I just don't agree with any of this.
This bloke broke the law just as the occasional graffiti artist does.
Albeit in both cases, the offenders will act as if entirely within their rights.
Bradley Manning through his actions put the real lives of real people at very real risk, and further escalated the conflict.
He knew full-well he was operating outside his country's laws, even as he broke them.
And therefore, there are consequences!
Yes there are drones attacking known activists, who are at war with the US and most of the west.
The west has a right to defend itself.
At least the drones target specific individuals, who can no longer kill maim and destroy with impunity, whereas the UID'S of the activists, target as many innocent non-combatant civilians as possible.
Interestingly, Pakistan is now developing tactical nuclear weapons, some of it in artillery shells and others in land mines.
And these are the people who expect the world to believe they have some kind of moral superiority, instead of a madman's murderous rage, that allows its more radical elements to attack all and sundry!
Exampled by a Muslim miscreant boarding a bus and shooting a school girl, simply because she had the courage to speak her own mind and or, put appropriate labels on those who make war on entirely innocent women and children.
If this marvellous freedom espoused by Basir, does not also include completely liberated women and girls, then it is just words and dogma, designed to radicalise and deliberately mislead!
Rhrosty.

Rhosty, you need to get a grip. Manning didn't hurt anyone, the US has though.

ARE you so pathetic really that you think sending out actual facts is more dangerous than allowing the world to live like mushrooms being fed bull........... in the dark?

I am ever surprised by the cowardice of the little people in this country.

sending out actual facts is more dangerous
Marilyn Shepherd,
If it falls into the hands of the likes of you, most definitely yes.

Bradley Manning leaked the video of a drone killing innocent journalists. The war on Iraq was an illegal invasion.

Bradley Manning is one brave young individual who blew the whistle on a corrupt Govt. We need more like him.

The war on Iraq was an illegal invasion.
Arjay,
And the invasion of Australia isn't ??

Bradley Manning merits a Nobel Peace Prize. Bush and Obama and US Justice Department lawyers merit a place in the dock at The Hague for committing and concealing crimes and hounding whistleblowers. Right and wrong don’t have a nationality or a government licence.

For too long now Governments the world over have got away with lie upon lie and secrets after secrets, within all cases have had an effect on mostly innocent people who have no way of getting redress.

I for one support Manning.

George Bush — along with former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and several other top Bush administration officials — were convicted of war crimes in absentia by a special war crimes tribunal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In February 2011, Bush was forced to cancel a scheduled appearance in Geneva, Switzerland after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint charging him with violating international treaties against torture.

They can be arrested if they go to the wrong country, it is about time the Hypocrites had the tables turned on them.

The list of wrongs done by the USA is long also the almost all are hypocritical in nature "do as I say not as I do."

Just in case you still disagree with the concept of wiki leaks.

From a just released story

"The major parties have united to increase secrecy around the running of Federal Parliament, with a new law set to prevent revelations about some perks enjoyed by politicians.

Three departments that oversee Parliament - with an annual budget of $170 million - will be given a blanket exemption from freedom-of-information laws."

This sounds like people scared of what might come out and the only way now for there potential crimes to be revealed would be if someone like Manning were to make illegal activities public.

Politicians trying to except them self from public scrutiny.

Individual, The invasion of Australia and North and south America South Africa etc was done in a past era. We would like to think today that imperialism is a savagery of the past.

The same 300 yr old attitudes still exist and a few want to own the planet.Do you think an unelected "New World Order" run by a few private elites will be in your best interest? If they can invade and murder one million Iraqis it can happen here if we too decide to have monetary sovereignty or take control of our resources.

The reasons for Western invasions are the theft of energy, resources and take over of independent banking systems.ie mostly Govt.

Arjay,
Apologies for failing to state it more clearly. What I actually meant to draw attention to was not the invasion of a continent which due to ignorance by the invaders was simply claimed. What I meant was the invasion that is going on now with the water taxi service provided by our Navy & Customs.

I don't think it was a drone Ajay, but American troops in a chopper?
And yes, one can absolutely agree with this type of information being made public, along with the abuses carried out in Abu Grebe.
One losses all moral authority, when one becomes as bad or worse than the miscreants one confronts.
Nor are we served by autocratic govts, winding back our rights and or liberties, and becoming more reprehensible and or worse than those we face.
However, Bradley lost virtually all credibility and most public sympathy, with the release of mountainous minutia of little moment, or public need to know; and diplomatic private conversations/thoughts and personal commentary, never ever intended for publication.
And with that tell all, his heroic whistle blowing degenerated into a tawdry scandal rag expose!
I was raised to believe, you should do as you see fit, or follow your conscience in all matters, always providing you were ready to wear any and all possible consequences, or any moral dilemma!
Bradley, in full possession of all his faculties, made his choices, some of it heroic and highly moral, the rest no better than mere scandal mongering for notoriety, and must now face the consequences.
Cheers, Rhrosty.

Marilyn, Bradley released highly confidential information the put thousands of real lives at real risk.
Namely, the very informants who provided said information/intell.
And it was not just these human resources suddenly flung in the path of murderous reprisals, but their often entirely innocent and unaware families as well!
If you can say with absolute surety, that none of these individuals or any member of their various family members; has not been hurt or harmed; or lost their lives or personal liberty, as a direct consequence of the unvalidated release of said information, then you may well be able to validate your rumbustious combative claim, that Bradley did no harm?
He may well have acted from the most noble motives, (initially) and may not have intended any actual physical harm or hurt?
But nobody with your level of knowledge or security clearance, could ever say with any confidence, that he did, or caused no harm.
Particularly when his personally released and entirely unvalidated revelations, quite literally put untold thousands in harms way! Coincidently, Cowards very rarely have bullets removed from their bodies, or walk/wobble about on legs, literally pock marked with shrapnel scars.
Take care, Rhrosty.

Rhosty says that Bradley Manning put untold thousands of US troops in harms way. Well why not also address the extensive use of Depleted Uranium used by the US military and the unexplained Gulf War Syndrome which sees far more US soldiers die by suicide than war.

Why not also address the huge birth defects in Fallujia {Iraq}. Women's hair samples taken by Prof Chris Busby showed slightly enriched Uranium which indicated a new type of small nuclear weapon. Is this not putting US Soldiers and Iraqi citizens in harms way?

The US Govt treats returned soldiers like scum and they beg in the streets with missing limbs.

Bradley Manning is being held under Bush's Patriot Act and will be tried not by a common court but by a biased Military one who will determine what is admissible as evidence.

Obama's National Defence Authorisation Act gives the military the power to arrest and detain indefinitely anyone in the West they suspect of being a terrorist. They would have thrown the key away on Manning without a trial had he not been such a high profile detainee.

It is interesting to note the speed with which the US government arrested Bradley Manning but did little to address some of the facts that came out of the Wikileaks cable release. Many Western governments, not just the US, are focussed more on the personalities and motives of whistleblowers than the follies their leaks reveal. It does not provide one with much warmth and confidence that our governments are always acting in our interests.

Governments will cherry pick their heroes and villians according to the dogma of the day. The outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame by the Bush administration as payback for her husband's writings on the Iraq war and in exposing the lies of that administration, led - not to prison, but to the President pardoning of the 'leaker'. One rule for some a different one for others if you are not a game player.

I do believe strongly in a mixed economy with a good balance of government and private activities but there has to be strong frameworks in place to prevent abuses of power within the Executive.

Rhosty, don't you think sending soldiers to an illegal invasion might be what put their lives at risk? Fair dinkum, you take the biscuit for just plain silly.

And individual, we are not being invaded and the navy must rescue anyone in trouble on the seas, including fools like you if you get into strife.

FAir dinkum, 6 million people a year come here and you still dare to whinge about a few thousand refugees.

Marilyn Shepherd Quote "6 million people a year come here and you still dare to whinge about a few thousand refugees."
What a stupid argument your 6 million are not on welfare, they don't take houses that could go to homeless people, they don't cost us billions of dollars per year we actually get money of them.

Quote "the navy must rescue anyone in trouble on the seas" Most of the pickups are in the Indonesian rescue zone but they are bought to Australia.

Millions of socialist dinosaurs still think that Philby, Burgiss, McLean, and Blunt were heroes of the workers paradise, too. But their own people consider them traitors.

It is not just Bradley Manning who is blowing the whistle on our Govt/Corporate corruption.http://patriotsquestion911.com/ This site will give you thousands of prominent political/military/scientific professionals who know the truth.

Major General Albert Stubbline was in charge of all Army Military Intelligence during the early '80's.Lt Col Robert Bowman was in charge of Advanced Space Programs with a PHD in Nuclear Physics and Aeronautics. He is a leading figure in telling the truth about our Govts corruption and evil intent.

Susan Lindaur a CIA asset was the first non Arab whistle blower to be arrested under Bush's Patriot Act. Sibel Edmonds was a FBI translator another 911 whistle blower.

When are we in the West going to admit the truth of the intentions of our imperialistic masters?

we are not being invaded
Marilyn Shepherd,
You're starting to suspiciously sound like you have an affiliation with people smugglers & the agenda of those they convey here. No-one with an ounce of concern & integrity would treat their country like you do. In my opinion you're nothing but a silly do-gooder who doesn't care about Australia.

Not sure what socialism has to do with transparency and open government. Bradley Manning wasn't acting on behalf of socialism but for what he thought was being hidden and should be exposed.

It is extremist Left and Right regimes that adopt very similar secrecy agendas for reasons of obfuscation and control.

Marilyn Shepherd - you seem to be good at hit and run tactics, why not continue with the discussions?