UPDATE ON BRADLEY MANNING, AMERICAN HERO: Criticism grows over Manning’s detainment 13APR11

BRADLEY MANNING, AMERICAN HERO for blowing the whistle on war crimes in Iraq, continues to be held by the American government in conditions that violate the Geneva Convention. E mail Pres Obama, Commander in Chief here
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact 
and tell him to end the torture and imprisonment of Bradley Manning, and tell him if anyone is to be charged it should be those who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Iraq and Afghanistan, not Bradley Manning. Especially galling is the administration's insistence the Cuban government release Alan Gross, imprisoned in Cuba, charged with crimes against the state, almost identical to the charges against Pvt Manning. From the Bradley Manning Support Network....

Mistreatment of Manning Criticized by Leading Law Professors & UN Torture Investigator

Hundreds of Thousands Write Obama Urging End to Manning Abuse

Retired Colonel: “Obama Could End Torture of Manning
With One Phone Call”

Washington, DC:  The eight months of solitary confinement of Bradley Manning at Quantico has drawn national and international criticism in the last week.  Support is growing for him around the world with 500,000 writing President Obama in the last few days and with hundreds of top U.S. legal scholars criticizing his conditions of confinement.
Lawyers representing every leading law school in the United States have written an open letter to President Obama criticizing the conditions of Manning. Among the law professors is Lawrence Tribe who was President Obama’s law professor at Harvard and served in his administration until recently. The letter, Private Manning’s Humiliation, raises questions about President Obama saying: “President Obama was once a professor of constitutional law, and entered the national stage as an eloquent moral leader. The question now, however, is whether his conduct as commander in chief meets fundamental standards of decency.”
Col. Ann Wright (ret) who served 29 years in the military noted that “President Obama could end the treatment of Manning with one phone call.  As Commander-In-Chief he is responsible for the actions of the Marines at Quantico.  Certainly he understands the constitutional right to be convicted before punished and that the condition of Manning violates protection from cruel and unusual punishment.”
The UN Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez reprimanded the United States for blocking an official visit with Manning to investigate his treatment.  The UN torture investigator has been reviewing Manning’s case since December but the United States will not allow a private meeting with no tape recording.  The military has also refused a U.S. Congressman’s request for an official visit to Manning, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, as well as a visit from Amnesty International.
Daniel Ellsberg, a veteran who graduated from Quantico and is noted for leaking the Pentagon Papers  commented: “It seems likely that the Pentagon’s refusal to allow Amnesty International and the UN Rapporteur on Torture to hold unmonitored discussion with Bradley Manning (as the UN mandate demands) reflects well-founded fear that such experts on abusive conditions and torture could conclude that Manning’s treatment is not only ‘ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid’ — as State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley was forced to resign for saying– but criminal.”
This comes at a time when the U.S. and China are challenging each other on human rights.  China issued a lengthy report regarding human rights violations in the United States this week. As PJ Crowley, former Assistant Secretary of State said when he resigned the Manning case would be an embarrassment to the U.S. internationally, highlighting “the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership. The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.”
Around the world there is growing anger at the treatment of Manning.  Five hundred thousand people have sent letters to President Obama urging him to “immediately end the torture, isolation and public humiliation of Bradley Manning.”  The petition was put out by Azaaz.org and is addressed to President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates.
“A half million people have taken a stand in support of Bradley Manning. It’s certainly a challenge to President Obama to get on the right side of history here and finally put an end to the extreme and illegal pre-trial punishment,” said Jeff Paterson, a veteran speaking on behalf of the Bradley Manning Support Network. “After he ends the mistreatment of Manning, he could then ensure that Bradley receives the fair and public trial that is guaranteed under the Constitution.”

#   #   #

Call the White House and tell President Obama end the torture of Bradley Manning: Comments: 202-456-1111. Switchboard: 202-456-1414

Bradley Manning Support Network
All material on this website is released into the public domain unless otherwise indicated. Link and attribution appreciated.
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THE TRUE DEFINITION OF PATRIOTISM & Bradley Manning Support Network Praises British Parliamentary Initiative to Intervene on Behalf of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower 4&5APR11

"Live as children of light -- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
- Ephesians 5:8-11
THIS man tells it like it is! Well said Judge Napolitano, thank you! The hypocrisy of the American government on this case is breathtaking. The Obama administration demands the Cuban government release U.S. citizen Alan Gross who has been charged by them basically with the same "crimes" as Bradley Manning while justifying the imprisonment and torture of Bradley Manning (find earlier post concerning both men by searching for Alan Gross on this blog).  Also check out the latest action by the British Parliament  concerning the imprisonment of Bradley Manning (see below). For more information on Bradley Manning and his struggle go to http://www.bradleymanning.org
 

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4582229/the-true-definition-of-patriotism/

Bradley Manning Support Network Praises British Parliamentary Initiative to Intervene on Behalf of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower

Bradley Manning Support Network Praises British Parliamentary Initiative to
Intervene on Behalf of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower

On anniversary of the publication of WikiLeaks’ “Collateral Murder,”
activists applaud U.K. Parliamentary motion to raise Manning’s
pretrial conditions with U.S. officials

April 5, 2011, San Francisco, CA -- The Bradley Manning Support
Network applauds the United Kingdom’s motion to intervene on behalf of
the accused whistleblower. Manning, held in solitary confinement for
over nine months, is alleged to have leaked a video showing two
employees of Reuters news agency being shot and killed by American
soldiers. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the publication of
that video on the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

In the House of Commons, Welsh Member of Parliament (MP) Ann Clwyd
sponsored an early-day motion urging UK officials to confront the
United States about the harsh pretrial confinement of Manning, who is
held in conditions many have likened to torture. The motion has been
supported by 37 MPs thus far. Henry Bellingham, the Foreign Office
Minister, promised to raise the issue of Manning’s confinement
conditions with the U.S. State Department.

Manning’s mother is Welsh and lives in Pembrokeshire, and thus Manning
can claim dual citizenship by birthright. Bellingham has acknowledged
that Ann Clwyd’s “understanding of the British Nationality Act is
accurate” – namely, that Manning automatically acquired U.K.
citizenship at birth.

“We welcome the support of the MPs, who join Amnesty International and
activists worldwide in urging the U.S. to end this inhumane pretrial
punishment,” said Jeff Paterson, steering committee member of the
Bradley Manning Support Network and project director of Courage to
Resist.

“Thirty-seven British parliamentarians have shown their commitment to
justice and a fair trial,” said steering committee member Mike
Gogulski. “We hope to see twice as many American legislators respond
with a similar motion.”

The Bradley Manning Support Network has raised over $250,000 thus far
toward the defense of the accused whistleblower.

Learn more:

http://blog.ukfriendsofbradleymanning.org/2011/04/05/today-in-parliament-bradley-mannings-citizenship-status-confirmed/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/04/bradley-manning-british-moral-authority?CMP=twt_fd

# # #

The Bradley Manning Support Network is an international grassroots,
nonpartisan organization which works to:

- Stop the extreme, inhumane and illegal pre-trial punishment of Bradley Manning

- Ensure that Bradley Manning receives top-notch legal representation
from the lawyer of his choice

- Stop any effort by the United States government to hold a secret
court martial trial, unchecked by public and media oversight

- Free Bradley Manning!

In Resigning, State Dept. Spokesman PJ Crowley Does Not Back Away From Criticism Of Manning’s Detention 13MAR11

AFTER forcing P.J. Crowley to resign because of his comments on the detention and abuse of Bradley Manning can anyone explain the difference between the Obama and bush administrations? For more on Mr Crowley's comments see my post WIKILEAKS SUSPECTS TREATMENT 'STUPID' U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS 12MAR11

Numerous civil rights groups and even members of Congress have criticized the Defense Department for its alleged treatment of Private First Class Bradley Manning, who is being detained on charges of leaking classified documents and videos to WikiLeaks. Manning has reportedly been kept in solitary confinement without access to bedding and been forced to strip naked every night.
Last week, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley criticized DOD for its treatment of Manning, calling it “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” CNN reported today that the White House has now forced Crowley to resign. But in his resignation statement, Crowley did not back down from his criticism:

The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law. My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership. The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.
Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the Department of State.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she accepted Crowley’s resignation “with regret.” “PJ has served our nation with distinction for more than three decades, in uniform and as a civilian,” she said. “His service to country is motivated by a deep devotion to public policy and public diplomacy, and I wish him the very best.” He previously served as a spokesman for the National Security Council and the Defense Department during the Clinton administration.
Crowley resigned today due to reported White House pressure. FDL’s Michael Whitney writes that this means that White House now “owns the abuse” of Manning.
“Manning is alleged to have committed serious crimes,” Matt Yglesias writes, referring to Crowley’s abrupt resignation, adding, “The correct response would be to put him on trial. To hold a person without trial in solitary confinement under degrading conditions is a perversion of justice.”

Update While he worked at the Center for American Progress, Crowley authored a homeland security strategy in 2008, which stated the following criticism of the Bush administration:

[W]e have policies, including harsh interrogation techniques, detention without charge, government surveillance, and immigration that are inconsistent with our values and our long-term interest. All this in the name of something called the “war on terror.”

WikiLeaks suspect's treatment 'stupid,' U.S. official says 12MAR11

I would like the White House to explain the difference between the detention for 14 months and now the charging of Alan Gross in Cuba for "helping increase the free flow of information to, from and among the Cuban people" and the detention for 9 months with charges yet to be filed against Bradley Manning for allegedly doing the same thing. The Obama administration also has to explain their campaign against Wikileaks for their release of the Collateral Murder video, the Afghan War Diaries, the Iraq war documents and the release of the diplomatic cables, all done to increase the free flow of information to, from and among the American people and the people of the world. This hypocrisy can not stand, and the Cuban government, which I do not support, would be right to challenge the U.S. government on the hypocrisy of their statement. More on this at my earlier post ALAN GROSS, BRADLEY MANNING, WIKILEAKS & WHITE HOUSE HYPOCRISY 4FEB11). Click the link to contact the White House and express your support and concern for Bradley Manning and demand his release.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Click these links for the Bradley Manning Support Network
http://www.bradleymanning.org 
and IVAW Iraq Veterans Against The War
http://www.ivaw.org/

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011; A02


State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has called the treatment of WikiLeaks suspect Bradley E. Manning, an Army private whom military jailers forced to sleep naked for several days last week, "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."
Crowley made his remarks Thursday to a small audience in Cambridge, Mass., during a talk on "the benefits of new media as it relates to foreign policy," according to Philippa Thomas, a BBC reporter who is a Nieman journalism fellow at Harvard University, writing in her personal blog.
President Obama, asked Friday about Crowley's statement, said he had made inquiries about the conditions of Manning's incarceration. "I have actually asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards. They assured me that they are," Obama said.
Crowley's remarks reflect a "personal opinion" and are not an official U.S. government policy position, a State Department official said.
Military officials have said the measures were taken to prevent Manning from harming himself, but his lawyer cast it as a punitive step in reaction to a "sarcastic" comment Manning made about his confinement.
Manning, 23, has been held in pre-trial confinement at a Marine Corps base at Quantico since July. For most of that time, he has been in maximum-security custody and under "prevention of injury watch." He is held in his cell for 23 hours a day and is required to give up his jumpsuit uniform at night. On Friday, officials said he is now given a sleeping garment at night.
Manning has been charged with sharing classified information with an unauthorized party, understood to be the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, and with "aiding the enemy," a capital offense. Army officials have said they will not seek the death penalty.
In November, when WikiLeaks began releasing thousands of leaked diplomatic cables, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton condemned the disclosure as "not just an attack on America's foreign policy interests," but also an attack "on the international community - the alliances and partnerships . . . that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity."
But reports of Manning's treatment in custody have prompted the United Nations special rapporteur on torture to make inquiries of U.S. officials. The State Department confirmed last week that officials had met with the special rapporteur and were preparing a formal response.
Manning's father, Brian Manning, this week called his son's treatment "inexcusable" and "degrading." In an interview with a PBS "Frontline" correspondent, he said, "This is someone who has not gone to trial or been convicted of anything. They worry about people down in a base in Cuba, but here they . . . have someone on our own soil, under their own control, and they're treating him this way. . . . It's shocking enough that I would come out of our silence as a family and say . . . you've crossed a line. This is wrong."
Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said in an e-mail that "none of the conditions under which PFC Manning is held are punitive in nature. All are based on his particular circumstances as a maximum security pre-trial detainee."
He said that Manning's circumstances are regularly reviewed and that they comply "in all respects" with U.S. law and Defense Department regulations.

ALAN GROSS, BRADLEY MANNING, WIKILEAKS AND WHITE HOUSE HYPOCRISY 4FEB11

I would like the White House to explain the difference between the detention for 14 months and now the charging of Alan Gross in Cuba for "helping increase the free flow of information to, from and among the Cuban people" and the detention for 8 months with charges yet to be filed against Bradley Manning for allegedly doing the same thing. The Obama administration also has to explain their campaign against Wikileaks for their release of the Collateral Murder video, the Afghan War Diaries, the Iraq war documents and the release of the diplomatic cables, all done to increase the free flow of information to, from and among the American people and the people of the world. This hypocrisy can not stand, and the Cuban government, which I do not support, would be right to challenge the U.S. government on the hypocrisy of their statement. Click the link to contact the White House and express your support and concern for Bradley Manning and demand his release.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Click these links for the Bradley Manning Support Network
http://www.bradleymanning.org 
and IVAW Iraq Veterans Against The War
http://www.ivaw.org/

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 04, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Charging of Alan Gross

Alan Gross has been unjustly detained and deprived of his liberty and freedom for the last 14 months. Instead of releasing Mr. Gross so he can come home to his wife and family, today's decision by Cuban authorities compounds the injustice suffered by a man helping to increase the free flow of information, to, from, and among the Cuban people.
We remain deeply concerned for Mr. Gross' well being and that of his family and reiterate our call for his immediate release