Posted on 08/03/2010 1:46:50 PM PDT by Superstu321
Is the “WikiLeaks” leak a crime worthy of the death penalty? It might not sound like it at face value, but Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, makes the case.
In an interview aired on WHMI 93.5 in Livingston, Mich., Rogers makes the case for capital punishment to be applied in the case of Private Bradley Manning, who according to Rogers looks to be guilty of treason in time of war and that is a capital crime worthy of a death sentence.
Rogers explained the root of the problem – there’s exists’ a desire to make everything in government transparent.
“There is a serious and growing problem within the government of this – I call it ‘the culture of disclosure,’ where if you don’t like something or you think you don’t like something,” Rogers said. “In many cases the information that causes the leak is not accurate – is they have such a small portion of the whole picture. It’s hard to make a decision with just one piece of the puzzle, but they do it often and this was the same example.”
But by carrying that “culture of disclosure” to that point, he endangered people and should be charged with treason – if not treason, then murder.
“He releases this information to a third party who they say will make the determination that there is nothing harmful in it,” Rogers continued. “Well, we know for a fact that people will likely be killed because of this information being disclosed. That’s pretty serious. I would absolutely – if they won’t charge him with treason, they ought to charge him with murder.”
But Rogers stuck to his belief that treason was the appropriate charge.
Audio after the jump...
(Excerpt) Read more at threefingersofpolitics.com ...
Just because it’s got a cutesy name like “wikileaks”, doesn’t mean it’s not treason.
Agreed.Their “leaks” will most certainly cost the lives of some...and very possibly *many*...Coalition troops.Put them up against the wall!!!!!!
Kill the Pfc... kill the trail to those at the top.
Think those at the top might favor that route?
Aren't they run out of Sweden or some such? That'd make it espionage, wouldn't it?
Yes, I do. I also believe that is what happened to Timothy McVeigh - The little fish were caught and the real actors got away.
Jane Fonda and John Kerry got away with treason, why not him?
My God...a republican, other than Palin, with some GUTS???? Incredible!!!
Turn him over to Al Queda and let them deal with him.
Just because it’s got a cutesy name like “wikileaks”, doesn’t mean it’s not treason.
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Agreed, and I agree with the congressman’s argument.
The difficulty will lie in the definition of “time of war”. We have not formally declared war on anyone in nearly seven decades, although we have been in open military conflict many times. This has been an issue before. I do not know what the case law is now.
At a minimum, espionage charges and go for the maximum sentence. Put the defendant - if convicted - in the general population of the military prison system.
Absolutely. If anyone has been harmed by his treason, string him up!
Turn him over to Al Queda and let them deal with him.
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They will welcome their assistant.
This PFCs actions are treason. He was entrusted with handling and ‘safeguarding’ classified documentation and information, information which by its very nature as ‘classified’, could result in harm or serious harm to the United States and its soldiers. You don’t release documents detailing military maneuverings and actions in an ‘active’ war-zone into the public domain. By doing so, he potential aids admitted enemies of the state, which is treason.
Too often in the last couple years have we seen people ‘leaking’ documents in order to make ‘political statements’. It’s time to nip this. If this happened in WWII, this PFC wouldn’t even be in the news, he would have been dragged outside and shot.
This leak is devastating, I am not putting aside our military but with the names of informants being made public, don’t think that the Taliban will not seek revenge, not just to those that informed personally but entire villages, family members etc. This will NOT help us in terms of intelligence or in terms of any Afghani’s possibly helping us!
So typical of a leftist though, while they freak out about collateral damage done by the troops they think nothing of the torture and death they will leave behind by “exposing” the so called truth!!!
Drop them off in the middle of Afghanistan, put a GPS on them, IF they make it out alive then kill them!!!
My God...a republican, other than Palin, with some GUTS???? Incredible!!!
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The momentum is shifting. May his tribe increase.
The libs leaked stuff left and right all during Bush’s presidency, funny it’s only now that people seem to care.
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