BRADLEY MANNING, an American hero for exposing the murders committed in Iraq through the release of the video 'Collateral Murder' (video available on this blog) is being charged for exposing this war crime, but nobody in the military has been charged for these murders. Please consider donating to his legal fund and click the header for more on his story. AND PLEASE sign the petition for him at the bottom of this post.
IVAW has joined the Bradley Manning Support Network, an ad hoc, international grassroots effort working to support Army Private Bradley Manning, age 22, alleged to have blown the whistle on U.S. war crimes. Manning is accused of leaking the "Collateral Murder" cockpit video released in April, depicting the killing of 11 civilians, including 2 Reuters journalists in Iraq.
While Manning has been unjustly arrested for exposing this war crime, no one in the military has been charged in the killings of these civilians. The government also may be investigating his connection to the recent release of 92,000 war documents to Wikileaks which expose the brutality and futility of the Afghanistan occupation.
Your help is needed to raise funds for Bradley's legal defense.
As veterans and active duty service members who have been working since 2004 to expose the human costs of the occupations, we feel that Bradley Manning is a soldier of conscience and has demonstrated extreme courage.
Exposing war crimes is not a crime.
Since Bradley's arrest, he has issued no formal public statements, but in the on-line conversation that got him arrested, he stated that he felt it was in the public interest to expose what is happening in our theaters of war, and that he would be willing to face life in prison or even execution for exposing the truth. Daniel Ellsberg, IVAW Advisory Board member and the famed whistleblower behind the Pentagon Papers, has heralded Manning as a hero.
Bradley faces up to 52 years in prison if convicted of the current charges against him (not to mention additional charges if it is found he is connected to the latest leak of documents). His legal fees will be significant as he faces the weight of our entire government against him. Supporters estimate that we will need to raise a bare minimum of $50,000 to get him the best legal defense.
This is where you come in.
Please consider supporting Bradley Manning's legal defense fund today. Click here to make a donation.
You can also check out the website bradleymanning.org, where you can purchase cool shirts, buttons, and posters that will also support his legal defense.
If you live in the area of Quantico, VA, join us for a rally this Sunday, August 8 at noon.
WHERE: Quantico Municipal Park, located at 440 River Rd. (near Potomac Ave), Quantico, VA.
The park is located on the Potomac River. It can be reached by walking 5 minutes down Potomac Ave. (through the small two-block shopping district) from the Quantico Amtrak Station, our designated noon-time meeting spot. (See Google maps directions: Amtrak to park.)
IVAW members from the region will be in attendance. (If you plan to attend, you should expect counter-protesters who believe that Bradley Manning is "a traitor.")
If you can't make the rally, a donation today will make a big difference.
An early show of financial support is critical. It will give the Manning family confidence that they will not be burdened by the exorbitant legal costs of the up-coming trial, and can choose the best, most experienced legal team. If we are able to support the most effective legal defense for Manning, we may not only be able to save his life, but we may also be able to put the war in Afghanistan on trial in the process.
Thank you for supporting Bradley Manning.
In Solidarity,
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Justice for Bradley Manning
View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition
To: US Department of Defense; US Department of Justice We, the Undersigned, call for justice for US Army PFC Bradley Manning, incarcerated without charge (as of 18 June 2010) at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Media accounts state that Mr. Manning was arrested in late May for leaking the video of US Apache helicopter pilots killing innocent people and seriously wounding two children in Baghdad, including those who arrived to help the wounded, as well as potentially other material. The video was released by WikiLeaks under the name "Collateral Murder".
If these allegations are untrue, we call upon the US Department of Defense to release Mr. Manning immediately.
If these allegations ARE true, we ALSO call upon the US Department of Defense to release Mr. Manning immediately.
Simultaneously, we express our support for Mr. Manning in any case, and our admiration for his courage if he is, in fact, the person who disclosed the video. Like in the cases of Daniel Ellsberg, W. Mark Felt, Frank Serpico and countless other whistleblowers before, government demands for secrecy must yield to public knowledge and justice when government crime and corruption are being kept hidden.
Justice for Bradley Manning!
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
View Current Signatures |
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