? The boys at Leavenworth will take care of him if he is convicted. The systems administrator for this dirt ball needs his/her a** kicked from granting him access. What the hell ever happened to “Need to Know” operations security (OPSEC)? What were his supervisors and NCOs doing while the sh** for brains was doing the dirty? A lot of heads need to roll to include the British A-hole from likiweaks.
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9shisa says:
I do not give me real name bacause my comments could cost me and this is not a bash.. I TOOK AN OATH, as have so many others living and, God Rest, not. There is no excuse for breaking the oath, NONE. I am a disabled vet and have been around the military, all branches,, law enforcement and public service all of my life. I have seen and heard MANY things through the years. This IS NOT the first time our Goverments computer networks have been compromised and when will it be the last???? Our world has become ELECTRONICALLY INSLAVED thus opening a very big door. The only way people like this will ever be stopped is for ALL OF US to say no more, look down deep at the world we have creater and THINK…
My comment:
What type of armed services do we want in this country? To what end should they accomplish their goals? Do we know the long-term goals?
Before we represent ourselves as a vindictive and excessively violent organization, let us assume that this level of secrecy and private knowledge is actually “saving lives” by remaining secret (note: the documents were secret not top-secret). We are not privy to this amount of information and cannot say either way. The documents that were released do not in any way risk lives and the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan that know full well what is happening on their land. Thumbing through thousands of pages will not turn up names, addresses, etc for exacting assassinations on US officials/troops. They are almost entirely battle field reports. Rather, the documents link the government in Pakistan to the Taliban (of course), troop and civilian deaths counts not reported to the press, they document years of cover-up concerning corruption amongst the US-backed/supported Afghan militias, and general insight into how the war is being run counter to our principles and knowledge. Basically, the outcry on the release of the documents puts SUPPORT for the war at risk. This will be the concern of the government and war corporations behind the mask of national security.
My opinions go further into the topic, but I will hasten them for dialogue on this forum. But I will say that I am against our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I will close with Major Smedley Darlington Butler (the first general officer to be arrested by President Hoover, I might add, for speaking out about Mussolini’s allegedly hit and run of a child):
“There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. ”
“War is a racket. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. “
Interview from France 24 TV:
