WHO TO BLAME FOR PTE.BRADLEY MANNING?

So Pte Manning is looking at a 90 year gaol sentence for releasing thousands of classified documents of the US military. He now says he is sorry as he did not intend to harm his country. Please click:

BBC News - Bradley Manning 'sorry' for hurting US at Wikileaks trial

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23700938‎

1 day ago - In an unsworn statement at the hearing in the sentencing phase of his court

martial, Pte Manning said: "I'm sorry that my actions hurt people.

 

There is no doubt of his guilt. But the image is coming through of a 25 year old immature twit. Either that or a junior Don Quixote. He did not realize the extent of the damage that would be done. Even Osama Bin Laden had copies in his hideout in Pakistan.

 

We read of Manning's background. He is gay and had a boyfriend probably in the military. He wanted to become a woman and to be reconciled with his mother and sister. We only have his word that he wants to be a woman. At present, he is having trouble with his boyfriend.

 

It may well be that the US military has now changed. The focus is no longer on military discipline. It is also on gay and lesbian politics and ideology. Perhaps Manning in his immaturity thought that gay politics would get him through. Who was going to touch him?

 

The question does arise as to how he was being supervised to have released thousands of classified documents. Did he have a non-commissioned officer to supervise him? What of his commanding officer? His unit seemed to have the security of a Boy Scout jamboree.

 

As a retired officer of the Australian Army, I am used to soldiers being psychologically checked for suitability in given jobs. Perhaps no one was prepared to put to paper that Manning was gay and wanted to be a woman. He was therefore not deemed unsuitable for a job dealing with the nation's secrets.

 

He did not seem to have the maturity to understand the implications of his actions. His life is finished. A gay boy in gaol who wants to be  a woman. He should be given a short sentence and then sent home to his mother.

 

In the Nuremberg trials, the blame went right to the top. No senior officer was allowed to say he was just obeying orders. If that applied to this situation, the blame would go right to the presidency where equality originated of gays and lesbians in the military.

 

Does this mean that officers can have sex with young male soldiers? Female officers can have a young female soldier as her wife. The top sergeant can have sex with soldiers in his company.

 

At least it keeps the boys and girls away from Moslem girls and boys in Afghanistan. Nothing worse than having sex with a male or female suicide bomber already loaded. Best to keep the sex within the battalion.

In the Australian Army, the final question for an investigator appears on the investigation form. It asks to give any weaknesses in the system of control. That question would provide massive scope for the US investigator in the Manning case.