US should probe criminals, not Manning

A political analyst says the United States should prosecute people in the government who violated the law instead of whistleblower Bradley Manning.

“The government’s request for 60 years is way overbroad, overdone,” Executive Director of Voters for Peace Kevin Zeese told Press TV on Tuesday.

He made the remarks after the US government urged a military judge to sentence Manning to 60 years in prison, arguing that the solider, who leaked a huge collection of classified documents to WikiLeaks, “deserves to spend the majority of his remaining life” in custody.

“It’s time for us to look at the people who are exposed in the WikiLeaks documents and investigate them and prosecute them for violating the law,” Zeese said.

“The Whistleblowers are not the problem. The problem is the policy,” he added.

Last month, Manning was found guilty of 20 counts, seven under the Espionage Act, but acquitted of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy.

“It’s time the United States stops persecuting Bradley Manning, starts investigating prosecuting people in the government” who committed the crimes, the analyst said