Originally Posted by
Cold Pizza
They state that he put lives at risk.
Altough no one was killed, publishing a list of informants in Afganistan certianly put their lives at risk.
Publishing a video showing US military knowingly killing civilians would not.
Both Manning and Snowden were convicted of violating the 1917 Espionage Act. The act that is used anytime information is published by folks working in or for the US government and have taken an oath of non disclosure. In this regard there is no wistle blower protection. The prescribed process is to reporting what one believes is an illegal action through the chain of command. Generally a waste of time with the risk of reprisal.
Bottom line, publicizing anything, no matter how illegal, will result in jail time. Needs to be some sort of process where military folks can disclose illegal actions with no reprisals and assurance the allegation is investigated.