Nothing puts the exclamation mark on the culture of impunity that President Barack Obama’s administration has enabled like the war on whistleblowers. As whistleblowers sit in prison or are effectively living in exile because they dared to call attention to crimes, misconduct or abuses of power, some of the very same officials implicated walk freely and live with the comfort of knowing the United States government will never seek to hold them accountable.

Jesselyn Radack is one of Snowden’s defense lawyers and the director of the Government Accountability Project’s National Security and Human Rights Division.

United States military whistleblower Chelsea Manning was convicted of offenses related to her disclosures to WikiLeaks one year ago. In this time, Manning’s case has become a clear example to future whistleblowers of what the US government will do to military officers or federal government employees, who follow their conscience.

United States military whistleblower Chelsea Manning was convicted of offenses related to her disclosures to WikiLeaks one year ago. In this time, Manning’s case has become a clear example to future whistleblowers of what the US government will do to military officers or federal government employees, who follow their conscience. And her case seems to have only emboldened President Barack Obama and his administration to continue to wage a war to control information that includes a clampdown on leaks, a campaign against national security whistleblowers and a concerted attack on press freedom.

Each day of Chelsea Manning’s trial, I would pull my rental car into the lot where media waited to be escorted into Fort Meade by the military. Just about every day Clark Stoeckley would be there with his WikiLeaks Truck daring the military to tell him he could not drive his truck on base. His truck would then sit parked by the media center all day as he drew his sketches—sometimes from the media center, sometimes from inside the courtroom.

Stoeckley’s book, The US vs. Private Chelsea Manning is the first book that gives the world an accessible account of what unfolded at Manning’s court martial.

“Drawing and writing in real time from inside the courtroom, artist and WikiLeaks activist Clark Stoeckley here captures first-hand the extraordinary drama of The United States vs. Private Chelsea Manning, one of the most important and secretive trials in American history.”

Each day of Chelsea Manning’s trial, I would pull my rental car into the lot where media waited to be escorted into Fort Meade by the military. Just about every day Clark Stoeckley would be there with his WikiLeaks Truck, daring the military to tell him he could not drive his truck on base. His truck would then sit parked by the media center all day as he drew his sketches—sometimes from the media center, sometimes from inside the courtroom.

Stoeckley’s book, The US vs. Private Chelsea Manning is the first book that gives the world an accessible account of what unfolded at Manning’s court martial.

The United States vs. Private Chelsea Manning: A Graphic Account From Inside The Courtroom Chat with Clark Stoeckley about his new book, hosted by Kevin Gosztola, today at 5pm ET, 2pm PT. Drawing and writing in real time from inside the courtroom, artist and WikiLeaks activist Clark Stoeckley here captures

Molly Crabapple has an excellent article in Vanity Fair on how journalists love to love dissidents in other countries (Pussy Riot) but ignore those in their own country (Barrett Brown, Cecily McMillan, Bradley Manning) who make them uncomfortable. In other words, all the people we cover here at FDL. So I was really happy to see her call out Kevin Gosztola for his work on the Manning trial.

The sketches drawn by Stoeckley were frequently used here at Firedoglake when I was at Fort Meade reporting on the court martial. Without them, just about every post would have been Manning’s military portrait.

We’re giving away a copy of the book. You can enter here:

The sketches drawn by Stoeckley were frequently used here at Firedoglake when I was at Fort Meade reporting on the court martial. Without them, just about every post would have been Manning’s military portrait.

We’re giving away a copy of the book. You can enter here: