US Military threatens Bradley Manning with death penalty, then forces him to remain naked in his call
By the Bradley Manning Support Network. March 10, 2011The U.S. Military is seeking to make an example of Bradley Manning, who is accused of releasing classified information about war crimes and government corruption to the WikiLeaks website.
We are here to say: We believe in truth and government accountability. We want real democracy. We are tired of perpetual wars and perpetual lies. We are Bradley Manning!
After suffering through nine months of solitary confinement, physical and psychological abuse, 23 year-old Pfc. Bradley Manning was slapped by the Army this week with an additional 22 criminal charges, including “aiding the enemy,” which is punishable by death.
The military has not said who the enemy is, or how they were aided. Apparently, they believe that the enemy is the truth, and they are desperate to keep it from infecting U.S. public opinion.
Last May, Bradley was accused of releasing to WikiLeaks the infamous Collateral Murder video showing U.S. soldiers killing wounded civilians and journalists from an Apache helicopter in Baghdad, Iraq. The new charges include the so-called Afghan War Diaries, the Iraq War Logs, and additional U.S. diplomatic cables that have also been released by WikiLeaks.
These documents have added significantly to public knowledge of war crimes, civilian casualties, and government corruption. Some of the released cables have even contributed to recent democratic uprisings, in particular the revolution in Tunisia, which has sparked popular rebellions throughout the Arab world. WikiLeaks’ director Julian Assange has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for the presentation of this information. Meanwhile, Bradley Manning is being held in inhumane conditions in the Marine Brig at Quantico, Virginia
Since being informed that he will be charged with a capital offense, Bradley has been forced to be naked for seven hours during the night and to stand at attention completely naked in the morning. Military spokespersons acknowledge that this is happening, but refuse to offer an explanation. Is the military afraid Bradley will use his underwear to hang himself before they get the chance to do so? Or is this really just another way for the military to show Bradley that he has been stripped of all rights and protections – that he remains totally at their mercy?
“This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification. It is an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated,” declared Bradley’s civilian attorney David Coombs.
Reportedly, the Army has not been able to establish any connection between Bradley Manning and Assange or WikiLeaks, and Bradley has not cooperated with the prosecution. It’s likely that the military has little evidence to convict Bradley. They may feel the need to “break him” in order to extract a confession, and to gain his cooperation in the case against WikiLeaks. Perhaps they are also worried that he might be acquitted at trial, and want to punish him severely during pre-trial confinement.
The U.S. government and military are also sending an ominous message to those who would dare expose the dirty underbelly of U.S. foreign policy: you will be our enemy and we reserve the right to kill you. Illegal U.S. wars against other nations are morphing into wars against U.S. soldiers and civilians, anyone who might follow their conscience and obey international law.
Tonight Bradley Manning may be forced once again to stand at attention, totally naked before his accusers. But it is the U.S. government and military who are being stripped of all pretense and credibility. Their crimes against civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen are being exposed. They have been caught torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and now in Quantico, Virginia, where they are torturing Bradley Manning.
But the military brass are only digging themselves into a deeper hole. Bradley Manning is not going away and neither are we. We will fight even harder now for his freedom. We will work even harder now to expose the truth about U.S. wars and occupations. We Are ALL Bradley Manning!
What you can do to support Bradley Manning
1. Sign the petitions to support Bradley and encourage others to sign as well:- Stand With Brad petition
- Fire Dog Lake petition to drop the “aiding the enemy” charge
- Code Pink petition to drop “aiding the enemy” charge and for humane treatment
You can write him at:
MG Karl R. Horst
Commander, US Army Military Dist. of Washington
1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1400
3. Join or organize a collective action to draw attention to Bradley’s case.
For assistance in organizing an event, please contact us at action@bradleymanning.org.
Upcoming events:
March 19, Antiwar marches are being organized for Washington, DC and 30 U.S. cities.
This is a great opportunity to educate more potential allies about Bradley Manning!
March 20, Bradley Manning support rally at Quantico, Virginia
April 4 – 11, April Days of Action in Washington, DC
April 9 & 10, Antiwar marches in New York and San Francisco
March 21 – April 8, Spring Bicycle Tour for Bradley Manning
Early May, Estimated date of Bradley’s pre-trial hearing
October-November, Estimated date of Bradley’s court martial
4. Write letters:
To your local newspapers, to educate other community members
To your government representatives, expressing your support for Bradley
5. Send donations for the legal and political defense of Bradley Manning
6. Other ideas for creative actions:
- Blow the whistle on war crimes (with real whistles) at your local Army recruiting office
- Use Social Media to spread the word about our efforts by linking to the Bradley Manning Support Network website and our SaveBradley Facebook page. Share your ideas and your reports.
- Order Bradley Manning t-shirts, posters, banners, whistles and handouts.
- Don’t ever give up. Keep telling the truth.
www.bradleymanning.org
Read more: http://www.bradleymanning.org/16320/we-are-all-bradley-manning/#ixzz1GIFjLb69
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