Two high-profile military trials involving Iraq War veterans made headlines last month. The trials shed light on some of our government’s troubling views on the importance of institutional reputation, the virtues of following protocol, and the value of human life.
The first trial involves a former sergeant named Frank Wuterich. On November 19, 2005, after a fellow marine in his team was killed by an Iraqi IED, Wuterich lead a deadly offensive in the town of Haditha. Roughly two minutes after the IED was detonated, Wuterich’s team ordered 5 ‘military-aged’ Iraqi men out of a nearby car.
Wuterich summarily executed the men. They were unarmed. In exchange for immunity from prosecution, Sergeant Sanick de la Cruz, one of Wuterich’s subordinates, testified that Wuterich proceeded to fire rounds into the corpses of the Iraqis.
These were the first victims of the Haditha massacre, an event that left 15 men, 3 women, and 6 children dead– all civilians. Wuterich, who told his marines to ‘shoot first and ask questions later,’ insists that he was merely protecting his men and that he did not violate standard protocol.
Last week, he plead guilty to one count of “negligent dereliction of duty.” Thanks to a plea deal, Wuterich now faces a demotion, a pay-cut, and no jail time.
The second trial, which is just beginning, is that of Bradley Manning, a now infamous low-level Army analyst. Manning allegedly sought to blow a whistle on what he perceived to be widespread and systematic abuses of power by the U.S. military, the State Department, and many U.S. policymakers.
He stands accused of leaking 700,000 military documents and diplomatic cables to Wikileaks and other major media outlets. Supporters of the leak argue that it produced a massive amount of newsworthy information that deserved public scrutiny, and that it helped to catalyze and fuel democratic movements in 2011.
Detractors claim that the leak put innocent lives at risk and negatively affected U.S. diplomacy and national security. During an Article 32 hearing in December, Manning’s defense team attempted to challenge the claim that the leaked documents were classified for security purposes with testimony from a host of witnesses.
The officer presiding over the hearing, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza, decided that the defense’s inquiries on the matter were irrelevant to Manning’s hearing– all that mattered was whether or not Manning leaked the documents. Almanza granted the prosecution all 20 of its requested witnesses. Only 2 of the defense’s 38 unique witnesses were allowed to testify.
As of January 18, two officers have recommended that Manning should be tried by court martial. Manning faces 22 charges, covering everything from discrediting the U.S. armed forces to and ‘aiding the enemy.’ If convicted he could be sentenced to life without parole or the death penalty.
Wuterich expressed a disregard for human life and tarnished his own reputation. Manning disregarded protocol and tarnished the reputation of government officials and the military establishment.
For his direct role in the massacre of unarmed civilians, Wuterich, has been given a mere slap on the wrist. Meanwhile, for his attempt to whistle blow, Manning has been left to fight for his life in a military court.
Why do we prosecute those who reveal war crimes, not those who commit them?
[...] A Tale of Two Soldiers: Military Trials Show Inconsistent Policy – NYU Local Posted in Wikileaks – Assange | Tags: analyst, bradley-manning, inconsistent, manning, military, military-trials, now-infamous, second-trial, soldiers /* [...]
[...] past week, as Bradley Manning remains in chains, in contrast a U.S. marine segeant gets a no jail time plea bargain for the murder of 15 unarmed men, 3 women and 6 children in the Iraqi village of [...]
Domestic Police Departments that operate efficiently have an ‘Internal Affairs’ department that monitors the actions of policemen and detectives for ‘errors of judgement’ and then respond accordingly to keep everything on the ‘up and up’ wrt the public which they ‘Protect and Serve’. Bradley Manning obviously belongs to this class of Public Defenders = aka ‘Watchers’. Does the Military have any organization similar to the domestic Police ‘Internal Affairs’ department … or are they miraculously ‘immune from error’? Let’s get our morals straight before ‘lynching’ a Genuine American Patriot!
Bradley Manning is a traitor who got his comrades murdered. Frankly, its too damn bad the CA did not convene his General Court-Martial as one where he could be sentenced. SGT Wuterich is a hero who dealt with the unlawful enemy combatants as called for under the Geneva Convention, the Law and Land Warfare and other International Law. He killed them. Those who support Manning want dead Americans and those who oppose SGT Wuterich want dead Americans. They too, if holding US Citizenship, are traitors unworthy of any respect. They should be thankful for men, like SGT Wuterich, who have kept intact their freedom, under the First Amendment, to express lies about men like him. HANG BRADELY!!!!
So what you’re saying is that if I kick down your door and kill everyone then your neighbor should be hung for telling. I am a veteran and I will tell you that it take an animal to act like that even in war. And just think, these are the kind of people that come home and get jobs in law enforcement.
Bradley Manning is a true hero!. What a backwards world when you punish the ones that reveal crimes? Makes absolutely on sense.
Why more people don’t support this young man is truly amazing to me !!SO SAD that people choose to be so blind.This young man killed NO ONE only spoke the truth and for that he is punished !! AND someone who choose’s to murder innocent people are given a slap on the wrist ????NO WONDER THEY HATE US !!!!