WikiLeaks Hearing Starts Tomorrow

WikiLeaks investigative website has been targeted for destruction by the United States imperialists whose war crimes and political intrigue have been exposed by the leaks since earlier in 2010. Julian Assange was arrested in the UK and denied bail., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

WikiLeaks hearing starts tomorrow

Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:3AM GMT
Pamela Wood, Staff Writer, hometownannapolis.com
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A major international news story will play out in Anne Arundel County starting tomorrow, when the soldier accused of leaking thousands of secret documents has a hearing at Fort George G. Meade.

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, an intelligence analyst suspected of passing the classified material to the controversial WikiLeaks website, faces an Article 32 hearing at the west county post.

The hearing is expected to draw scores of protesters and reporters, possibly causing traffic delays along Route 175 tomorrow and Saturday. The hearing starts at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Manning's supporters are planning to hold a vigil outside the main post gate on Route 175 at Reece Road from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Then they'll hold a "Rally for Bradley" and a march on Saturday - Manning's 24th birthday - from noon until 3 p.m. The march will be on the Route 175 sidewalk between Reece Road and Llewellyn Avenue.

Plans detailed on a "Free Bradley Manning" website include busing in protesters from Washington, D.C., as well as from the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City.

Manning is accused of giving the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of war logs and diplomatic cables, plus classified video of an Apache helicopter attack in which civilians were killed.

Tomorrow's hearing, called an Article 32 investigation, will determine whether Manning will be court-martialed.

It's roughly equivalent to a grand jury proceeding in civil court.

If convicted of all of the charges, Manning's punishment could include life in prison, a dishonorable discharge, reduction to the lowest enlisted pay grade and forfeiting all of his pay and allowances, according to the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

This will be Manning's first court appearance. He has been held by the military for 18 months, most recently in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Ellsberg expected

Manning supporters expected to be in attendance at Saturday's rally include Daniel Ellsberg, who released the top-secret Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, The Washington Post and other newspapers in 1971. The Pentagon Papers documented the troubled history of America's military involvement in Vietnam.

Ellsberg was a military analyst who was employed by the RAND Corp. at the time.

Ellsberg has since become an advocate for "patriotic whistleblowing," according to his website.

Other participants are expected to include retired Col. Ann Wright, a vocal critic of the just-ended Iraq War; Dan Choi, an Iraq veteran who is a gay rights activist; and other anti-war activists.

Fort Meade officials are warning motorists in the area to expect traffic delays along Route 175.

Drivers who have military identification or common access cards are being asked not to use the main gate at Reece Road, which will be handling media and visitors related to the hearing.

The hearing is open, but there is expected to be limited space available.

Visitors must present photo identification at the gate and obtain a day pass at the Visitor Control Center.

Those driving onto the post must have a driver's license, proof of auto insurance and vehicle registration. Vehicles may be subject to a search by military police.