State Department declassified portions of 44 of 116 cables charged against Manning under Espionage Act after her arrest

• posted April 18, 2015

On the fifth anniversary of the publication of the July 2007 U.S. Baghdad, Iraq airstrike video (which killed up to twelve individuals including two journalists and also injured two children), the International Festival of Journalism (held in Perugia, Italy) hosted a panel to discuss Chelsea Manning and other whistleblowers.

I revealed for the first time that the Department of State declassified portions of 44 of the 116 diplomatic cables charged against Manning under the Espionage Act after her arrest. Manning was charged under the Espionage Act for only 247 documents.

Panel participants included Philip Di Salvo (European Journalism Observatory), Annie Machon (former MI5, whistleblower), Antonella Napolitano (CILD), Ben Wizner (ACLU), and myself.