— Pfc. Bradley Manning took the stand at his sentencing hearing. Addressing the Judge he said he realizes now that he should have worked more aggressively "inside the system" to draw attention to his concerns about the way the war was being waged. Manning said. "I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions. When I made these decisions I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people. --The last few years have been a learning experience. I look back at my decisions and wonder how on earth could I, a junior analyst, possibly believe I could change the world for the better."---He said In retrospect he should have worked "more aggressively inside the system," and understands he "must pay a price for my decisions and actions." -- WikiLeaks' Julian Assange said the apology was forced, "It took three years and millions of dollars to extract two minutes of tactical remorse from this brave soldier."-- Firedoglake reporter who has been covering the case since the start, Kevin Gosztola, tweets: Whatever Bradley Manning felt he had to say before judge does not diminish any contribution to the world his disclosures may have had. A sentiment echoed throughout social networks by many.
