I have many friends very upset about Bradley Mannings' treatment, incarceration, trial etc. I have purposely not engaged them about this because for me his reasons for doing what he did do not matter at all. This is a case where the "who" and the "how" matters a great deal more than the "why".
Manning, in time of war, in-country, in uniform gave classified information to a third party.
That is the definition of treason.
That third party published the information. That is called journalism.
Manning should be tried, convicted and sent to prison. Assange should not.
More under the fold.
It doesn't matter why. It doesn't matter what was discovered. It doesn't matter the outcome. If Mr. Manning felt that to uphold and defend the constitution he had to pass hundreds of thousands of classified documents to a foreign national in order to get the information public, then he can feel he did his duty to the United States from Levenworth.
But by the code of the UCMJ there is no out for Mr. Manning. I doubt that even with political pressure that he will ever see the light of day. The military will pursue every charge against him they can because his treason to his uniform and to every other person in uniform is clear. His actions had and have the potential of putting others both in and out of uniform in danger.
Regardless of whether you think Mr. Manning is a hero for what he did or is heinous doesn't really matter to the law. Technically and legally he is a traitor and he is and will be treated as such. He won't be (nor should he be) executed. But he will never be free.
Mr. Assange on the other hand, should not be tried for what he did. He acted as a journalist (well sort of) and so the information that Manning passed him was published and so the public became aware of it, which is what Manning is claiming he wanted.
Who and how matter.