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President Obama commuted the sentence of Bradley Manning, who leaked top secret documents to WikiLeaks, compromising US military and diplomatic activities. Manning was sentenced to 35 years for his crime. Manning has served about seven years of that sentence.
In response to objections that this pardon suggests a precedent for forgiving traitors, Obama said, āfirst of all, letās be clear: Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, so the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I donāt think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.ā
Obama: āChelsea Manning Has Served a Tough Prison Sentenceā
You see, Manning has suffered enough. Sure, he leaked confidential army documents, but he acknowledged his wrong doing and heās gender confused. Being in prison is hard. Heās a sensitive gal. Sure he was convicted of traitorous activity, but give her a break. That is the message Barack Obama is sending.
āIt has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received, and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute ā and not pardon ā her sentence,ā Obama said.
There you have it. Manning committed a crime, but hey, others have too, and they didnāt get sentenced to 35 years. So Manning has suffered enough. Prison bathrooms are a hot bed of trouble under any circumstances. Just imagine how difficult Manning found serving his sentence when he announced he is she. So being not your average traitor, Manning is excused.
townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2017/01/18/pence-blasts-obamas-decision-to-commute-traitor-mannings-sentence-n2273427
In other pardon-my-leaking-news, General James Cartwright āpleaded guilty late last year to misleading investigators looking into the leaking of classified information about cyberattacks against Iranā received a pardon from President Obama. Cartwright was to be sentenced soon. Now he will face no punishment for lying to investigators about matters of national security.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/...eneral-who-lied-to-fbi-in-leak-case.html?_r=0
These two examples offer a chilling peek into soon to be ex-president Obamaās attitude toward those who play by their own rules when it comes to sharing information vital to the security of the United States of America. Manning copied and gave top secret information to WikiLeaks which ultimately put many people in danger, all over the world as well as here at home. A few years back, Cartwright was fine with disclosing information to a reporter writing a book that involved some delicate national security details about what the US was doing behind the scenes. When the FBI asked for information however, Cartwright chose to be less than forthcoming with members of the very government he swore to protect.
At least this time, Cartwright didnāt have to swoon to avoid trouble. Obama played white knight to his favorite general. Come to think of it, Obama played white knight to Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning as well.
In response to objections that this pardon suggests a precedent for forgiving traitors, Obama said, āfirst of all, letās be clear: Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, so the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes unpunished, I donāt think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.ā
Obama: āChelsea Manning Has Served a Tough Prison Sentenceā
You see, Manning has suffered enough. Sure, he leaked confidential army documents, but he acknowledged his wrong doing and heās gender confused. Being in prison is hard. Heās a sensitive gal. Sure he was convicted of traitorous activity, but give her a break. That is the message Barack Obama is sending.
āIt has been my view that given she went to trial, that due process was carried out, that she took responsibility for her crime, that the sentence she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received, and that she had served a significant amount of time, that it made sense to commute ā and not pardon ā her sentence,ā Obama said.
There you have it. Manning committed a crime, but hey, others have too, and they didnāt get sentenced to 35 years. So Manning has suffered enough. Prison bathrooms are a hot bed of trouble under any circumstances. Just imagine how difficult Manning found serving his sentence when he announced he is she. So being not your average traitor, Manning is excused.
townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2017/01/18/pence-blasts-obamas-decision-to-commute-traitor-mannings-sentence-n2273427
In other pardon-my-leaking-news, General James Cartwright āpleaded guilty late last year to misleading investigators looking into the leaking of classified information about cyberattacks against Iranā received a pardon from President Obama. Cartwright was to be sentenced soon. Now he will face no punishment for lying to investigators about matters of national security.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/...eneral-who-lied-to-fbi-in-leak-case.html?_r=0
These two examples offer a chilling peek into soon to be ex-president Obamaās attitude toward those who play by their own rules when it comes to sharing information vital to the security of the United States of America. Manning copied and gave top secret information to WikiLeaks which ultimately put many people in danger, all over the world as well as here at home. A few years back, Cartwright was fine with disclosing information to a reporter writing a book that involved some delicate national security details about what the US was doing behind the scenes. When the FBI asked for information however, Cartwright chose to be less than forthcoming with members of the very government he swore to protect.
At least this time, Cartwright didnāt have to swoon to avoid trouble. Obama played white knight to his favorite general. Come to think of it, Obama played white knight to Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning as well.
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