Prosecution Demands Manning Get 60 Years to Intimidate Others

Insists Manning 'Betrayed' the Country

Prosecutions for the government in the military trial against Pfc. Bradley Manning have time and again flown off the handle when trying to discuss the case, trying to portray the whistleblower as one of the greatest criminals of American history.

As sentencing nears its completion today, Capt. Joe Morrow, another prosecution lawyer, had his turn today, insisting Manning had “betrayed” his country and deserves no mercy under any circumstances.

Morrow demanded that Manning be given a minimum of 60 years in military prison because of his “destructive” leaks, insisting that a protracted sentence was a vital “preventative measure” that might intimidate others into not trying to blow the whistle in the future.

Defense Attorney David E. Coombs rejected the suggestion, saying that it was unreasonable to give Manning any more than 25 years, noting that the documents leaked would’ve had their classification expire in 25 years anyhow.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.