nation

Private Manning, you voluntarily took the following oath upon your enlistment, "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." You violated this oath and now must pay the consequences. As a veteran of the Vietnam Era, I would still defend this great nation based on the oath I freely took when I volunteered my service to The United States of America.

Notice how the previous poster just assumes Manning's guilt - exactly what the U.S. government wants you to think, as evidenced by their cruel and inhumane treatment of someone who, as of this date, has been convicted of nothing. If indeed Manning is guilty of leaking this information, he did the world a great service. Even the former Pentagon Secretary said that the information in the cables didn't endanger any American lives, but merely embarrassed officialdom. The American government and military operate on a global scale, but how much of those imperial detials are ever made clear to the citizenry? We have a right to know what is being done in our name.

@monkeyplanet - manning had to be incarcerated in solitary confinement, had he been allowed to mingle with other prisoners the probability of his getting assaulted would have been very high. I wouldn't put too much weight on any assessments by a United Nations investigator, they are notoriously unreliable and one-sided. If you need proof of their uselessness, simply follow the news of any slaughters in areas where they are stationed as "peacekeepers". On those occasions they are simply "observers" of the mass murders.

@monkeyplanet....you don't understand UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) -- you are presumed guilty until the accused proves otherwise. It is not civilian law, it is military law that this case falls under. Manning was a voluntary member of the military, jurisdiction especially with this case fails under UCMJ. Read up on it then comment.

@justmeagain - monkeyplanet....you don't understand UCMJ * You are correct. Military law is an entity unto itself and HAS to be this way. Those who serve in the military are allowed access to very sensitive areas and are tasked with the protection of not only the citizens of America but it's secrets as well. If you violate that confidence, one that you swear an oath to uphold, you are in a serious world of hurt.

Really AP? "biggest security breach in U.S. history." I think that is a big stretch. More sensationalism to hype up a situation. Give the man his day in court and treat him as though he was a human being. He'll get his due when the facts have been aired. . Unfortunately the media has already tried him and found him guilty.

an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2009 and 2010? I'd like to know who ran his background check and signed off on his clearance.

It seems like the government values those that the blow the whistle on the private sector -- case and point, Bradley Birkenfield from UBS got a $104 million dollar payout -- , but when it comes to their own deeds, a different standard is used.

Almost any other country would have hanged him by now. He is lucky to be alive. I wonder how many people are dead as a result of his treason?

@yamaha1 - I'd like to know who ran his background check and signed off on his clearance.* he might have been of sound enough mind when he first enlisted and was trained but somewhere along the line he slipped a cog and allowed himself to become under the influence of Julian Assange. What isn't yet determined is whether he contacted Assange or vise versus. In either case Manning started supplying his with some damned sensitive information about the inner workings of many aspects of our military. No one should be proud of such behavior so any supporters of Manning and Assange really don't care about their country.