Ron Paul has hailed accused WikiLeaks
source Pvt. Bradley Manning as a “true patriot.”
Manning's Article 32 hearing concluded
on Thursday – just days after he turned 24 years of age. Manning
is facing life in prison or even the death penalty.
Stress related to the military policy
against gay and bisexual troops serving openly “contributed to
mental and emotional problems that should have barred [Manning] from
having access to sensitive material,” Manning's lawyers argued in
court.
Paul hailed Manning as a “hero”
during a rally held in January.
“If we have an American citizen and
he's willing to take the consequences and practice civil disobedience
and say, 'This is what our government is doing,' should he locked up
and imprisoned?” Paul rhetorically asked to a handful of “nos.”
“Or should we, you know, see him as a political hero? Maybe he is
a true patriot who reveals what is going on in government.” (The
video is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
(Related: Gay
activist Dan Choi barred from Bradley Manning hearing.)