From Pentagon Papers to Wikileaks: Seize the time!

Sign the Petition

This is the moment to open a campaign to reawaken and mobilize a movement that can end the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq. The New York Times in the U.S., the Guardian in Britain and Der Spiegel in Germany have published their spins on 92,000 classified cables released by Wikileaks, cables with messages between U.S. officials regarding the occupation of Afghanistan and the war against the Afghan resistance.

Remember, a GI has risked imprisonment to expose the truth, hoping the truth could stop the war crimes. Currently the Pentagon is holding Specialist Bradley Manning in custody, reportedly in Kuwait, suspected of the leak. If Manning did this, he is not a traitor but a hero to humanity. That these cables are public can help end the war.

On June 27 the IAC initiated a petition supporting Bradley Manning, demanding his release and his access to legal assistance. It was only after 100,000 emails conveying this petition were delivered to the White House, Congress and most important, to the major corporate media, that the story on Manning was widely reported. The corporate media that regularly report Pentagon press releases on the war had previously ignored Manning’s story.

There is no doubt that the cables, using the words of U.S. officials and agents, expose the failure of the U.S.-NATO occupation to defeat the resistance. But the Times has been a supporter of the Afghan war and occupation from the beginning and continues to support the war. There is therefore no reason for anyone to accept the Times’ interpretation of the cables. A closer examination of the cables by more progressive analysts will undoubtedly also expose the outright criminal acts of the U.S.-NATO occupation forces.

Now, as the 92,000 cables have hit the news, it is even more important that Manning continue to receive support. We must encourage the next GI to help expose the war crimes by releasing the truth.

Sign this petition and pass it along.