democracynow
Published on Aug 15, 2013
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- Bradley Manning apologized for leaking classified documents to
WikiLeaks during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday. Manning faces up
to 90 years in prison after being convicted last month on 20 counts. He
said: "I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions. When I
made these decisions, I believed I was going to help people, not hurt
people." Manning added, "I understood what I was doing and the decisions
I made. However, I did not truly appreciate the broader effects of my
actions. Those effects are clearer to me now through both
self-reflection during my confinement in its various forms and through
the merits and sentencing testimony that I have seen here." An Army
psychologist who analyzed Manning while he served in Iraq also testified
Wednesday, along with a clinical psychologist who spent 21 hours
examining Manning after his arrest. Manning's sister and aunt also both
took the stand to deliver emotional testimony about his childhood. We
speak to reporter Alexa O'Brien who was in the courtroom and has closely
covered the Manning trial. "Bradley Manning is more of a moral
character, than he is a political one," O'Brien says.Read More and Watch Full Video Here
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- The Guardian, Wednesday 14 August 2013 18.22 EDT
Bradley
Manning took the stand for an unsworn statement and said:
'Unfortunately, I cannot go back and change things.' Photograph: Patrick
Semansky/AP
"I am sorry for unintended consequence of my actions. When I made these decisions, I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people," Manning told his sentencing hearing, in an attempt to receive a reduced sentence.
The 25-year-old was found guilty of several counts under the Espionage Act, but acquitted of the most serious charge of "aiding the enemy". He is facing a possible jail sentence of up to 90 years when he is sentenced next week.
Previously, the former intelligence analyst tried to justify his actions, explaining to the court in detail how he downloaded 700,000 classified documents while stationed in Iraq and passed them to the anti-secrecy website, in order to prompt a global debate about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However on Wednesday, after three days in which his legal team called witnesses they hoped would lead to a lower sentence, Manning took to the stand for an unsworn statement – meaning he could speak to the judge but not be cross-examined.
Looking nervous, he turned to Colonel Denise Lind, who is presiding over his court martial, and said: "First, your honour, I want to start off with an apology. I am sorry that my actions hurt people. I am sorry that I hurt the United States."
He told the military judge that he "was dealing with a lot of issues" around the time he leaked the classified material, problems that he continues to effect him.
"Although a considerable difficulty in my life, these issues are not an excuse for my actions," he said. "I understood what I was doing, and decisions I made. However I did not fully appreciate the broader effects of my actions.
"Those factors are clear to me now, through both self-refection during my confinement in various forms, and through the merits and sentencing testimony that I have seen here.
"I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions," he continued. "When I made these decisions I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people."
The soldier read out his statement in a rushed fashion, looking anxious. He told the judge that he had learned from his experience and asked for a chance to rebuild his life.
The apology will disappoint Manning's thousands of supporters around the world, who believe he undertook a courageous act of whistleblowing because his conscience demanded it.
Read More Here
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