Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

What I don’t understand about the Manning case — and what that may say about accountability in today’s Army

Speaking of nutjobs, what I don’t understand about the Manning case is where the hell his chain of command was. The guy was clearly unstable, it would seem from the testimony. So why was he let within 100 feet of classified information? I did a Google search but couldn’t find any indication that his senior ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Flickr
Flickr
Flickr

Speaking of nutjobs, what I don't understand about the Manning case is where the hell his chain of command was. The guy was clearly unstable, it would seem from the testimony. So why was he let within 100 feet of classified information?

Speaking of nutjobs, what I don’t understand about the Manning case is where the hell his chain of command was. The guy was clearly unstable, it would seem from the testimony. So why was he let within 100 feet of classified information?

I did a Google search but couldn’t find any indication that his senior NCO, or his company commander, have been held accountable. I did see a reference saying that his company commander was unaware of Manning’s behavioral issues. I don’t think that ignorance is a good alibi here. At the very least here, there is probably a good case study of commanders being asleep at the wheel. 

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.