Military judge Colonel Denise Lind issued her ruling on Tuesday on the case of Bradley Manning, the former Army private first class responsible for what is being called the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history. Lind found Manning not guilty of two of the 22 charges, including the most serious one -- aiding the enemy, which by itself could have put Manning away for life -- but he could still face more than 100 combined years in jail when he is sentenced on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, after the verdict was announced, journalists and civil society organizations weighed in on the judge's decision.
In an article posted on its website, Reporters Without Borders wrote that the trial was "dangerous" and called the verdict "a warning to all whistleblowers, against whom the Obama administration has been waging an unprecedented offensive that has ignored the public interest in their revelations. It also threatens the future of investigative journalism, which risks finding its sources drying up."
RELATED: Bradley Manning Found Not Guilty Of Aiding The Enemy
In an official statement, the group asked, "Will the resumption of the debate about protection of sources at the federal level suffice to overcome the many offensives against investigative journalism, such as the recent seizure of Associated Press phone records? The outcome of the Manning trial unfortunately suggests the contrary."
RELATED: Snowden Asylum Request: Will The Former NSA Leaker Be Able To Stay In Russia?
Bill Keller, former editor of the New York Times, told the Guardian's Ed Pilkington that he approved of Lind's decision to find Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy. That charge was based on the government's allegation that the private had assisted al-Qaeda by leaking classified information to anti-government-secrecy group WikiLeaks. "If you follow that logic every poll that says Americans want to get out of Afghanistan, every story about popular discontent over drone strikes or surveillance, every statement that casts the country in an unfavorable light -- it all boosts morale at al-Qaida headquarters, and thus aids the enemy," said Keller.
RELATED: Julian Assange Says Latin American Sovereignty At Stake In US Spying Leak
Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, said the ACLU was "relieved" that Manning had been found not guilty of aiding the enemy but added that his organization believed press leaks in the public interest should not be prosecuted under the Espionage Act. "Since he already pleaded guilty to charges of leaking information - which carry significant punishment -- it seems clear that the government was seeking to intimidate anyone who might consider revealing valuable information in the future."
The Manning family also issued a statement. "While we are obviously disappointed in today's verdicts, we are happy that Judge Lind agreed with us that Brad never intended to help America's enemies in any way. Brad loves his country and was proud to wear its uniform," it said.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
