Editor’s note: The following Robert Scheer column was originally published on April 26, 2011. With Chelsea Manning’s release from prison on May 17 and Sweden dropping its rape inquiry against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on May 20, Truthdig is republishing Scheer’s column.
There is a craven disconnect between the eagerness of leading editors
to exploit the important news revealed by WikiLeaks and their efforts
to distance themselves from both the courageous website and Bradley
Manning, the alleged source of documents posted there. Alleged is
required when referring to the Army private so as not to repeat the
egregious error of a constitutional-law-professor-turned-president who
has already presumed Manning guilty of crimes for which he is not even
formally charged.
AP / Mark Lennihan
