FORT MEADE, Md.—The military trial of Bradley Manning is a judicial lynching. The government has effectively muzzled the defense team. The Army private first class is not permitted to argue that he had a moral and legal obligation under international law to make public the war crimes he uncovered. The documents that detail the crimes, torture and killing Manning revealed, because they are classified, have been barred from discussion in court, effectively removing the fundamental issue of war crimes from the trial. Manning is forbidden by the court to challenge the government’s unverified assertion that he harmed national security.

Firedoglake’s Kevin Gosztola appeared on the Left Forum panel discussion concerning the National Security State. In this clip, Kevin talks about the historical importance of the Bradley Manning trial he is covering, the military’s attempts to muzzle the press in the case, and takes contention with the Army’s claim that Manning acted as an ‘agent’ of wikileaks. The panel was titled “A National Security State In and Out: History Will Not Be Kind” and was chaired by Debra Sweet.

The trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning has resumed. Proceedings for the fourth day began with stipulated testimony from Steve Buchanan, a contractor for the National Security Agency and someone trained in information assurance or security for Intelink.

The defense for Pfc. Bradley Manning indicated in a military court that ensuring crowd-funded stenographers had access to create an unofficial transcript of the trial, which would be made available to media outlets around the world, was something they supported.

On Friday, I participated in one of the better chats or discussions that I have done with others on Bradley Manning, government secrecy, the broken system of classification and the pursuit of whistleblowers or truth-tellers by the Obama administration. The chat also discussed the disclosures a whistleblower in government is now making on the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance programs.

The show is called “The OpenGlobal Show.” It is a new program, and this was the second episode.

In addition to his daily reporting on the trial, Kevin also made time to talk with various media outlets.

We’re less than a week into Pfc. Bradley Manning’s court martial and the corporate media reporting on the case is already rife with misinformation and distortions, and the interest these outlets do have is rapidly waning.

But with Kevin spending long days in court at Ft. Meade, he needs help on the outside to efficiently and accurately get his reporting out. That’s why we recently hired FDL community member and Manning supporter Jeff Creamer to serve as our reporting assistant and archivist for the duration of the court martial.

Please consider donating $10+ to fund our coverage assistant Jeff Creamer and help us make our independent reporting the most trusted source for Bradley Manning coverage.

Of all the charges against Bradley Manning, the most pernicious — and revealing — is “aiding the enemy.”

The trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who faces charges stemming from the release of classified information to WikiLeaks, continues in a military courtroom at Fort Meade, Maryland.

The second day of Pfc. Bradley Manning’s trial is about to get underway. Three witnesses testifying will be Army Computer Crimes Investigative Unit agents involved in forensic examinations of evidence, David Shaver and Mark Johnson, and hacker and government informant who turned Manning into federal authorities, Adrian Lamo.