Hacker turns in soldier in Iraq airstrike vid leak**UPDATED*

[Pakman3000]

A well-known hacker says he tipped authorities off to a man who confided in him about leaking a video of a U.S. military helicopter gunning down journalists and civilians in Iraq in 2007. Other information allegedly being leaked could compromise U.S. foreign policy and lead to deaths, the hacker said.
"I turned him in to protect lives and to protect information that's essential for the U.S. to be able to effectively carry out foreign policy abroad," Adrian Lamo, once busted for breaking into computer networks of high-profile companies, told CNET in a phone interview on Monday. "He was not at all being mindful about what he was leaking. He was basically acting as a vacuum cleaner."
U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning was arrested nearly two weeks ago from a military base near Baghdad after Lamo shared e-mails and instant-message conversations he had had with Manning.
Manning, 22, of Potomac, Md., deployed with the 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division in Baghdad, was placed in pretrial confinement for allegedly releasing classified information. He is currently confined in Kuwait, the Pentagon said in a statement Monday.

In addition to the airstrike shooting video, Manning told Lamo he had leaked video footage showing a 2009 air strike in Afghanistan that killed nearly 200 civilians, including many children; a classified Army document assessing Wikileaks as a security threat; and 260,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables showing what Manning said were "almost criminal political back dealings," according to Wired.
"If it was just the video, I would have left the issue alone, and frankly, he would have had my kudos--and he still does," Lamo said. "But it wasn't just the video. It was a lot of information that was unrelated to our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan or the war on terror at all, including information about some of our major trading partners."
Asked to elaborate, Lamo said he couldn't say more, except that the sensitive information had to do with code words and that it was "top-secret sensitive, compartmentalized information."
The Iraq helicopter video, released on Wikileaks in April under the title "Collateral Murder," generated an outpouring of antimilitary sentiment because the shootings appeared to be unjustified and because of the apparent lack of compassion displayed by the unidentified soldiers involved.
The video showed the Apache helicopter shooting at a group of people on the street and a van that pulled up to rescue the injured, wounding several children and killing two Reuters journalists and other unarmed Iraqi civilians.
"Look at those dead bastards," one pilot is heard saying. "Nice," someone else replies. Laughter is heard, as a tank on the ground appears to drive over a dead body.
A perfect storm
Lamo, previously dubbed the "homeless hacker," knows what it's like to be on the wrong side of the law. Sleeping in bus terminals and abandoned buildings, Lamo would use public Internet connections to break into corporate networks and Web sites. He answered customer support e-mails at Excite@Home, told WorldCom how to fix its security to prevent intrusions like his, modified news articles on Yahoo, and used Lexis-Nexis to search for owners of undercover police cars.
While some companies thanked Lamo for pointing out their lax security, others complained, and an arrest warrant was issued in 2003. Lamo spent a few days in hiding before turning himself in and pleading guilty to unauthorized network access at The New York Times, Lexis-Nexis, and Microsoft. He was sentenced to six months of home arrest and 24 months probation, and ordered to pay about $60,000 in fines. After that, he studied journalism and has been working as a threat analyst.
"I've been 22. I've been in shackles and led by guards before a judge to determine my fate. I've been where he is," Lamo said of Manning. "I know it can be terrifying, and I wish to God it hadn't been me that had to do it."
Lamo said he thinks Manning contacted him after reading a Wired article last month about Lamo being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, after a stint in the hospital for depression.
"He was lonely and wanted somebody to reach out to," Lamo said. "It's the most painful part of it--the fact that he had such a simple and pure intent, and it had to be me."
It's unclear exactly what Manning's motivation was in the alleged whistle-blowing, but a glimpse can be seen in one of his messages to Lamo: "If you had unprecedented access to classified networks 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 8-plus months, what would you do?"
Even though Manning was required to use secured laptops to access the classified networks the information was on--SIPRNET, the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, used by the Defense Department and the State Department to transfer classified data, and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System--and they were not connected to the Internet, it was still relatively easy for him to smuggle the information out, he told Lamo.
For example, Manning would bring a rewritable CD to work labeled as music, erase the music, and store classified data on it by compressing it and splitting it into smaller files.
I "listened and lip-synced to Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' while exfiltrating possibly the largest data spillage in American history," he told Lamo. "Weak servers, weak logging, weak physical security, weak counterintelligence, inattentive signal analysis...a perfect storm."
Like many others, Lamo applauded the release of the 2007 video showing the helicopter attack in Iraq. But releasing all the diplomatic cables was going too far, he said.
"My plan initially was not to see him arrested. I and the FBI wanted to continue feeding him disinformation," Lamo said. However, the criminal investigation unit of the Army had other plans, he said.
A compassionate man, Lamo sounds burdened by the weight of his actions. He's been called a "snitch" and received lots of hate mail for turning in someone whom many people, including Wikileaks founder Julian Assange--call a hero. Lamo has even received death threats.
He knew he would feel the heat but felt that the only honorable thing to do was to go public with the story, because Manning "has a right to know who flipped him."
"I agonized over this. I regret the whole situation," Lamo said. "I wish he had never told me anything beyond the gun camera footage, but ultimately, I didn't get Bradley Manning arrested. Bradley Manning got Bradley Manning arrested."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007024-245.html

[ASignorelli]

ohhhh someones gonna get in BIG trouble!

[River_Rat_459]

ohhhh someones gonna get in BIG trouble!

Damn right. I'm curious (and not very up to speed on the regulations) as to wether or not stealing such sensitive data and releasing it in the manner in which he did would constitute treason.

I don't want to get into that debate we had on this video before over what was right or wrong about what occured in the video, but does anyone have thoughts on the severity of the leak? This has put more American military lives in jeopardy than necessary due to the anti-American sentiment it generated, IMO.

[saviger]

you break the law, you should go to jail.

[Guest]

I agree River...I stayed out of the whole debate that was on here about this video. Right or wrong in my opinion this video should have never been put out there for all to see. I am not meaning that TLOG was wrong in posting it. My point is that it was put out there for the public to see. That's the a big problem with most of todays Military is... these guys look for anything and everything to bring back home to brag about. They fail to think about what they are showing these Civi's and who can get their hands on the material. It is quit amazing to sit in a bar room and hear these guys talk. Then Vets like us wonder why a lot of Civi's have a bad taste for the Military. I don't even agree with all the media being there and showing what they do on TV. :? There are things that I have done or seen that I will take to my grave. That is just how we where taught back in them days. Yeah, this guy should do some time for sure.

[Pakman3000]

The U.S. military has filed criminal charges against an Army intelligence analyst who has been accused of sending sensitive files to Wikileaks, including a controversial video showing troops firing on Reuters journalists.

Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, was charged Monday with sending the video to a person not authorized to receive it and with obtaining "more than 150,000 diplomatic cables" from the State Department. The charges were made public Tuesday.

Adrian Lamo, a hacker who pleaded guilty in 2004 to breaking into The New York Times' computer network, told CNET last month that Manning had contacted him and shared details of his leaks. Lamo said he subsequently tipped off and met with authorities.

In April, Wikileaks released a gritty video--which Manning allegedly sent to the organization--showing U.S. troops in Iraq destroying a vehicle that was preparing to rush a wounded Reuters journalist to the hospital. The Apache pilots appeared to mistake the Reuters news crew, who were holding cameras, for armed insurgents.

Manning, part of the 10th Mountain Division (light infantry) in Iraq, was detained on May 29 and has been in military custody ever since.

An Army spokesman at the Pentagon on Tuesday referred questions to a public affairs office in Iraq, which did not immediately respond. A statement from the U.S. military's Camp Liberty in Iraq said a so-called Article 32 investigation, similar to a civilian grand jury hearing, will be convened to determine whether Manning will face trial by court-martial.

Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell said last month that there was an active criminal probe involving the Army Criminal Investigation Division and other law enforcement agencies.

"Someone, if not multiple people, violated the trust and confidence bestowed on them by their country and leaked classified information, which not only is against the law, but potentially endangers the well-being of our forces and potentially jeopardizes our operations," Morrell said. "And that we take very, very seriously."


The leaked video shows graphic gun-camera images of a U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad in July 2007 in which several unarmed men were killed; two children were also wounded. Wikileaks said it obtained the video from whistleblowers and published it to prove the helicopters were not under fire or acting in self defense.

(Credit: CBS) Lamo told CNET on Tuesday, referring to Manning: "What he did harmed national security gravely. This wasn't just about a video. There were many other materials."

Lamo refused to elaborate, saying only that Manning "compromised a seriously important classified op in his chats with me."

Manning is charged with two violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ.

The first set of charges accuse him of "wrongfully" moving classified information to his personal computer and "wrongfully adding" unauthorized software to a secure computer, both in alleged violation of Article 92 of the UCMJ. Article 92 says anyone who "violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation" can be punished by a court-martial.

The second set of charges stem from Manning's alleged transfers of classified information, including the July 12, 2007 Apache video and a State Department cable titled "Reykjavik 13" to an unnamed third parties. Those transfers violate Article 134 of the UCMJ, the military says, which is a general-purpose prohibition punishing "crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty."

One of those alleged crimes includes a violation of the Espionage Act, which makes it illegal for anyone with unauthorized possession of "information relating to the national defense" to share it with anyone else. Another alleges a violation of computer hacking laws.

Julian Assange, the onetime hacker who has become the public face of Wikileaks, responded on Tuesday by saying: "If the charges against Manning are true, he will be the Daniel Ellsberg of our times." (Ellsberg is the former military analyst who released the so-called Pentagon Papers, who has recently praised Wikileaks' methods.)

A Web site supporting Manning, BradleyManning.org, has launched. Assange has said that Wikileaks "will defend" Manning, and mentioned the possibility of hiring a legal team, but there's no evidence that one has materialized.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-200097 ... eStories.0

[Pakman3000]

All the charges:

CHARGE I: VIOLATION OF THE UCMJ, ARTICLE 92

SPECIFICATION 1: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 2: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing more than 50 classified United States Department of State cables onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 3: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-6(k), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully introducing a classified Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation onto his personal computer, a non-secure information system.

SPECIFICATION 4: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 3 April 2010, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, violate a lawful general regulation, to wit: Paragraph 4-5(a)(3), Army Regulation 25-2, dated 24 October 2007, by wrongfully adding unauthorized software to a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer.

CHARGE II: VIOLATION OF THE UCMJ, ARTICLE 134

SPECFICATION 1: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, have unauthorized possession of photographs relating to the national defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the video, or cause the video to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 793(e), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 2: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the video, or cause the video to be communicated, delivered and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 3: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 13 January 2010 and on or about 19 February 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of foreign relations, to wit: a classified United States Department of State cable titled “Reykjavik 13,” and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the cable, or cause the cable to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive it, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 4: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 24 May 2010, knowingly exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information that has been determined by the United States Government pursuant to an Executive Order or statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of foreign relations, to wit: more than 50 classified United States Department of State cables, and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the cables, or cause the cables to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted, to a person not entitled to receive them, with reason to believe that such information could be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of any foreign nation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(1), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 5: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 5 April 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of Defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad, Iraq, on or about 12 July 2007, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 6: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between on or about 13 January 2010 and on or about 19 February 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of State, to wit: a classified cable titled “Reykjavik 13,” in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 7: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, on divers occasions, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from an the United States Department of State, to wit: more than 150,000 diplomatic cables, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

SPECIFICATION 8: In that Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, U.S. Army, did, at or near Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, on divers occasions, between on or about 19 November 2009 and on or about 27 May 2010, intentionally exceed his authorized access on a Secret Internet Protocol Router network computer and obtain information from the United States Department of Defense, to wit: a classified Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation, in violation of 18 U.S. Code Section 1030(a)(2), such conduct being prejudicial to good order and discipline in the armed forces and being of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

[saviger]

someone has been a BBBAAADDDDD boy and needs a spanking!

[GriffinSentinel]

Looks like someone won't be making it past Private for quite a long time. The UCMJ is a harsh mistress.

[saviger]

Looks like someone won't be making it past Private for quite a long time. The UCMJ is a harsh mistress.

maby even up to Spec-4, and back down to pvt

[GriffinSentinel]

maby even up to Spec-4, and back down to pvt

Yup. That sounds about right.

[shonyx]

892. ART. 92. FAILURE TO OBEY ORDER OR REGULATION
Any person subject to this chapter who--
(1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation;
(2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by any member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or
(3) is derelict in the performance of his duties;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

NJP - authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Nonjudicial punishment or "NJP" permits commanders to administratively discipline troops without a court-martial. Punishment can range from reprimand to reduction in rank, correctional custody (aboard ships only), loss of pay, extra duty, and/or restrictions. The receipt of nonjudicial punishment does not constitute a criminal conviction, but is often placed on the service record. The process for a nonjudicial punishment is governed by Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial and by each service branch's regulations.

Court Martial - Types: Summary, Special, Gneneral. Courts martial have the authority to try a wide range of military offences, many of which closely resemble civilian crimes like fraud, theft or perjury. Others, like cowardice, desertion, and insubordination are purely military crimes. Punishments for military offences range from fines and imprisonment to execution.

Court Martial Authorized Punishments:
-> From Navy JAG Manual - Applies to Navy and USMC
Rule 1003 - Punishments:
Reprimand
Forfeiture of pay and allowances
Fine
Reduction in pay grade
Restriction to specified limits
Hard labor without confinement
Confinement
Punitive separation
- Dismissal
- Dishonorable Discharge
- Bad Conduct Discharge
Death

I'm sure the rest of the services have very similiar, if not the same types of punishments. Of course the awarding of the punishments are up to the recommendations of the JAG and the convening court officers.

[Amiable Horde]

This guy just got promoted and then he got caught and demoted to PFC.

I'm not sure if any of you went to leonardwood for basic, but i'm sure they give a nice brief on opsec as well as in huachuca

[MuleTheDestroyer]

Yeah this is gonna be a court martial and he is going to jail for awhile. Reduction to E-1 until he gets out (forfeiture of most pay) and dishonorable discharge. His entire chain of command is gonna be in some hot water too. anybody a legal guy and know how long he could be turning big rocks into little rocks?

[MuleTheDestroyer]

Do they still do that thing where they tear all your patches off, spit in your face, slap you, and then everyone shuns you?

[saviger]

Yeah this is gonna be a court martial and he is going to jail for awhile. Reduction to E-1 until he gets out (forfeiture of most pay) and dishonorable discharge. His entire chain of command is gonna be in some hot water too. anybody a legal guy and know how long he could be turning big rocks into little rocks?

yup, his NCO's have probably been feeling the heat since this whole things started. Not to mention, his young LT's career might even be scarred with this for their entire carrier.

[Amiable Horde]

oh yea, you know this isn't going to be a one man take all deal. i agree, his chain/channel are going to be tripping all over themselves just to keep their job

[shonyx]

Do they still do that thing where they tear all your patches off, spit in your face, slap you, and then everyone shuns you?

Not sure if they do all that. In my very last command a few people got in some big trouble and our CO gave open Captain's Mast, public NJP, withing the squadron's hangar. When the CO "awarded", love the sound of that, the punishment, the MAA had everyone at attention, and we were ordered "About, FACE", while he was read his punishment. That's about as close to ripping the rank insignia from their dress whites as we got.

[CrzyChinook]

go figure he was a MI.....MI guys always think they are above the rest......the star & stripes reports that he can get up to 52 years in Leavenworth!!! OUCH!!!

[DaddyDietrich]

here is the update.

The U.S. military on Wednesday added capital crime charges of aiding the enemy to the indictment against Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, the intelligence analyst accused of copying a quarter-million classified U.S. military and diplomatic cables and providing them to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

The Army announced 22 new charges in a statement after a seven-month investigation. The statement said prosecutors had notified Pfc. Manning’s attorneys they will not seek the death penalty.

The charge sheet stated that Pfc. Manning, while posted in Iraq, from November 2009 to May 2010, “without proper authority [did] knowingly give intelligence to the enemy, through indirect means,” an offense under Article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) that carries a maximum penalty of a death sentence.

Because prosecutors will not seek the death penalty, Pfc. Manning faces a maximum punishment of life imprisonment if convicted of all charges, according to a statement by the Military District of Washington, which is prosecuting him.

“The new charges more accurately reflect the broad scope of the crimes that Manning is accused of committing,” said Capt. John Haberland, a legal spokesman for the district. The new charges would not affect the conditions of Pfc. Manning’s confinement in the brig at the U.S. Marine Corps Base at Quantico, Va., he added.

Those conditions became controversial last year, when some supporters of Pfc. Manning stated that the suicide watch and solitary confinement regime imposed on him by authorities amounted to pretrial punishment. Officials responded that the conditions were humane and standard for a prisoner facing serious charges.

The new charges followed the probe by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and other investigative agencies, the statement said.

They include 16 counts related to breaches of intelligence, records or computer fraud rules under Article 134 of the UCMJ.

Pfc. Manning is also newly charged with illegally installing software on a computer connected to the military’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNET. The SIPRNET is the system he is charged with compromising by downloading a huge database of military and diplomatic cables that earlier court documents said included as many as 250,000 pages of material.

The Military District of Washington said trial proceedings had been delayed since last July “at the request of Manning’s defense attorneys — pending the results of a defense-requested inquiry into Manning’s mental capacity and responsibility.”

Story Continues →

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[jxspyder]

They need a bigger book to throw at him, and then need to throw it. Hard.

[saviger]

He knew what he was doing, to have a soldier do this knowing the bad guys would see it makes me physically ill.

If he is found guilty i say use the highest punishment allowed in a time of war..... the firing squad.

Sent from my Liberty running cyanogenmod 7 RC2 gingerbread

[Crusty]

Gonna be the odd man out here and say the guy is a hero. We talk all the time about holding our own government accountable, but when a guy brings to light our government's transgressions everybody wants to punish him rather than a government that outright lied to us so they could send our boys to war to die for reasons not even clear to them; then to order those soldiers to turn over Iraqis to 3rd parties for torture.

I'm sorry, but it's our government that should have the book thrown at it, not the guy who was just trying to expose the corruption. He acted for the America he signed up to serve, not against it.

[CrzyChinook]

Gonna be the odd man out here and say the guy is a hero. We talk all the time about holding our own government accountable, but when a guy brings to light our government's transgressions everybody wants to punish him rather than a government that outright lied to us so they could send our boys to war to die for reasons not even clear to them; then to order those soldiers to turn over Iraqis to 3rd parties for torture.

I'm sorry, but it's our government that should have the book thrown at it, not the guy who was just trying to expose the corruption. He acted for the America he signed up to serve, not against it.

Ok i see your point and agree! For heaven sake this is America.. god forbid we do anything wrong....BUT there is a time and a place for it and while we are currently at WAR is not the time...let me rephrase that...i heard my buddy say this the other day and i quote " America is not at War!! The U.S. Military is at War!! America is at the mall, at walmart, or at starbucks!!!!" but if releasing that info at the wrong time kills any U.S. Citizen out in the war zones!! he should be held responsible for those deaths! There is a reason it was on the SIPR...ITS WAS SECRET INFO...DUHH!!..ok now ill get off my soap box..nuff said

[Crusty]

Ok i see your point and agree! For heaven sake this is America.. god forbid we do anything wrong....BUT there is a time and a place for it and while we are currently at WAR is not the time...let me rephrase that...i heard my buddy say this the other day and i quote " America is not at War!! The U.S. Military is at War!! America is at the mall, at walmart, or at starbucks!!!!" but if releasing that info at the wrong time kills any U.S. Citizen out in the war zones!! he should be held responsible for those deaths! There is a reason it was on the SIPR...ITS WAS SECRET INFO...DUHH!!..ok now ill get off my soap box..nuff said

A lot of that I agree with. There is definitely a balance there between forcing our government to be accountable for its actions and to preserve the safety of fellow troops.

It definitely is a difficult situation.