The day before Bradley Manning’s court martial began in Fort Meade, Maryland, and a day after rallies around the world in support of this brave young man, a panel convened at All Souls Church in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2013, to discuss issues of this trial of nationwide and, yes, worldwide importance.
The panelists were Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, Government Accountability Project director and DOJ whistleblower Jesselyn Radack, Center for Constitutional Rights President Emeritus Michael Ratner, and former State Department employee Peter Van Buren. (Click here to view the livestream upload of the discussion.)
The panelists examined how the information released by Bradley Manning helped shaped the public’s understanding of war, diplomacy, and government secrecy, and how the press reports on each. They explored how the administration’s hugely broad interpretation of both the military aiding the enemy charge and the long outdated Espionage Act of 1917 in prosecuting Bradley Manning gravely threatens press freedoms in the United States.
Every American who loves this country should hear these voices.