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Bradley Manning, the 23-year-old Army private accused of leaking classified information to Wikileaks, has been held in the brig at Quantico Marine Corp Base for five months in inhumane conditions, with severe restrictions on his ability to exercise, communicate, or even sleep. Manning has not been convicted of any crime. Nor is there a date certain for any court hearing.
The conditions of Bradley Manning’s confinement became a top issue in the press last week as bloggers traded blows with US officials over allegations that Manning endures inhumane treatment at the Quantico, VA detainment facility. In the midst of this rush by the Defense Department to contextualize Manning’s confinement, I traveled to see the man himself at the Marine Corps detainment facility in Quantico, VA.
In my visit to see Bradley at the Quantico brig, it became clear that the Pentagon’s public spin from last week sharply contradicts the reality of Bradley Manning’s detainment. In his five months of detention, it has become obvious to me that Manning’s physical and mental well-being are deteriorating. What Manning needs, and what his attorney has already urged, is to have the unnecessary “Prevention of Injury” order lifted that severely restricts his ability to exercise, communicate, and sleep.
My Visits to Manning in Quantico
I am one of the few people allowed to visit Bradley Manning while he is detained in the Quantico brig.
Manning is held in “maximum custody,” the military’s most severe detention policy. Manning is also confined under a longstanding Prevention of Injury (POI) order which limits his social contact, news consumption, ability to exercise, and that places restrictions on his ability to sleep.
Manning has been living under the solitary restrictions of POI for five months despite being cleared by a military psychologist earlier this year, and despite repeated calls from his attorney David Coombs to lift the severely restrictive and isolating order. POI orders are short-term restrictions that are typically implemented when a detainee changes confinement facilities and these orders are lifted after the detainee passes psychological evaluation.
Our conversations, which take place in the presence of marines and electronic monitoring equipment, typically revolve around topics in physics, computer science, and philosophy; he recently mentioned that he hopes to one day make use of the GI Bill towards earning a graduate degree in Physics and a bachelors in Political Science. He rarely if ever talks about his conditions in the brig, and it is not unusual for him to shy away from questions about his well-being by changing the subject entirely.
When I arrived at the brig on December 18th I found him to be much more open to lines of inquiry regarding his circumstances, and in a two and a half hour conversation I learned new details about his life in confinement.
Manning’s Conditions Exposed, Pentagon Goes on Defense
The media skirmishes began on December 15th when Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com published an article stating that Manning’s pretrial confinement conditions are equivalent to solitary confinement. Greenwald based his assertions partially upon written and verbal statements made by Quantico brig official Brian Villiard. The Quantico information office reacted the next day by publishing a statement on Greenwald’s blog entitled “Safety and Security = Job #1 at the Brig” which defended the nature of Manning’s “maximum custody” detainment and distanced his conditions from those of solitary confinement.
The statement reads in part:
A maximum custody detainee is able to receive the same privileges that a detainee classified as general population may receive. … A maximum custody detainee also receives daily television, hygiene call, reading and outside physical activity without restraint.
The Quantico information office also posted a text transcript of Greenwald’s interview with Villiard as purported evidence that Greenwald had misrepresented the facts of Manning’s confinement; this transcript includes Villiard’s official statement regarding Manning’s confinement with particular focus paid to details surrounding Manning’s access to news, adequate exercise, and proper bedding:
Pfc. Manning, as well as every other maximum custody detainee, is allotted approximately one hour of television per day. He may view any of the available channels. …
Pfc. Manning is allotted one hour of recreation time per day, as is every other maximum custody detainee. Depending on the weather, his recreation time may be spend indoors or outdoors. Activities may include calisthenics, running, basketball, etc. …
Pfc. Manning, as well as all other detainees, is issued adequate bedding.
This transcript and the accompanying statement by the Quantico information office were quickly cited in the press as a riposte to Greenwald’s original piece on the conditions of Manning’s confinement.
The Guardian contacted me for a comment about Bradley’s conditions on December 16th. Apart from his attorney, David Coombs, I am the only person that regularly visits Brad in the brig. I gave an interview to the Guardian in which I made my concerns for Bradley’s health known, based on my observations of a decline in his mental well-being and noticeable changes in his physical health due to a complete lack of exercise (more on that later).
The Guardian article ran the following morning, and in the interim the media coverage of the issue intensified. Early Friday, in a likely reaction to mounting press attention, Pentagon spokesperson Col. David Lapan issued a statement that downplayed the isolation aspect of Manning’s confinement while harping on four circumstances that allegedly separate Manning’s detainment from a situation consistent with solitary confinement.
From the Washington Post:
Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Friday that Manning has the same privileges as all other prisoners held in what the military calls “maximum custody.” He said Manning is in a standard single-person cell and gets exercise, recreation, access to newspapers and visitors.
Manning Detained Beyond “Maximum Custody”
The unusual nature of a longstanding POI order and the consequences it carries (such as 23-hour per day cell confinement with no substantive exercise) has led Manning’s lawyer David Coombs to make an uncharacteristic appeal in the press, to halt what he says is punitive pretrial treatment of his client. Coombs appears in an interview with the Daily Beast, released shortly after (and possibly in response to) Lapan’s statement on Friday:
When he was first arrested, Manning was put on suicide watch, but his status was quickly changed to “Prevention of Injury” watch (POI), and under this lesser pretense he has been forced into his life of mind-numbing tedium. His treatment is harsh, punitive and taking its toll, says Coombs.
Both Coombs and Manning’s psychologist, Coombs says, are sure Manning is mentally healthy, that there is no evidence he’s a threat to himself, and shouldn’t be held in such severe conditions under the artifice of his own protection.”
Yes, that was Bradley Manning’s lawyer echoing the concerns of Glenn Greenwald: severe, punitive, solitary treatment under the auspices of protecting Bradley.
Villiard still had one final point to make late last Friday: appearing in the same article as Coombs, Villiard defends Manning’s compulsory alternative bedding, brought about as a condition of the POI, in a statement to the Daily Beast:
First Lieutenant Brian Villiard, an officer at Quantico, said [Manning] is allowed bedding of “non-shreddable” material. “I’ve held it, I’ve felt it, it’s soft, I’d sleep under it,” he told The Daily Beast.
As a final act of public education, attorney David Coombs published a facts-only account of Manning’s detention on his blog last Saturday. The article details a typical day for the Private, and lists the specific conditions that Manning must live under as part of the punitive POI order:
PFC Manning is held in his cell for approximately 23 hours a day.
[]
He is not allowed to have a pillow or sheets. However, he is given access to two blankets and has recently been given a new mattress that has a built-in pillow.
He is not allowed to have any personal items in his cell.
[]
He is prevented from exercising in his cell. If he attempts to do push-ups, sit-ups, or any other form of exercise he will be forced to stop.
He does receive one hour of “exercise” outside of his cell daily. He is taken to an empty room and only allowed to walk. PFC Manning normally just walks figure eights in the room for the entire hour. If he indicates that he no long feels like walking, he is immediately returned to his cell.
When PFC Manning goes to sleep, he is required to strip down to his boxer shorts and surrender his clothing to the guards. His clothing is returned to him the next morning.
This report from Coombs is consistent on each count with the investigative findings of Glenn Greenwald in the December 15 Salon article that broke this story. But there is one potential error: attorney David Coombs’ claim that Manning’s exercise regimen consists of walking circles in an empty room seems to be inconsistent with the Quantico information office’s December 16 statement cited above, which claims that Manning is allowed “outside physical activity without restraint”, and also appears to be inconsistent with Villiard’s December 14 statement that calisthenics, basketball, and running may constitute part of Manning’s exercise. This is likely just some mistake on the part of the brig and Villiard, right?
The only statements I can find from the Department of Defense about this whole issue reinforce the “maximum custody” trope without addressing the administrative solitary confinement that results from the longstanding POI order. Either Brian Villiard, Col. David Lapan, and the Quantico Information Office have somehow never heard of Manning’s POI order, which implies incompetence, or they are skirting around it in the media in order to avoid admitting Manning’s true conditions of confinement, which implies deception. Let’s find out which it is.
Manning’s Reality vs. Pentagon’s Spin
My meeting with Bradley this weekend provided new information to refute the Pentagon’s assertions this week about Bradley’s detention, and that show the Prevention of Injury (POI) order under which Bradley is held and restricted is unnecessary and should be removed.
1 – Ability to View Current Events & Access to Newspapers
“Pfc. Manning, as well as every other maximum custody detainee, is allotted approximately one hour of television per day. He may view any of the available channels.” — Quantico brig official Brian Villiard, Interview with Glenn Greenwald, posted online December 14 2010
“Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Friday that Manning has the same privileges as all other prisoners held in what the military calls “maximum custody.” He said Manning is in a standard single-person cell and gets exercise, recreation, access to newspapers and visitors.” — Col. Dave Lapan, Pentagon Statement released to AP December 17 2010
Manning’s Response
Manning related to me on December 18 2010 that he is not allowed to view international news during his television period. He mentioned that he might theoretically be able to view local news, but his television period is typically from 7pm – 8pm such that no local news is playing in the Quantico, VA area.
Manning told me explicitly on December 18 2010 that he is not, nor has he ever been, allowed newspapers while in confinement. When I said “The Pentagon has stated that you are allowed newspapers”, his immediate reaction was surprised laughter.
Analysis
Villiard skirts the issue of news censorship by playing word games with “available” channels. Two days later Greenwald posts this update to his December 15 2010 Salon article: “I was contacted by Lt. Villiard … he claims that Manning is not restricted from accessing news or current events during the prescribed time he is permitted to watch television.” Although his word games are little more than evasive sophistry, the claim from Villiard to Greenwald that Manning is not denied access to news or current events directly contradicts what Manning clearly related during our December 18 2010 meeting.
Lapan’s December 17 2010 statement encourages the reader that Manning’s conditions are no different than those of anyone else held in maximum custody. In reality, Manning has an extra set of restrictions imposed upon his confinement — the longstanding POI order — that by definition requires Manning to be denied basic exercise and isolated for 23 hours per day. Either Lapan is unaware of the harsh conditions imposed on Manning by a POI, or he is (mistakenly or not) conflating “maximum custody restrictions” with “POI restrictions”, or he is being deceptive to the media and the public about the conditions of Manning’s confinement. Not a lot of good options here.
Lapan’s December 17 2010 statement concludes by claiming outright that Manning has access to newspapers. This contradicts Manning’s explicit statement during our December 18 2010 meeting that he has not, nor has he ever been, allowed newspapers during his time in confinement.
2 – Ability to Engage in Outdoor Recreation
“Depending on the weather, his recreation time may be spend [sic] indoors or outdoors. Activities may include calisthenics, running, basketball, etc.” — Quantico brig official Brian Villiard Interview with Glenn Greenwald, posted online December 14 2010
“A maximum custody detainee is able to receive the same privileges that a detainee classified as general population may receive. … A maximum custody detainee also receives daily television, hygiene call, reading and outside physical activity without restraint.” — Quantico information office Statement posted to Salon.com December 16 2010
Manning’s Response
Manning stated to me on December 18 2010 that he has not been outside or into the brig yard for either recreation nor exercise in four full weeks. He related that visits to the outdoors have been infrequent and sporadic for the past several months.
Analysis
The statement sent by Villiard to Glenn Greenwald on December 14 2010 and later posted to Salon by the Quantico information office implies that Manning has the option to spend time outdoors on days with fair weather. Manning’s assertion in our December 18 2010 meeting that outdoor trips over the last several months have been rare leads me to believe that the claim “Depending on the weather, his recreation time may be spent indoors or outdoors” directly contradicts the reality of Manning’s situation as expressed in his own words.
The statement released by the Quantico information office stating that detainees receive “outside physical activity without restraint” is inconsistent with reports from Manning that outside recreation is sporadic and rare.
3 – Ability to Exercise
“Depending on the weather, his recreation time may be spend [sic] indoors or outdoors. Activities may include calisthenics, running, basketball, etc.” — Quantico brig official Brian Villiard Interview with Glenn Greenwald, posted online December 14 2010
“Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Friday that Manning has the same privileges as all other prisoners held in what the military calls “maximum custody.” He said Manning is in a standard single-person cell and gets exercise, recreation, access to newspapers and visitors.” — Col. Dave Lapan, Pentagon Statement released to AP December 17 2010
Manning’s Response
Manning related to me on December 18 2010 that he does not receive any substantive exercise and cannot perform even basic exercises in his cell. When told of the Pentagon’s statement that he did indeed receive exercise, Manning’s reply was that he is able to exercise insofar as walking in chains is a form of exercise.
Analysis
As Manning stated during our December 18 2010 meeting and as David Coombs confirms in notes on his blog, Manning’s only exercise is walking in an empty room for an hour each day. It is unknown whether Manning’s reference to chains during my meeting with him was meant to imply that he is in chains during his period of circle-walking exercise, or if he was instead referring to the action of wearing chains while being escorted through the halls of the brig. Regardless, it is safe to say that Villiard’s claim of “calisthenics, running, basketball” is every bit as untrue as Lapan’s claim that Manning gets exercise at all — insofar as walking in circles, potentially chained, is exercise.
4 – Conditions of Bedding
Pfc. Manning, as well as all other detainees, is issued adequate bedding.” — Quantico brig official Brian Villiard Interview with Glenn Greenwald, posted online December 14 2010
“…First Lieutenant Brian Villiard, an officer at Quantico, said [Manning] is allowed bedding of “non-shreddable” material. “I’ve held it, I’ve felt it, it’s soft, I’d sleep under it,” he told The Daily Beast.” — Quantico brig official Brian Villard, Interview with Daily Beast, December 17 2010
Manning’s Response
Manning related to me on December 19 2010 that his blankets are similar in weight and heft to lead aprons used in X-ray laboratories, and similar in texture to coarse and stiff carpet. He stated explicitly that the blankets are not soft in the least and expressed concern that he had to lie very still at night to avoid receiving carpet burns. The problem of carpet burns was exacerbated, he related, by the stipulation that he must sleep only in his boxer shorts as part of the longstanding POI order. Manning also stated on December 19 2010 that hallway-mounted lights shine through his window at night. This constant illumination is consistent with reports from attorney David Coombs’ blog that marines must visually inspect Manning as he sleeps.
Analysis
It is apparent from Manning’s description of his bedding and his explicit concern about their propensity to cause carpet burn that Brian Villiard’s statement attesting to the comfort of the bedding is without basis.
It would be useful to determine how many times per night Manning is rousted from sleep as a result of either the blankets, the lights, or the guards. Such an analysis of his sleeping conditions might give insight into his mental state determined by his overall ability to maintain rest in conditions of isolation.
Manning’s POI Order Should Be Lifted Immediately
Based on Bradley Manning’s description of his detention to myself and to his attorney, there are clear, unavoidable contradictions with the Pentagon’s public statements about Manning. Because of the longstanding POI order, Manning is subjected to restrictions far beyond the minimum right of other “maximum custody” prisoners held in the same brig.
Since his arrest Bradley Manning has been neither a threat to himself nor others. Over the course of my visits to see Bradley in Quantico, it’s become increasingly clear that the severe, inhumane conditions of his detention are wearing on Manning. The extraordinary restrictions of Manning’s basic rights to sleep, exercise, and communicate under the Prevention of Injury order are unnecessary and should be lifted immediately.
* Special note: No notepads, pens, phones, tape recorders, or other useful documentation devices are allowed into the brig’s visitation rooms. For this reason the key points of my conversations with Manning, his explicit replies to questions regarding confinement, were temporarily stored mentally through repetition. I am fortunate that many of his replies could be summed up in very few words. When visiting hours conclude I create a voice memo with a brain-dump of the meeting that just took place. I’ll try to get the relevant recordings online in the next few days. Aside from that, I encourage any curious parties to file an FOIA request for the government-curated audio tapes created in brig visitation room #2 on December 18 and December 19 2010 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm.
David House is a researcher at MIT who helped set up the Bradley Manning Support Network, a group raising funds for Manning’s legal defense. Glenn Greenwald has an account here of House being harassed at the border, like others associated in one way or another with Wikileaks.
See also:
. Dr. Jeff Kaye, Bradley Manning & the Torture That Is Solitary Confinement
. Bradley Manning/Wikileaks Timeline
. Michael Whitney on GritTV with Laura Flanders on Bradley Manning’s detention
163 Comments
Thank you David House for the report.
They’re treating him as a terrorist.
Welcome to America in the 21st century.
Thanks for this David House. How did you get interested in Manning’s case?
Everybody that is not in the Dem or Republican rich elite is a terrorist. Ain’t life grand?
If they were to abide by the UCMJ, he would be treated as innocent until proven guilty but there are plenty of us who are all too aware that the UCMJ only applies when it is convenient for the people in charge to apply it. Otherwise they’ll make up all kinds of reasons why it doesn’t apply to “this case”. All the while they whisper in your ear that you don’t >really need a lawyer. A seven month “suicide watch” is about as transparently ridiculous as anything I’ve seen from them and trust me, I’ve seen more than my share. I hope my note makes it to Pvt Manning but I won’t hold my breath. The OinC will never let him see any of it.
Thanks so much for doing this David, it’s really helpful to have Manning’s own account of what is happening to him. We really appreciate you writing this up.
david, I have very mixed feelings here
I believe we are supposed to have a transparent government and I believe in freedom of this information once it becomes available as it has become
however I also believe in a military chain of command, i believe in the terms of agreement when you enlist, if you are not transcribed then I believe you are bound by those terms of agreement
if bradley is indeed the source and tried and proven I do believe he signed up for the punishment that’s provided in said agreement
I also believe the other inmates will indeed assasinate bradley and I do believe he does need an order of protection
so I have some huge grey area’s to debate in my own head here and I am not entirely on board taking the poi off
Any document containing a “catchall provision”, Article 134, also known as the General Article, has to be viewed with a certain amount of skepticism! It basically reads that anything not covered by the above articles can be charged under this one, so people are invariably charged with some violation of 134, in addition to whatever other Article they were unfortunate enough to be written up for.
1) Manning hasn’t been convicted of anything
2) Manning has passed a psychological evaluation. POI’s are for those who are a danger to themselves, and Manning is not.
What justification do you have for wanting a POI to be in place?
i.e., if you think it other inmates “will indeed assasinate Bradley,” why does he need to have his access to newspapers restricted? How does sleeping with no ordinary bedding protect him?
He is remains unconvicted of any crime! He can be detained in a protective manner under far less onerous conditions. The Marines specialize in making life hell for guests in the Brig.
I’m hip. That’s something they employed to throw me out. I was never charged with a crime or violation of the UCMJ. Just some gobbledegook about “moral” and so forth. It was bullshit from the word go.
IMO, Manning needs to be protected but not from himself. He needs to be protected from his captors and those within the brig being held on other charges.
He needs trial, he needs support, but most of all the man needs to remind those of the pledge they took to serve.
Manning may have just been protecting his country from enemies within. Assange has stated many times that he has no idea where the information comes from and it is intended to be that way.
This treatment of Manning is as though he were Bin Laden himself! Of course we all know that is a tall tale cooked up for the media to spout.
I signed the petition…when I tried to post it to Facebook it would not come up…instead it was the S.Korea trade deal.
On the other hand, in Nuremburg the justices went out of their way to tell German war criminals that they had the duty to call out human rights abuses and outright murder and that helicopter gunship shooting reporters and civilians certainly qualifies as that. Yeah, it look like he got a bit over zealous but as has been pointed out here: He is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, even by the standards of the UCMJ and a seven month “suicide watch” is ridiculous and transparent.
We are a torturing nation. How is this different than Nelson Mandala’s treatment in South Africa?
Glenn G. posted that the UN is going to investigate Manning’s treatment. Won’t matter to the gang of War criminals running this outfit, though, will it?
Off topic: Joe Lieberman might decide to run as a Democrat again. Anything to remain relevant I guess. He sure is a narcissist for a guy who looks like Droopy Dog.
Nope. They’ll look forward, not back. Let the Republicans take charge again though and that DoJ will investigate all of the Obama war crimes and rewrite history so that all of the Bush war crimes will become Obama war crimes.
How long can Manning be held prisoner w/o being brought to trial? Indefinitely? Is there no legal procedure for forcing the military to bring the case to a court martial?
That’s why I just use “ruling caste” these days. That includes the politicians in the major parties and the rich who prefer to pull the strings in the background.
Signed, and recommended. Bradley Manning has not been proved guilty of anything. What has our military devolved into when it treats one of its own in such an inhumane way? Answer: depravity and sadism.
Until he’s ready to sing their little song and dance their little dance.
Now that disturbs me. In the Nurenberg trials people were punished because they saw illegal wrongdoings and did not report them. God help us, if people who swore an oath to the constitution are bound to cover up murder. It is not OK, I don’t care who you are, to watch innocent people being killed in an illegal war and not report it. There is a higher order here and Bradley is a hero. I feel really sorry for people in this country who have been brain washed into thinking otherwise.
Unfortunately they will torture Manning until he gives them what they want and then they will either suicide him or allow fellow inmates to kill him.
Certainly it will be obvious, except to those that have no interest in truth, that nothing coming from “witness” Manning will be uncoerced.
Thank you so much Mr House and FDL for bringing us this information.
Thank you so much David. I was in DC with the VFP event on the 16th and Bradley had a great deal of support there.
That dirty Chameleon! The lizard needs to have his skin removed to show the real creature beneath!
Facebook has a consistent problem with their API that they just don’t fix. Sometimes you have to do it manually.
I agree with your point jane
“David House, a 23-year-old MIT researcher who befriended Manning after his detention (and then had his laptops, camera and cellphone seized by Homeland Security when entering the U.S.) is one of the few people to have visited Manning several times at Quantico.”
I’m curious (and surprised they granted it), why have you been allowed access?
More than half of Connecticut Democrats saw through him in 2006. I’ll bet more do in 2012.
Nicely said, but it’s not an answer to my questions. I realize that military law differs almost entirely from our civilian law but I don’t know any of the details. Rather than spending an hour trying to find the details on the web, I was hoping someone here might be knowlegeable, and that the answer might be of interest to others. Anybody?
Many thanks to David House. I figured the brass were using denial and their bright and happy talk talking points. I hope the United Nations shames them into doing the right thing and having to show us they changed too.
NEWSFLASH:
The Pentagon Lies! Again.
Thanks for re-affirming the very reason Brad is a hero, Lieutenant Villiard.
Dis-information, message control, character assassination, and emulating (on second thought, actually BEING the bad guys), all to protect the military’s reputation.
You’ve done your job Villiard, the reputation is secure. Too bad it’s a rotten one.
Excellent reporting. Solitary confinement is mind torture and we the people are allowing this to happen to Manning. Please write your senators and reps about this outrageous behavior by our government.
Even suspected terrorists have rights.
And I’m telling you they can hold him as long as they want. Sorry you don’t believe me but fortunately you don’t have to take my word for it. Here is the UCMJ. Look it up. I’ve provided the material.
This report adds to the mountain of public evidence and reasons why the government and the military are viewed with skepticism and are not to be trusted to tell even an obvious truth. Our constitutional scholar President could easily end this. But he won’t, following the recommendations of the “commanders on the ground” instead. And Eric Holder’s Justice Department.
Michael Moore’s comment to Rachel Maddow that the Nuremburg trials were about the responsibility soldiers have to report criminal acts being a greater duty than following orders is a good rebuttal to the UCMJ punishments argument that Manning should expect when he revealed “secrets”. Julian Assange tells Cynk Unger he considers Manning, who he doesn’t know, a political prisoner, not a disobedient soldier, and he should be treated as such.
Who’s running things, the Pentagon or the WH?
And then there’s that whole executive order allowing for indefinite detentions
Pfc. Manning is a member of the armed forces until October 2011, so he can be held until that point without being brought to trial.
So you’re also saying that there’s no UCMJ procedure for forcing a trial? Sorry, but none of this was evident from your initial reply. And as I said I hoped someone might be able to explain the situation to those of us not familiar with UCMJ. But thanks for the link. That’ll save me about 40 seconds. I don’t have time now but I’ll check back in a few hours, see if there’s any further reply. If not, I’ll read.
My computers were seized as a result of my visits to Brad and my work with the Bradley Manning Support Network; I was granted access to Brad by applying to be put on the visitation list in advance of a visit to the Quantico brig last summer.
The Pentagon. Since 1943. Peace
Bradley and I shared many mutual friends before news of his arrest broke last summer; I got involved with what would become the Bradley Manning Support Network in order to ensure that Brad’s rights were not trampled upon in the course of this case.
As a computer scientist, the themes of this case are very close to my heart.
If the only thing that they end up seizing are your computers then consider yourself a very fortunate fellow. Remember, if they actually are following you then you’re not paranoid. Peace
The team at FDL also deserves a lot of credit for their support in getting Brad’s account to the world!
There is an error in fact in the first paragraph of the story. Manning is a US Army soldier, not a Marine.
Big Brother is alive and well and living in Guantanamo, the NSA, and the White House. Peace
Thanks,
As I said, I’m just surprised the ‘powers that be’ granted access. Years ago my son aged 15 messed up and ended up in local juvenile detention and his parents and lawyer were the only one’s allowed to see him. I just assumed Quantico would be stricter.
I signed the petition as well. Thanks to all here for helping me see the light. I believe I have found my source of news and commentary.
Thank you for being there and speaking out! We had someone from our local chapter there with you, and a lot more of wish we could have been.
I have tremendous admiration for the lot of you!
I second that emotion!
Enemies from within!
Ah, missed this and my further reply to Margaret got stuck at the end of the posts (because I hit send twice). Thank you.
That was the first question. The second was whether there is any procedure for forcing CM to proceed. Does his CO have total discretion, subject of course to his chain of command, as to when charges will actually be brought?
Incidentally, I signed the petition and have donated generously to Manning’s defense fund. I hope others have also.
I’ll check back in a few hours, see if there’s any further discussion of this. And tonight I will start reading UCMJ using the link so kindly provided.
David, thanks for this post. A hypothetical question: say, on your next visit, you were to tell them you wanted to actually witness them letting Bradley outside to exercise, and watch him read a newspaper. You think they’d let you, or just rush you out of there?
Glenn Greenwald wrote about David’s computers being seized at the time:
Government harassing and intimidating Bradley Manning supporters
Manning is being held at the Marine brig at Quantico.
The brig at Miramar used to hold Air Force people and Marines as well as sailors.
Thanks for the reminder, Jane. Sometimes the atrocities pile up so thick and fast it’s hard to keep track of them all.
This guy is Sophie Scholl, only his head won’t be detached, just reconfigured:
Same type of military kangaroo court.
Same basis for being persecuted.
Same sneering contempt for his strength in standing up against the lies.
Same disregard for human dignity (with possibly a little more enjoyment of administering and more advanced application of torture).
Same boot-licking service to fascism by the morons who swear to protect the Constitution and end up holding up its gutted carcass as a perverted Lord of the Flies.
Let no one be operating under any illusions. Whoever pokes at the oligarchy, especially on this matter, will see their government file grow. Or one will be setup on them. That’s the price of being a patriot in today’s America. Peace
Thanks, David, for the report and all else. We’ll spread this around. Glenn helped highlight this a lot, and in fact when I wrote a recent diary here, I didn’t understand at first that most of the other pieces online were apparently based on his original story.
I’m Spartacus.
It is covered under Miscellaneous Matters: Speedy Trial: Article 10.
Is Manning still being given anti-depressants or other drugs?
The length of delay triggers an Article 10 investigation. The 145-days which spent in pretrial confinement was sufficient to trigger the Article 10 inquiry referenced above.
http://www.armfor.uscourts.gov/digest/VB3.htm
No you’re “hotdog.” Spartacus was killed by the Roman oligarchy and hotdog was devoured by the unwashed masses. Peace Peace
As long as there was cole slaw and onions, I’m okay with that.
Well, I signed. This is an attempt by the military to skull-fuck a kid who saw wrongdoing and reported it. One does not dare to bring such distasteful matters to one’s superiors. Tillman, Lynch, Manning…who will be the next to have his/her history altered for the benefit of the defense dollars? I shudder to think.
Thank you Mr. House for letting us know about this indefensible and atrocious situation.
Thanks to FDL also, for providing this forum for Mr. House – this is FDL at its best.
Good to know. Peace
Remarkable piece, David. Thanks for sharing this hard to get information.
“indefensible and atrocious situation,” broght to us by our $1 trillion dollar defense and intelligence budgets. Gut those expenditures and things might just improve for us all. Peace
Great reporting, David, which includes not neutral indifference, but tinged by passion and commitment. Thanks for everything you’ve put into this story, time and heart, because we needed to hear from Bradley himself, and because this country needs to know what its authorities tell can be such a self-serving slew of falsehoods.
I hope no-one reading this thread hasn’t forgotten to sign the petition.
I signed, flouting Ymoteps dire warning above by quoting Smedley Butler in my message to Brad and telling him I appreciated his strength and courage.
Now that you’ve grown a set and joined the “radical Left” do you feel any different? Peace
I’ve always felt different. I like it that way. Wish I could help that kid. He was trying to help us.
Thanks for your reports David. I had the same question as alan1tx above, why are the authorities allowing you access to Pfc Manning? Your answer to alan1tx: “I was granted access to Brad by applying to be put on the visitation list in advance of a visit to the Quantico brig last summer” didn’t satisfy my curiosity and didn’t completely answer the question. You are not his attorney, you are not family and to top it all off, you are reporting on his ill-treatment at the brig and even were detained presumably for doing so. Yet, you are allowed access to him? It isn’t making sense to me. Not doubting you – it just doesn’t make sense that you are allowed access to Manning.
Maybe he’s fly-paper (no offense) and we’re the flies?
Open your mind up just a bit more and you could become the anarchist that that the Founding Fathers meant us all to be. Peace
Either that or he’s a covert CIA agent herding goats to slaughter. Peace
You are very baaaaad.
Awesome work David. Keep it up. You are doing a great service to this country helping to expose the charade that has become our rule of law. I really appreciate you keeping us informed on the treatment of someone who will go down in history as an American hero. Thank you.
Great reporting David. It is so important to get this information out with the corporate media walking lock step with the torturers in the Pentagon. You know how it works, and putting yourself at risk for govt retaliation to investigate, support, and defend Manning’s Constitutional rights and demand human decency from his torturers is heroic.
Thanks for the report, David. Petition signed. I do have an uncomfortable question, however.
Glenn Greenwald has written that he cannot visit Bradley Manning at Quantico because journalists are denied access. By publishing what amounts to an interview with Bradley here at FDL have you crossed into journalism yourself, and do you imagine that you will be denied the ability to visit Bradley in the future?
The Bradley Manning Support Network is also requesting that supporters sign a petition at http://standwithbrad.org/ which is sent to Army officials. Please click through.
Peace,
Mike
Please call the DoD Inspector General (1-703-699-5638; ask for an investigator and tell them you want to report abuse of authority and a possible violation of law), the Army Inspector General (1-703-545-1845; same request) and the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps representative (1-703-588-6746; ask for Colonel Chuck Pede, pronounced P-D) and get case numbers for your concerns about the mistreatment of PFC Manning. If they don’t want to give you new case numbers because other cases have already been open, just ask for the information necessary to file a Freedom of Information Act request on the subject with their offices.
While the general decline in ethics and the rule of law has been taking place for a long time, we saw a huge spike in the last decade thanks to Bush/Cheney and their considerable crimes. Couple that with the infiltration of the fundamentalists into the military where there is a zealous belief that the ends justify the means if it suits their aggenda and this is what you get. To these people, anything goes, and anything can be justified. Brutality in the name of whatever the goal is now the American way. This country needs a strong and vocal “not in our name” movement. Without that, the erosion of humanity will continue. Sadly, these kind of issues do not seem to interest this Administration.
Also, it seems the Pentagon has unabashedly arbrorgated their responsibility to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
So, is cyberwar now going to be the excuse for Pentagon military officers and Quantico MPs and torturers committing treason?
If he has been leaking classified information then he deserves the very worst.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/world/asia/21intel.html?_r=1&hp
Meanwhile, the NYT publishes classified information on its front page regarding impending US military involvement in Pakistan. The sources for the story are anonymous military officials who actually admit in the story that they don’t want their identities revealed because they are providing classified information. This is far worse than anything that Bradley Manning or Julian Assange have done, and I’m not hearing much of a public outcry.
Though it doesn’t make it right these are very typical conditions in a Marine Corps brig. NCIS in spite of what one might see on the TV show has almost no ability to build a case with forensics. They rely almost exclusively on confessions so extreme pressure and punishment must be meted out to suspects in custody in order to build a case. This I am sure is the reason Manning, an Army soldier, is being held in a Marine Corps brig. I also suspect that it is not so much a confession from Manning the government wants but a desire to obtain statements implicating Wikilinks that is the real goal of the harsh treatment of Bradley Manning.
Under our Constitution the State must establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt first then it gets to punish. Not Punish now, establish guilt later.
h/t sysprog
From the North County Times:
Marine Corps defends treatment of troops in brig
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/article_85034c70-81d7-52cf-b714-cdc0869b3f21.html
Unless you’re Dick Cheney of course, then you get to have people smeared and entire countries murdered for your sinister promotion of PNAC policy. Oh yeah, you’d also be protected by the SS for the rest of your evil life.
Of course things could be a lot worse. At Camp Pendelton they were.
http://books.google.com/books?id=CVEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=marine+harsh+conditions+brig+camp+pendleton&source=bl&ots=foIBTW49tW&sig=1upvRYbDP48ZqAfWufU6RGByKRM&hl=en&ei=J6cTTbmRA4X0tgOn5p2uCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Oh and I forgot the BEST part: You’d be forever insulated from prosecution by the next puppet administration’s toady Attorney General.
You’re comparing 3 weeks (as of when that article was written) to 7 months? The Marines imprisoning their won versus someone from a different branch of the service?
If you’re going to draw the analogy, perhaps you should keep going. How long before they were charged, had a trial, and to what extent the 7 were adjudicated or their cases resolved.
Much ado about nothing. The boy is being held under conditions typical for his case. Do not recall FDL interest in other prisoners’ conditions, so must conclude it’s really about the politics of the case.
Bottom line, this young man is probably guilty of violating his oath to protect secrets. That makes him a criminal, and frankly one that put other Americans (soldiers and civilians) at risk. Shame on you all that root for our nation’s enemies. You’re not neutral, and you’re not enlightened. What you are is ignorant of history (beyond that really cool anti-imperialist book you read as a freshman) and frankly not worthy of the sacrifice that America’s military men and women. Nevertheless, they do it anyway.
I suspect most of you think Mumia is innocent as well. Useful idiots (as defined by Lenin). Or at least idiots.
~~~Mod Note: Please refrain from insulting fellow commenters~~~
This is a sorry situation in a sorry country (the US) that has been repeatedly involved with numerous wars over the past 60 years that have violated international law. While I totally deplore the treatment of Bradley Manning, he is at least better off than would he be if he had to serve say in Afghanistan where he might have to kill innocent civilians or be killed himself while following orders that are clearly insane.
The US is currently involved in two wars and occupations that violate international law, the UN Charter (which states that no country can attack another and that they will all take collective action to prevent threats to international peace, along with stop any and all acts of aggression), and with this the US Constitution. Some joke, huh? I would call it wanton murder.
How is it acceptable, or even legal, for our President, the military, and Congress to engage in such wars and illegal occupations in violation of international law and our own constitution – which states that any international treaty (such as the UN Charter) which the US has ratified becomes the supreme law of the land. It is our political and military leadership that should be thrown in jail and kept in solitary confinement and not soldiers who tell or release the truth.
It is time for us all to wake up and call a spade a spade. The US spends as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. We have 800 bases overseas. We have attacked numerous countries repeatedly. We have covert forces stationed in Iran engaged in illicit and subversive activities. We have more nuclear weapons than any other country; and we raise holy hell about a concern that Iran might be building them. Since when has the US complained about India or Israel seeking and now having nuclear weapons?
It is time for the hypocrisy to stop and for all of us to raise over voices in protest. Obama is better than a Republican President – but not by much.
Rob Wheeler
Very sorry for the “idiots” comment. I should have used a synonym.
How is it acceptable that Manning (probably) disclosed classified information, and that it will make our nation less safe? Isn’t that the issue?
Poem for Bradley Manning
http://freshhorse.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/for-bradley-dec-16-2010/
(which ill advisedly assumes he is the person responsible for the things for which he is accused.)
I realize now you couldn’t possible bring it to him on paper, David, but I thought it was worth linking to it from here anyway.
comparing Mr. Manning to Nelson Mandela is beyond the pale.
He can’t read a paper and you call it torture. Nelson Mandela was beaten regularly and was in jail because he was attempting to free his people – Mr. Manning may be guilty of espionage. His reason for doing it?
Mr. Manning deserves fair treatment. But for you all here to think that somehow this supposed injustice is unique speaks to your whiteness and being out of touch with the prison system in this country.
No. Shame on you for not understanding that punishment before conviction is against the Constitution our service members swear to defend.
I should have remembered it’s only okay to insult elected Republicans.
Shame on you even further for not understanding that “classifying” information to merely save the nation from embarrassment or to keep from exposing its crimes is itself a crime.
No, it’s OK to insult elected Democrats as well
To further your comment: the presididn’t is a douchebag. Wait, just for Jalarky’s benefit, the Commander in Chief is a douchebag.
Have you paid any mind to the history of the nation-state, say, during the past 600 years. States by definition act in the common interest of its citizens, and in doing so, KEEP SECRETS from other states. It was not young Manning’s place to independently release information he promised to protect. He is (probably) a criminal. Don’t elevate him to martyr. He made it more likely YOUR family will be attacked by those who wish us ill.
Nah, see, up above I was gently rebuked for using Lenin’s line about “useful idiots” in the West who supported communist goals under the guise of “peace” or “unity.” Then, as I read through this blog, I see the adjectives used in front of “Cheney” or “Bush” are, shall we say, not flattering.
With all due respect, “secrets” that are purely kept from the US citizenry but are known throughout the rest of the world, are not “secrets” worthy of being kept.
I’m thinking of the things like the “secret” bombing of Cambodia – the Cambodians knew all about it so the only ones being kept unaware of the bombings were the US citizens.
That is much of the information that Manning is accused of having leaked. And the only accuser is my understanding is a wacked out drug addict named Lamo who apparently has his own agenda.
Your own key phrase here is “in the interest of its citizens.” If the state is keeping secrets to the DETRIMENT of its citizens (and the world community at large), it’s EVERYBODY’S “place” to expose them.
So what should we call people who support war to further a fascist state in the guise of “protecting our freedom?”
president obama has a duty, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces,
to prevent troops under his command from treating manning this inhumanely.
when will a journalist or congressman with direct access to the president ask him why he has failed to intervene?
or more precisely, why has the president failed in his DUTY to intervene on this soldier’s behalf?
—orionATL
posted initially here:
http://www.salon.com/news/wikileaks/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/12/23/manning
Uniform Code of Military Justice:
“810. ART. 10. RESTRAINT OF PERSONS CHARGED WITH OFFENSES
Any person subject to this chapter charged with an offense under this chapter shall be ordered into arrest or confinement, as circumstances may require; but when charged only with an offense normally tried by a summary court-martial, he shall not ordinarily be placed in confinement. When any person subject to this chapter is placed in arrest or confinement prior to trial, immediate steps shall be taken to inform him of the specific wrong of which he is accused and to try him or to dismiss the charges and release him.”
Please note “Charged”!
“813. ART. 13 PUNISHMENT PROHIBITED BEFORE TRIAL
No person, while being held for trial, may be subjected to punishment or penalty other than arrest or confinement upon the charges pending against him, nor shall the arrest or confinement imposed upon him be any more rigorous than the circumstances required to insure his presence, but he may be subjected to minor punishment during that period for infractions of discipline.”
Even the military and the Commander in Chief think they are above the law, even if it is military!
Manning is in prison for allegedly uncovering human rights abuses in the course of his duty. Espionage has nothing to do with it, and your statement speaks to being far too in touch with Pentagon talking points.
I have those thoughts, also.
Till different is proven, I’ll still thank Mr. House for info and his diary.
But why he was granted access is a near miracle waiting to be ‘splained.
Apparently, I’ve been blocked from replying directly to others’ comments. Oh well, have seen enough at FDL to conclude most commenters are reflexively anti-American with little intellectual curiosity. This is an echo chamber, and a juvenile one at that.
Yes, America has made mistakes. We should strive to be perfect, yes. But, DANG, folks, how about giving our freely-elected government the benefit of the doubt over the actual folks opposing freedom and doing evil among Iran, Venezuela, Islamic terrorists, et al.
Get a grip. Out.
Oh, and Merry Christmas (unless that is too hegemonic, politically incorrect of me).
Your last line is a keen one . . . and a key one.
Nicely caught.
Paranoid much? The nesting of the comments goes only a few levels deep.
Trust me, your meanderings are no worse than those from other trolls who drop in from time to time to “educate” us
This nation state has failed its citizens for a couple of decades now.
So all bets are off.
And history is rife with examples of failed nations states and empires.
Mostly, they failed their masses, before falling.
Your platitudes are typical of elitist or ignorant interests intent on preserving a status quo that does not serve others, only yerself.
I reject yer platitudes, and you.
You can’t prove either assertion. Neither can our government, or they’d have acted already to further this.
. . . you ain’t foolin no one.
Meh.
No more responses.
Heh, you can’t call that jive ass bullshit, education!
*G*
Bless ya DK . . . happy holy daze!
A great article
David House ?! He’s awesome ! If its David House from western MA here ! Wow !!!
David, thank you for your post and work to bring to light the inhuman and unconscionable treatment of Bradley Manning. You did a great job on your MNBC interview.
Why won’t they let him exercise in his cell? Push ups and situps seem benign. What does that have to do with POI status? Sorry for asking a question that is perhaps trivial but I’m very curious about that detail. This is an interesting article.
I think Manning is lucky; the marines should be kicking his a$$ around the exercise yard for betraying his country. Better yet, give him and Assange an M-16, dress Manning in his utilities and drop them in the tribal areas and them fight their way out. The man’s a disgrace and his actions are treasonous. These two self-important bastards make me want to puke!
Yes, guilty until proven otherwise, and physical abuse of the incarcerated in either case, is definitely the American way.
You’re going to be really popular.
Why doesn’t everyone here seem think this guy is innocent? What drugs are you on??? What this guy is accused of has caused the death of a lot of people, simply becuase he let their names out. Is the story here he didn’t do it and the the defense department picked his name out of a hat to blame??? I”m sure it was really GW Bush how really did it. You people need to use more than one of your brain cells. IF he is guilty, he should be put to death!
~~~ModNote: no violence. If convected, right now he faces 52 years in prison, that is not the death penalty.~~~
LOL… there is no “educating” the uneducated! Keep drinking the kool aid, blind faith is where it’s at!
Ah, perhaps, but he hasn’t been given any sort of due process and has not been found guilty of anything. He’s just been locked away in solitary confinement. He hasn’t even been permitted to sleep in his cell during the day (between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m.).
Okay, I’ll compromise–if he is convicted, his treasonous a$$ should be taken out behind the brig and shot. We’re talking about innocent lives at risk because this maggot had a lover’s spat!
~~~ModNote: no violence. If convected, right now he faces 52 years in prison, that is not the death penalty.~~~
Don’t spend your hard earned money on troll food.
GOOD! He committed TREASON and deserves the firing squad. Hopefully he will at least spend the rest of his life in Leavenworth.
~~~ModNote: no violence. If convected, right now he faces 52 years in prison, that is not the death penalty.~~~
~~~ModNote: Commentary advocating violence is subject to moderation.~~~
Hey, we should be honored that the trollies are so frightened by someone acting on behalf of humanity. Such brave little bed-wetters, who bought Bush’s bull so they could go kill brown-skinned folks overseas.
Thanks, danw5! Funny how none of the trolls here dare to cite the UCMJ. Gee, one might think they’re all a bunch of chickenhawks who are happy to see brown folk killed in far-off climes, so long as they’re not the ones risking their lives to do it.
Exactly: http://my.firedoglake.com/blog/2010/12/23/bradley-manning-speaks-about-his-conditions/#comment-271
you are a brave and inspiring man. greenwald documented how many fear donating to wikileaks, an organization that has not been charged with any illegal activity. this case is the canary in the coal mine for our civil liberties. this cannot be overstated.
It was reported in the online news that while on duty in Iraq, Army Private Bradley Manning wore a dogtag (identification tag on a neck chain) that he had devised specially for himself, and written on the dogtag was the word *Humanist*. Such a dogtag would be an indication of his motive if he indeed, as alleged, revealed human rights violations and war crimes by sharing classified documents with Wikileaks.
It is the sworn duty of every member of the US armed services to report human rights violations and other war crimes pursuant to the Geneva Convention, as established at the Nuremberg trials after WW2. If the military chain of command is not reliable due to self-incrimination or other obstacles, then other avenues of reporting such violations and crimes must be used.
If Private Manning did what he is accused of doing, then he is a great person, not a little person, who did his sworn duty. As Commander-In-Chief, the President of the United States is not exempt from that same sworn duty.
One reason that Private Manning may be a target of abuse by other members of the armed services is that his alleged courageous, humane action makes them look smaller by comparison, and the ego takes offense at any belittlement, however unavoidable and unintended.
It has been said for decades that the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice is not uniform, not justice, and is not a legal code. The reported inhumane treatment of Private Manning, especially as documented by David House, shows lack of legal due process, lack of innocence until proven guilty, and apparent cover-up by the military commanders at the Quantico Brig of inhumane, punitive treatment of Private Manning.
Defending Private Manning against these abuses is not identical to attacking America. Every nation-state is a power center. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Government and corporate abuse of power, corruption, deception and conspiracy against the public will occur everywhere unless there is freedom of information, transparency and accountability. If Private Manning did what he is alleged to have done, he is a great person, a great American, and a great humanist.
Mr. Manning is being treated in the same manner as all other prisoners in the brig.
He had best get use to it as he will never see the light of day and that is appropriate for his crimes.
He swore an oath, he broke that oath.
He signed security documents outlining his responsibility to safeguard classified information. He knowingly transfered classified documents to a 3rd party for publication.
If he ever sees daylight he will be a broken old man that cannot survive without an institution to support him…prison mentallity.
“Sentence First! Trial After!” Red Queen – Alice in Wonderland.
Good god, the media and the country are all down the rabbit hole.
Kelly,
Mr.Manning will have due process, there is no question to that. However, I am describing a scenario based upon the information provided to all of us, Mannings tech of downloading material etc…and all of this is very traceable from his computer (Govt. property computer)…ergo…
They threw out Justice & now they’re dumping on the Constitution for the sake of the New Law of the Land…National Security Law…Which preempts all Natural law…Welcome to China folks…I guess they brought more then just the debt. This is what you can expect for your Justice…
They are harassing & intimidating Assange with no legal grounds which means they can now do it to anyone. Thats the way corporations & governments work if you allow them…they can pick you off one by one if you stand alone…If you stand united they wouldn’t try…
First, this is to request that if and when anyone gets a copy of the Quantico Confinement Facility’s recording of David House’s visit with Pfc. Bradley Manning on December 18, 2010, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, [detailed instructions on how to file a Freedom of Information Act request are included in another post at FireDogLake] that the audio file (mp3) be posted at FireDogLake and elsewhere online.
Second, in reply to Mr. Whitiker, Dec 24th, 2010 at 8:36 am:
In the Merged Lamo/Manning Chat Logs, available at another posting at FireDogLake, Manning explains that he could not be traced through his field laptop computer that he used to *access* confidential U.S. government information, mainly because his military unit changed physical locations often and upgraded their laptop computers often; and on both of these types of occasions, their hard-drives were “zeroed out” and thereby rendered untraceable.
Lamo seems to be working Manning or playing Manning in the available chat logs, all of which are probably incomplete and edited. After Lamo satisfied himself that Manning had covered his tracks very thoroughly like an experienced hacker, Lamo reported Manning to the FBI through an intermediary. Unlike Manning in the available chat logs, Lamo does not come across like a humanist or someone concerned with the greater good of the public interest.
Furthermore, Manning tells Lamo that he *deduced* that the identity of one of the WikiLeaks contact persons he communicated with was Julian Assange. Manning said that he accomplished this deduction by various comments of Assange about his prior activities that Manning then researched online and connected to Assange. So Manning did not *know* it was Assange, and Assange did not and could not know it was Private Bradley Manning, because Assange repeatedly has said that WikiLeaks had technology in place to make it impossible to know the identity of anyone submitted information to WikiLeaks. That technology interface may include Tor, a software program by which neither the sender nor the server can possibly trace one another because it is unknowable to everyone in the world forever. It will be difficult to prove Conspiracy to Commit Espionage when neither the source nor the recipient knows the identity of the other person.
You say: “Mr. Manning is being treated in the same manner as all other prisoners in the brig.”
That is not a true statement. You apparently are not doing much research or even reading all the other postings at this website.
It is reported that Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is the only known detainee at the Quantico Detention Facility (QDF) who has been held for such a long duration (five months or more) before going to a court martial. Manning has been in solitary confinement (alone in a 64 square foot cell) while other detainees at QDF come and go to trial and leave. It is reported that at times, there is no one else at QDF other than Private Manning. So, unlike Private Manning, all of the other detainees at QDC are getting a Speedy Trial pursuant to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
This extended duration exacerbates the other forms of psychological assault inflicted on Pfc. Manning and most likely inflicted on the other detainees at the QDF. The extended duration of Manning’s solitary confinement and psychological assault is what most makes his treatment tantamount to torture.
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is being held at Quantico Detention Facility (QDF) under POI, and the POI is arguably unjustified beyond his initial period of suicide watch and mental evaluation, both of which have been completed.
Pfc. Manning is being denied his right to a Speedy Trial pursuant to the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice. This reportedly is selective punishment that has not been applied to the other detainees during Mannings’s stay at QDF.
Pfc. Manning reportedly has been offered a plea bargain to end his pre-trial detainment and avoid a court martial if he will implicate and incriminate Julian Assange at WikiLeaks in a Conspiracy to Commit Espionage againt the U.S.
Therefore, it can be reasonably argued that Pfc. Manning is NOT getting due process, legal process or the rule of law. Rather, he is getting punitive treatment, coercion and possibly torture pursuant to the rule of force.
Exercise generally improves sleep. Therefore, deprivation of exercise is indirectly deprivation of sound sleep. This is just one of several subtle forms of avoidable psychological abuse and psychological assault intentionally inflicted on Pfc. Bradley Manning. Like rubber hoses, it does not leave physical marks for evidence.
If they can continue their psychological torture of Manning long enough (five months and still going), he might have a mental breakdown and say or do something “violent”, which of course is exactly what they may expect to happen and want to happen. And any such violent reaction by Manning would be used to retroactively justify his unjustifiable POI.
Has anyone tried a Writ of Habeas Corpus? Or is US now so corrupt it doesn’t recognise the Great Writ.
I fail to grasp how it can be called justice to incarcerate someone without charge or for months on end without any proof.
I don’t think there’s anything nefarious about Mr House being granted access, it could be that he has a really close relationship with Manning. Beyond that, I won’t speculate other than to say that the Wired article back in June or July referred to Manning being in the process of being separated from the Army on an “Adjustment Disorder” discharge or some such, and in a video I saw of Manning, there was a shot of him in front of an “Equality” poster and wearing a rainbow wristband.
Both of them are heroes, in any case, by putting their lives and liberty on the line to uncover war crimes, including deliberate and premeditated murder of unarmed non-combatants, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and misuse of classification to obstruct justice.
The fact of this matter is that a lot of what was classified had no business being classified as it did not fall within the categories of information which could be rightfully and legally classified. See here, Malarky, you can’t use classification to cover up criminal activities or the evidence thereof, nor can you do it to cover up agency screw-ups, not legally at least. Otherwise, there’s no check on what these agencies (and branches of the military) can do: they can run secret governments, they can grow, transport, and sell drugs and run their competitors out of business, they can hand multi-billion dollar contracts out to corrupt cronies and get kickbacks, they can do all sorts of criminal activities, and then classify everything as “Top Secret” and cover their tracks and get away with it. They can use civilians out for a walk or driving in their cars for target practice, blast their bodies into hamburger and watch their heads roll down the street like bowling balls, and laugh and have a great time – and get away scot-free, because their officers think it’s a big laugh, too, and they just classify the evidence and forget about it.
With US citizens being kept in the dark, how are they going to be able to have a meaningful rule of law, or even a constitutional Republic? No, Malarky, I just don’t buy the baloney you’ve got for sale – and no matter how thin you slice it, it’s still baloney.
The military doesn’t have an equivalent to habeas corpus, they can keep Manning without trial or charges for the length of his enlistment, or, according to Mr House, until October 2011. They can’t, legally, punish him (and torture, including sleep deprivation and psychological harassment, falls under “punishment”) until he’s been tried and convicted. If they try him and convict him, the validity of the conviction can be appealed to civilian courts by way of the writ of habeas corpus, Stolte v. Laird 353 F.Supp. 1392 (D.C.D.C. 1972). I’m sure some wise guy(s) will come up and say that Parris Island is a prime example of sleep deprivation and psychological harassment, amongst other things, but, dumb@ss, you *volunteered* for that treatment…
Maybe someone should tell him about isometric exercise…
Yeah, but those guys were *convicts* and that was in the 1960s when they could get away with that stuff. Sounds like modern-day Texas prisons…
Just checked back to see if my question was answered as I expected it to be; I will admit that I am somewhat perplexed that there was no response to this very legitimate and worthy question. I note that David House and Jane Hamsher responded to other questions. Is this a “third rail” question or shall we excuse it because this thread died although the question was asked while Mr. House’s blog was still on the front page of FDL? Steamfourtyseven, as best as I can tell, is suggesting that Mr. House is in a relationship with Pfc Manning and he was granted access on that basis. But I recall reading that Mr. House explained his connection to Pfc Manning as just having some friends in common. Whatever the case, DADT was repealed so no harm in admitting a relationship if that is what it is. And even if that is so, I really can’t imagine the authorities allowing Mr. House access on such a basis given the extreme circumstances Pfc Manning is subjected to. (it really doesn’t make sense that they would deprive him of so much but let his gay lover visit.) I think it would be better if my question were answered because even though I and a few others only dared to asked, everyone is wondering.
Does anyone see how revealing this all is, if you are like me, a Libertarian. We have what is likely a gay military private accused of providing information the govt doesn’t want us to see, with a very apparent back story that has something to do with amor. Lieberman and Feinstein call for Assange’s head and invoke the 1917 Espionage Act all the while those same Senators are calling for and celebrating the repeal of DADT. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fervent supporter of Wikileaks and applaud the repeal of DADT but something about this entire farce speaks to a greater truth. You progressive types who trust in government and even worse, who vote for Democrats, are just as bamboozled as the Glenn Beck Republicans.
The U.S. government, via its Department of Defense, put Manning in prison. It would be up to the DOD to allege why it has done so, and I don’t think we should expect that PFC Manning’s “uncovering human rights abuses” will ever be among their allegations.
Do you honestly think that Manning is in prison for “uncovering human rights abuses”? If so, you’re far too in touch with your own talking points as well.
With all due respect to Mr. House and his journalistic effort to shed light on the conditions of PFC Manning’s detention, how exactly has he put his life and liberty on the line?
Given that PFC Maning is in the Brig at Quantico even as I type this, it seems the “liberty” part being on the line is rather self evident, doncha think?
my letter to Obama with an addendum sent to John McCain
Dear President Obama
Bradley Manning
Because you have ordered and condoned the cruel and unusual confinement, including the abusively proscriptive POI [prevention of injury] conditions, I will personally see to it that you do not even get the Democratic nomination in 2012. We have real unemployment of almost 20% in the US and you persist in prosecuting a $T war that was lost during the Bush administration. You are as bad a president as Bush – maybe even worse for doing a “bait and switch” on Change and Hope – remember?
signed by me
cc: Robert M. Gates
Congresspersons Brad Sherman, Buck McKeon
Senators Rockefeller, Boxer, Feinstein, McCain
Ray Mabus – Sec’y of the Navy, Gen. James F. Amos, Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent
U John outta know better. The USA has degraded into a 3rd world dictatorship of the military-industrial complex. YOU go visit Manning and give YOUR assessment AND publish it – or are you too chicken-shit about the politics of it.