Posted on 06/10/2010 8:41:50 AM PDT by jazusamo
Bradley Manning, 22, had just gone through a breakup. He had been demoted a rank in the Army after striking a fellow soldier. He felt he had no future, and yet he thought that by sharing classified information about his government's foreign policy, he might "actually change something."
A series of instant messages from Manning to a stranger open a window into the anguished state of the former Army intelligence analyst, who was detained late last month for allegedly leaking classified video and documents to Wikileaks.org.
The military has not detailed the allegations against Manning, who is being held in Kuwait pending an investigation, and his attorney could not be reached. His aunt, Debra van Alstyne, reached by phone, declined to comment on the allegations but allowed that the family was "shocked and surprised" by them.
"We love him, and we'll stand by him through this process," she said.
The logs of messages between Manning and Adrian Lamo, provided to The Washington Post by Lamo, reveal a young man who was at once privy to government material of the highest sensitivity and confronting a personal crisis of the highest order. While stationed in Iraq, he decided to turn to Lamo, a former hacker whom he did not know but who would ultimately report him to authorities out of concern that lives could be at risk.
"I'm an army intelligence analyst, deployed to eastern baghdad, pending discharge for 'adjustment disorder,' " Manning said by way of introducing himself to Lamo, who had recently been profiled on the Web site of Wired magazine.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
He’s a libtard...gave money to twosome newsom...
The wapo knows this...and has gone into sympathy mode...
If he had been a tea party member....oh man...they would have had a field day with that..
But since he’s a lib...it’s “aw...poor kid ...see how hard he had it”
I believe the wikileaks guy claims he has a spectacular bit of information coming out soon. Wonder if this is linked?
Agreed, this Ellen Nakashima wrote a real sob story. I’d like to see her sit in on his couts-martial and get the real facts, she just might feel differently.
Shouldn’t the SOP have been to immediately revoke his clearance and access to classified material when the discharge process began? Just askin..
End of article says he was demoted last month for assault and was not facing early discharge. So he’s a traitor and a liar (I know, not mutually exclusive). Go figure.
Treason and giving aid and comfort to the enemy, busted, “commander zero” and his minions are deeply saddened.
Wall + firing squad + Bradley Manning = No more despondency.
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