#FreeRealityWinner: Behind the Growing Push to Pardon an Imprisoned Air Force Vet

SFC Kelly Fuerhoff - Essentially because what she did did not in fact actually put the US in danger. If anything, it let people know something actually happened. No National Security issues happened.

MSG Stan Hutchison - In addition to whatever information was disclosed, quite often smart counterintel folks can also get a good idea of sources and methods.

One of the programs I worked on, not a single piece of data I processed was any threat to national security. By that standard, I could have released it all day, er'day. However, releasing that information would have given adversaries a VERY good idea of methods and capabilities.

We have to look PAST simply the information itself.

SFC Casey O'Mally - That is true. But on many issues, the American public has a right to know. re; Daniel Ellsberg

MSG Stan Hutchison - I agree. I really think there should be some form of affirmative defense in the espionage act for situations where A) the "leak" was exposing criminal activity AND B) the leaker had already attempted to resolve the illegal activity through "proper channels."

For the recent high profile leaks, people like Edward Snowden would be protected, but Chelsea Manning would not.

I think that would give people in government a little more incentive to behave - they can no longer just slap a classified tag on something to keep it from getting out (which has allegedly happened in the last three or four administrations - Republican and Democrat alike). It will ALSO give a HUGE incentive to the Chain of Command to PROPERLY pursue / follow up / investigate allegations. If we want to protect our sources and methods, we had better make sure they are not being used illegally. When allegations are made, we had better thoroughly check out those allegations, and handle them swiftly.

But... unfortunately, that is not the world we currently live in. And until we live in that world, we have to hold leakers to account, even if they WERE acting in the best interest of the American public - because we can't hols anyone else to account.