The government seeks to block every defense witness named by alleged wikileaker Bradley Manning's defense team. [Threat Level, Wired]

  • Ashen Victor

    Well, Manning is the scapegoat for US complete ineptitude at international relationships in the past decade (and ongoing one), they will not let scape him unpunished, whatever the cost.
    So sad.

    • Guest

      This is his punishment.

      He will be released without charge* by the first judge he is put before. The gov’t has NO desire to allow him to defend himself in open court. 

      * – that is to say, without being prosecuted for any national security offenses

  • http://mordicai.livejournal.com Mordicai

    The goat must be scaped!  No matter any paltry “civil liberties” or “human rights” concerns!  He’s an enemy combatant!  Ignore inconstant citizenship problems.  He’s a traitor!  Ignore any “guilty until innocent” problems.  SCAPE THAT GOAT!

  • sagodjur

    It’s sad that only disheartening events like this bring about the opportunity to trot out the wonderful word, “kafkaesque.”

  • Lobster

    In other news, Manning gets a defense.

    • jerwin

      And what do you mean by that? A defense shorn of resources is no defense at all.

  • jeligula

    Goodbye, due process!  I shall miss you.

  • MadMolecule

    This is a pre-trial hearing, not a trial.  Moving to exclude the opposition’s witnesses is so common that failure to do it verges on malpractice.

    This is a nonstory.  Wired shouldn’t let folks who don’t understand the law write about it.

    • Guest

      Neither should Disqus, but here we are. 

      That there is even a pretense of ‘due process’ in the Manning case is laughable at this point.

      • MadMolecule

        Where did I claim there’s been due process?  I said this particular “news” story is portraying a ubiquitous, commonplace procedural tactic as some kind of extra-special malice.  That should not be taken as an endorsement of the prosecution.

  • Guest

    In related news, Saddam was only ever tried for crimes committed BEFORE he was our man. Thus, no evidence against the US could be presented in a court of law.

    I see the US is using Kanga and Roo as lawyers for the prosecution in this go around too.

  • miasm

    as already pointed out here the dominant meme is that of the scapegoat which is, in my opinion, the scariest, goddamn thing on the planet.
    If you wish to know the weakness in your own heart, read the Golden Bough or examine any of the ‘dominant’ themes in large peer-groups you have belonged to.
    This kind of crap creeps up on you and before long you are condoning it as necessary.
    Just; keep an eye out.

  • benher

    Manning has been through so many hells, public and private, I just hope there’s some sort of light at the end of the tunnel for him. The time in solitary alone is tantamount to torture.