President Obama, Pardon Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning

[n2doc]

When it comes to civil liberties, Obama has made grievous mistakes. To salvage his reputation, he should exonerate the two greatest whistleblowers of our age

by Trevor Timm

As he wraps up his presidency, it’s time for Barack Obama to seriously consider pardoning whistleblowers Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden.

Last week, Manning marked her six-year anniversary of being behind bars. She’s now served more time than anyone who has leaked information to a reporter in history – and still has almost three decades to go on her sentence.

It should be beyond question at this point that the archive that Manning gave to WikiLeaks – and that was later published in part by the Guardian and New York Times – is one of the richest and most comprehensive databases on world affairs that has ever existed; its contribution to the public record at this point is almost incalculable. To give you an idea: in just the past month, the New York Times has cited Manning’s state department cables in at least five different stories. And that’s almost six years after they first started making headlines.

We know now that, despite being embarrassing for the United States, the leaks caused none of the great harm that US government officials said would come to pass. Even the government admitted during Manning’s trial that no one died because of her revelations, despite the hyperbolic government comments at the time, including that WikiLeaks had “blood on its hands”. (By the way, the US officials knew they were exaggerating in the media at the time.)

Even if you think that she deserves some punishment for breaking the law, six years behind bars (and being tortured during her pretrial confinement) should be more than enough.

more

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/06/03/president-obama-pardon-edward-snowden-and-chelsea-manning

[MADem]

1. Pigs will fly before that happens. nt

[n2doc]

2. I suspect you are right

After all, neither Snowden nor Manning is in a position to write a 6 figure check to the Obama Presidential Library....

[MADem]

4. That wouldn't help--John Walker Lindh's parents could have done that for Bush.

He's still doing his stretch, and won't get out until 2019--and that guy was simply a) Stupid and b) Easily led. A real "Youssef Islam" as they say in the religious Islamic and Jihadi world (making fun of Cat Stevens, essentially-- mocking stupid white boys who come over to Yemen and elsewhere to immerse themselves in the culture, wear the "costumes," and look like total asses).

Manning violated military regs, was a horrible soldier, insubordinate, flaky, beat up a SUPERVISOR (that right there is trouble) and released information willy-nilly; not just a threat to national security but an example of a complete abrogation of good order and discipline. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. Military bearing (or utter lack of same) iced that cake. Incompatibility w/military service coupled with treasonous, deliberate, malice-aforethought release of classified material? I was shocked the sentence wasn't LIFE. Mental health problems plus cooperation was what mitigated that stretch in the pen.

Snowden may well be/have been a Putin asset since he worked in Japan. He stayed at the Russian Consulate--not the MIRA Hotel--when he went to HK. There is supposition out there that he has been flipped for several years--he is a completely different person (not terribly believable, either) than the guy working in Switzerland who insisted that people who revealed classified information should have their gonads shot off. He thought he was the smartest guy in the room, and could get away with playing the Sincere True Believer card while actually getting a sweet payday for info from the Russians. He's trapped. He's the Kim Philby of the 21st Century. He taught us a lot, certainly, but that wasn't by his "sounding the alarm," it was by being a traitor to his country and a very poor example who may have gotten some of our assets killed (we'll never know, us schmucks out here, at least not soon). He taught us that we needed to vet contractors early and OFTEN, and that our clearance system stunk on ice and was in need of a massive overhaul.

That's my breakdown, YMMV. I'd be surprised if either gets an abrogated
sentence. Pollard didn't, either, and he gave secrets to an ostensible ally.

USA doesn't play when it comes to espionage, they never have. Too many people end up getting killed. Too many stars on a wall with no names attached to them--being traitorous, regardless of ostensible "reasons," is something we've just never tolerated and I don't see it changing now.

[truebluegreen]

3. I agree,

although not because it shouldn't happen.

[Blue_Tires]

5. Not happening, Timm

Last edited Fri Jun 3, 2016, 02:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Just wondering -- Why does Snowflake need a pardon when he's been screaming up and down for three years that the law is on his side?

[whistler162]

6. and the Walkers!