FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan.
— "WHEN I chose to disclose classified information in 2010, I did so out of a
love for my country and a sense of duty to others. I’m now serving a sentence of
35 years in prison for these unauthorized disclosures. I understand that my
actions violated the law.
However, the concerns
that motivated me have not been resolved. As Iraq erupts in civil war and America
again contemplates intervention, that unfinished business should give new
urgency to the question of how the United States military controlled the media
coverage of its long involvement there and in Afghanistan..."
..."Reporters should have
timely access to information. The military could do far more to enable the rapid
declassification of information that does not jeopardize military missions. The
military’s Significant Activity Reports, for example, provide quick overviews of
events like attacks and casualties. Often classified by default, these could
help journalists report the facts accurately.
Opinion polls indicate
that Americans’ confidence in their elected representatives is at a record low.
Improving media access to this crucial aspect of our national life — where
America has committed the men and women of its armed services — would be a
powerful step toward re-establishing trust between voters and
officials."
Chelsea Manning is a former United States
Army intelligence analyst.
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