WikiLeaked cable leads to homecoming for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq 8NOV11

UPDATE on Bradley Manning, the troops coming home from Iraq and the court trials of his supporters in Mnaassas, VA

WikiLeaked cable leads to homecoming for U.S. troops Troops are coming home from Iraq despite the best efforts of the Obama administration to keep them there. "We're relieved to know all the troops will be home at the end of the year. This would not have been possible without the courageous actions of Wikileaks and the alleged participation of Bradley Manning" says Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Jose Vasquez. Until their abrupt reversal a few weeks ago, the Obama administration had been working hard to maintain between 8000 and 20,000 troops in Iraq after the current Status of Forces agreement was set to expire at the end of this year. Fortunately, the Iraqi government refused to renew the judicial immunity, under which the U.S. Armed Forces had been operating. Read more... Establishment news outlets have largely ignored the reason for this sudden change of plans. A few weeks before the negotiations between Washington and Baghdad reached an impasse, WikiLeaks released a cable providing clear evidence that U.S. forces had been engaged in a cover up of the heinous execution of civilian non-combatants following a raid of a suspected insurgent stronghold. “A U.S. diplomatic cable made public by WikiLeaks provides evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi.” (link) There were disagreements between reports from the Iraq government, the American government, and those of a U.N. special raporteur, whose unclassified report and questions to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad were published through WikiLeaks. The embassy cable supported stories told by villagers who witnessed the attack, “Throughout the early investigation, U.S. military spokesmen said that an al Qaida suspect in Iraq had been seized from a first-floor room after a fierce fight that had left the house he was hiding in a pile of rubble. But the diplomatic cable provides a different sequence of events and lends credence to townspeople’s claims that American forces destroyed the house after its residents had been shot.” (link) All of the executed, the article reports, had been handcuffed and shot in the head prior to the building coming down. The cable contradicted the U.S. government’s position, and exposed the military’s and the administration’s unwillingness to investigate documented war crimes. This information created a political crisis in Iraqi politics that made it unacceptable for the Iraqi regime to continue allowing U.S. forces to operate outside of any accountability to human rights law. The Iraqi government was forced to draw a line in the sand that the Department of Defense would not cross. That is why the war is coming to a close. Our government’s well-crafted, amply-financed public relations spin campaign was ultimately no match for the stark reality of what is actually happening on the ground to the people of Iraq. This decision can be celebrated by Iraqis and Americans alike. Since 2006, Pew research polls have shown a majority of American citizens oppose the war, which has been extremely costly both in terms of domestic dollars spent and plummeting opinions of U.S. policy abroad. Criticisms of the war have not come only from civilians. A Zogby poll in March 2006 found that 72% of US soldiers in Iraq said the war should be ended within a year. A military-commissioned study in 2009 found that a majority of troops deployed to Iraq reported low morale, and other studies have shown up to a third of returning U.S. Iraq War veterans to suffer from depression and/or PTSD. Our government has a duty to act openly. Insisting on legal immunity for all troops does nothing to sustain respect for ethical soldiers, but instead helps shield irresponsible leaders. Truth and transparency are essential to public debate and decision making. In an analysis of the cable’s impact on the negotiations over whether to extend the U.S. military presence in Iraq, Salon reporter Glenn Greenwald writes, “whoever leaked those cables is responsible for one of the most consequential, beneficial and noble acts of this generation.” We cannot claim to have a democratic system of government so long as 99% of the public is kept in the dark. We have to know what people in power are doing in order for us to have any chance of holding them accountable. Stand up for those who have had the courage to inform the public of information that they have a right to know. Join the struggle to free WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning – not only to secure his freedom, but for the freedom of us all. Bradley Manning supporters face judge Four supporters of accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower PFC Bradley Manning appeared today before a judge in Manassas, Virginia, to face charges stemming from their arrests in March outside of a Marine military brig in Quantico, Virginia. These supporters were arrested along with many others who are outraged at the abusive confinement conditions to which PFC Manning was subjected during the eight months he was held at the Quantico Pre-Trial Confinement Facility. They were detained after military officials reneged on their offer to allow flowers to be placed at an Iwo Jima Memorial located at the entrance to the base. Among those arrested attempting to lay flowers were veterans and family members of veterans, including Daniel Ellsberg, the “Pentagon Papers” whistle-blower. Instead of accepting their charges and paying fines, these four supporters pleaded not-guilty and chose to assert their First Amendment rights inside the courtroom. Read more... Speaking before her scheduled appearance today, retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright explained why she felt obliged to speak out: “I felt the pre-trial conditions of solitary confinement and nudity that PFC Bradley Manning was subjected to in the Quantico brig for many months were outrageous and that public action by veterans and citizens to show their concern for the rights of this soldier was necessary.” Following sustained public pressure, Bradley Manning was moved to a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is no longer being held in solitary confinement. Military officials have denied speculation that the recent announcement of the impending closure of the confinement facility at Quantico was a result of widespread condemnation of the mistreatment. Circuit Court Judge Mary Grace O’Brien dismissed the charge against Col. Wright of “remaining at place of riot or unlawful assembly after warning to disperse,” finding insufficient evidence. Various minor traffic-related charges were upheld against the other three defendants. The defendants testified that they were compelled to directly petition the Quantico military detention center, because PFC Manning was being subjected to severe mistreatment in violation of his constitutional rights and international standards of human rights. The Commonwealth Attorney, arguing on behalf of the state, claimed that the defendants should be found guilty because they were engaging in civil disobedience.  Drawing parallels to the civil rights movement, the Commonwealth Attorney argued that the defendants should accept their punishments instead of challenging them.  Speaking in his own defense, Mr Obuszewski, a long-time peace and justice activist from Baltimore, Maryland, clarified that the demonstrators at Quantico were engaging in “civil resistance” and not “civil disobedience.”  He noted that civil disobedience typically refers to deliberately breaking a law that one considers to be unjust, and that they found nothing inherently unjust about the normal application of traffic laws.  Civil resistance, on the other hand, entails the use of direct action to challenge unjust abuses of power. Demonstrators had engaged in civil resistance by shutting down the entrance to the Marine base for several hours. In announcing her findings, Justice O’Brien concurred that the case “does bring in larger questions” about the motivations of the demonstrators.  Although she agreed that these larger issues are relevant, she felt that they “would not be appropriate for me to consider.” The guilty parties were each ordered to pay fifteen dollars in fines and court costs.

Help us help Bradley. Donate to the Bradley Manning Support Network. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend

FREE BRADLEY MANNING, AMERICAN HERO, update 2JUN11

UPDATE on Bradley Manning, his pending trial, the hypocrisy of the Obama administration's charges against him and his support network.

This Saturday we will be demonstrating at the gates of Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. It will be the first large public rally to support Bradley since he was transferred to Fort Leavenworth in April. William Stewart-Starks, Plains Regional Coordinator for Iraq Veterans Against the War, and one of the Kansas organizers of Saturday's events says "due process and the assumption of innocence are principles we soldiers are sworn to defend, but PFC Bradley Manning has already been declared guilty by our Commander in Chief and subjected to unlawful pretrial punishment." We ask all who can to join us. Event details. Other events On June 4th: Bradley Manning "Way OUT for Justice" march at Waikiki Pride Parade NYC Solidarity Rally, Times Square Recruitment Center Billboard campaign a success! Thanks to your help we have successfully funded a large billboard that will go up in a prominent location in Washington D.C. It will stay up for a month to correspond with the dates of Bradley's pretrial hearing. Not only did we succeed in funding a great visibility opportunity, we did it in 3 days. The crowd-funding site EpicStep gives campaigns up to 30 days, and we broke their record. Way to go Bradley Manning supporters! Next, we'll be looking into ads in the DC Metro. Press conference marks one year after Bradley's arrest Ellsberg, Assange, and other's address charges, audio available. May 25th marked the one-year anniversary since Bradley's detainment for allegedly leaking the "Collateral Murder" video. Our press call was attended by journalists around the world. The speakers featured Daniel Ellsberg, Julian Assange, and other notable legal and military experts. We have made the full audio from the conference available, and you can listen or download it here. Editorial note: Why is Obama echoing Bradley's chat logs? On May 19th, Obama gave a "moment of opportunity" speech in which he praised the democratic protests in the Middle East. He also said: "Through our efforts we must support those basic rights to speak your mind and access information. We will support open access to the Internet, and the right of journalists to be heard – whether it's a big news organization or a blogger. In the 21st century, information is power; the truth cannot be hidden; and the legitimacy of governments will ultimately depend on active and informed citizens. Such open discourse is important even if what is said does not square with our worldview." Ironically, that sounds a lot like Bradley's alleged chat logs, which are being held by the Pentagon as evidence that Bradley was 'Aiding The Enemy.' "I want people to see the truth, regardless of who they are, because without the truth you can't make informed decisions as a public." Doubly ironic is that the cables Manning is alleged to have leaked have been hailed as a catalyst of the growing democracy in the Arab world. So why the gap between Obama's encouraging words and his intent on prosecuting both Manning and Assange? You may find some of the reasons below. Top 10 Wikileaks truths 2.5 million people had access to most of the classified information that Bradley allegedly released to WikiLeaks. Though not a very well kept secret, it is information they didn't want the rest of us to know. The Bradley Manning Support Network has compiled ten reasons why. Read more and download the PDF version.   Please help us keep up the work by Donating to Bradley Manning's defense fund. Read our recent letter to supporters here. Factsheet: Top ten truths government officials hoped you’d never know   2.5 million people had access to the classified information released by Wikileaks. That’s not a very good secret, but Bradley Manning now faces life in prison or the death penalty for releasing it. Here are some of the possible reasons they didn’t want the rest of us in the know. 1. Innocence is no excuse The government knew that most Guantanamo prisoners were either innocent or just low-level operatives. The U.S. also pressured Spanish courts to drop investigations of torture at Gitmo. Shoddy CIA evidence collection at Guantanamo has cost millions and bred anti-American sentiment abroad. The Guantanamo Files describe how detainees were captured based on highly subjective evidence. How quickly they were released was heavily dependent on their country of origin (1). According to a U.S. diplomatic cable written on April 17, 2009, the Association for the Dignity of Spanish Prisoners requested that the National Court indict six former U.S. officials for creating a legal framework that allegedly permitted torture against five Spanish prisoners. However, “Senator Mel Martinez… met Acting FM [Foreign Minister] Angel Lossada… on April 15. Martinez… underscored that the prosecutions would not be understood or accepted in the U.S. and would have an enormous impact on the bilateral relationship” (2). 2. “We don’t do Body Counts.” At least not publicly Gen. Tommy Franks famously told reporters in 2002, “We don’t do body counts.” Yet the Iraq War Logs and Afghan War Diary reveal that the military does track casualties. In most cases the military did not conduct a thorough investigation into Afghani civilian deaths. Instead, they offered victims’ families up to US$2400. The Iraq War Logs, which span the period from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2009, show 109,000 total deaths. Of those, a staggering 66,081 – two-thirds – were civilians –15,000 of whom were not acknowledged or reported anywhere previously (3). In a leaked cable from the U.S. delegation to NATO, it is stated that, “Norway’s ambassador emphasized the need to avoid a public debate about the reporting of the number of [Afghani] civilians killed,” and the cable went on to state that “U.N. employees themselves in Kabul doubt the method [of tracking casualties] that is used” (4). 3. Common enemies make great friends of despots The U.S. government had documented Tunisian government human rights violations against its own people, but continued providing aid to Tunisia on the basis of being an ally in the war against “terrorism.” About Tunisia, the U.S. Ambassador wrote, “Tunisia is a police state, with little freedom of expression or association, and serious human rights problems.” Nevertheless, he recommended the U.S. continued funding Tunisia’s military (5). 4. Torture is better when others do it for you The U.S. Military violated the U.N. Convention Against Torture by turning prisoners over to the new Iraqi Security Forces, an organization which, according to the State Department’s own reports, has frequently perpetrated prisoner torture. The Convention, which was ratified by the U.S. in 1994, forbids signatories from transferring a detainee to other countries “where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.” The Iraq War Logs describe thousands of reports of prisoner torture filed against the Iraqi Security Forces, hundreds of which include medical evidence. Methods of torture described include prisoners whipped with heavy cables across the feet, hung from ceiling hooks, having holes bored into their legs with electric drills, urinated upon, and sexually assaulted. A military order issued in 2004 directed U.S. troops not to investigate these allegations (6). 5. Botched Covert-Ops are never our fault The U.S. State Department endorsed an occasion when the Yemeni government lied to its people about U.S. participation in air strikes in December 2009 that resulted in civilian casualties. “We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours,” Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told General David Petraeus in January, 2010. Saleh also said, “mistakes had been made” in the earlier strikes, lamented the use of U.S. cruise missiles that were “not very accurate,” and welcomed the use of precision-guided bombs instead. Yemen’s prime minister also joked about how his president had “lied” to the parliament about the strikes (7). 6. US Tax dollars spent on child trafficking?! U.S. taxpayer dollars helped support child trafficking when government contractor DynCorp threw a party for Afghan security recruits featuring boys purchased from pimps for entertainment. “Bacha bazi,” or “boy play,” is a practice in which young boys are dressed up in women’s clothing, forced to dance for powerful men, and then sold for sex to the highest bidder. DynCorp was linked to child sex trafficking charges before this incident occurred (8). 7. Freedom of Information. An Act, or just a suggestion? The U.S. Military attempted to thwart the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by neglecting to release the video (now titled as Collateral Murder) depicting the killing of two Reuters reporters and ten other people. On July 12, 2007, U.S. soldiers manning an Apache helicopter shot and killed 12 individuals in Baghdad, Iraq. Two were Reuters reporters and two were civilians who stopped their van to help the wounded. Reuters news staff were shown the video two weeks after the incident, and then told that if they wanted to receive a copy of the video and other materials, they would have to make a FOIA request. Although Reuters filed the request shortly thereafter, it remained unfulfilled (9). 8. Climate “Diplomacy” is a scam The U.S. Government offered handouts to third-world countries in order to buy signatories for the adopted version of the Copenhagen Climate Accords, which holds the U.S. to lower standards than every other industrialized nation, including India, China and South Africa. U.S. diplomatic cables show the U.S. offered aid unrelated to climate issues to individual countries, persuading developing countries to break with regional bargaining groups and agree to the Accord (10). 9. Human rights abuses as usual Leaked U.S. cables contain information about human rights abuses around the world, including many cases in which corrupt governments were trying to hide the truth from their own people. In specific cases, American- and British-based international corporations were implicated. These violations are well-documented and include countries the U.S. has publicly supported, including Tunisia, Columbia, Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Si Lanka, Botswana, Egypt, and Papua New Guinea. 10. Protecting torturers is required U.S. officials put strong, continued pressure on Germany not to pursue charges against CIA officers involved in the extraordinary rendition of a German citizen.In January 2007, a German court issued arrest warrants for 13 CIA agents related to their rendition of a German citizen of Lebanese descent to Afghanistan, where he was tortured. The case against the agents was later dropped. Diplomatic cables written in the interim period shed some light on the reasons why. According to one German Justice Ministry (BMJ) official addressing concerns from the U.S. Ambassador, international arrest warrants could only be issued once the ministry had evaluated their legal soundness and “foreign policy implications” on a case-by-case basis. Another BMJ official assured the embassy that the cases would not be “handled as routine” and that any investigation would require a green light from Berlin (11). Sources: (1) Scott Shane and Benjamin Weiser, “The Guatanamo Files: Judging Detainees’ Risk, Often With Flawed Evidence,” New York Times, April 24, 2011,http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/world/guantanamo-files-flawed-evidence-for-assessing-risk.html (2) “US embassy cables: Don’t pursue Guantánamo criminal case, says Spanish attorney general,”guardian.co.uk, December 1, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/202776. (3) “Iraq War Logs Reveal 15,000 Previously Unlisted Civilian Deaths,” guardian.co.uk, October 22, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/22/true-civilian-body-count-iraq (4) Aled-Dilwyn Fisher, “Norway joined NATO in suppressing reports of civilian Afghan deaths,”uruknet.info, February 21, 2011, http://www.uruknet.info/?new=75223. (5) “US embassy cables: Tunisia – a US foreign policy conundrum,” guardian.co.uk, December 7, 2010,http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/217138. (6) Alex Spillius, “Wikileaks: Iraq War Logs show US ignored torture allegations,” Telegraph, October 22, 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/8082223/Wikileaks-Iraq-War-Logs-show-US-ignored-torture-allegations.html. (7) “Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen,” The Raw Story, December 2, 2010, http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/02/cable-reveals-airstrike-killed-21-children-yemen. (8) “Foreign contractors hired Afghan ‘dancing boys’, WikiLeaks cable reveals,” guardian.co.uk, December 2, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/foreign-contractors-hired-dancing-boys. (9) Steven Clarke and Joseph Bamat, “Leaked video shows US military killing of civilians, Reuters staff,” France 24, July 27, 2010, http://www.france24.com/en/20100406-leaked-video-shows-us-military-killing-civilians-reuters-staff. (10) “WikiLeaks cables reveal how US manipulated climate accord,” guardian.co.uk, December 3, 2010,http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/03/wikileaks-us-manipulated-climate-accord (11) Matthias Gebauer and John Goetz, “The CIA’s El-Masri Abduction: Cables Show Germany Caved to Pressure from Washington,” Der Spiegel, December 9, 2010,http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,733860,00.html

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend

Campaign ends torturous treatment of Bradley Manning! from COURAGE TO RESIST 5MAI11

UPDATE on the imprisonment of American hero Bradley Manning, his transfer to the military prison at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas and his trial, set to begin soon in D.C. From Courage to Resist....

Campaign ends torturous treatment of Bradley Manning! 500 supporters of Bradley Manning march on Quantico, VA, March 20, 2011. Video: President Obama's comments on Bradley Manning = Unlawful Command Influence Supporters of accused WikiLeaks source vow to fight on for open trial and freedom By the Bradley Manning Support Network. May 5, 2011 Hundreds of thousands of individuals globally celebrate today the confirmation that their efforts to end the torturous pre-trial confinement conditions inflicted upon US Army PFC Bradley Manning have been successful. Manning’s lead defense attorney, David E. Coombs of Rhode Island, has personally verified that Manning is indeed being held in Medium Custody confinement at the Joint Regional Corrections Facility (JRCF) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as claimed by the Army last week. “We won this battle because 600,000 individuals took the time to write letters and sign petitions, because thousands called the White House switchboard, because 300 of America's top legal scholars decried Bradley's pre-trial conditions as a clear violation of our Constitution’s 5th and 8th Amendments,” declared Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network. “We won this battle because over a hundred concerned citizens engaged in civil disobedience at the White House and at Quantico, and because our grassroots campaign shows no sign of slowing.” These new conditions reflect a dramatic improvement for Manning following his transfer to Fort Leavenworth on April 20, 2011, after having suffered extreme solitary-like confinement at US Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. During the nine months at Quantico, Manning was denied meaningful exercise, social interaction, sunlight, and was at times kept completely naked. These conditions were unique to Manning and were illegal under US military law as they clearly amounted to pre-trial punishment. “I was able to tour the [Fort Leavenworth] facility and meet with PFC Manning last week. PFC Manning is now being held in Medium Custody. He is no longer under…harsh pretrial confinement conditions. Unlike at Quantico, PFC Manning’s cell has a large window that provides adequate natural light....PFC Manning is able to have all of his personal items in his cell, which include his clothing, his legal materials, books and letters from family and friends....Each pre-trial area (including PFC Manning’s) has four cells, and each pre-trial detainee is assigned to his own cell. The cells are connected to a shared common area, with a table, a treadmill, a television and a shower area....PFC Manning and his group are taken to the outdoor recreation area [for approximately two hours daily],” explained Coombs on his blog at www.armycourtmartialdefense.info hours ago. “President Obama’s recent pronouncement that Bradley Manning ‘broke the law’ amounts to Unlawful Command Influence, something clearly prohibited because it’s devastating to the military justice system. Manning will eventually be judged by a jury of career military officers and noncommissioned officers. Will they be able to set aside the declaration of their commander in chief?” explains attorney Kevin Zeese, a member of the Bradley Manning Support Network. “Along with the illegal pre-trial punishment already inflicted upon Bradley, the government has more than enough legal basis to drop the prosecution. Instead, the death penalty or life in prison hangs over Manning’s head.” After nearly a year in confinement, the Army is expected to soon announce Manning’s first public hearing, an Article 32 pre-trial proceeding, which will be held in the Washington DC area. Scores of international solidarity events are already being planned. US Army intelligence analyst Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, 23-years-old, was arrested in Iraq on May 26, 2010. He still awaits his first public court hearing, now expected to begin in June 2011. Over 4,300 individuals have contributed over $333,000 towards PFC Manning's legal fees and related public education efforts. The Bradley Manning Support Network is dedicated to thwarting the military’s attempts to hold a secret court martial, and to eventually winning the freedom of PFC Manning.

---

Ruckus over Bradley Manning at President Obama fundraiser; Bradley moved to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas; PFC Turner - Conscientious Objector from COURAGE TO RESIST 21APR11

UPDATES on Bradley Manning, his imprisonment and transfer to Ft Leavenworth, KS, as well as Conscientious Objector PFC Colton Turner.

Ruckus over Bradley Manning at President Obama fundraiser Military moves to further isolate Manning with Kansas transfer PFC Colton Turner—Conscientious Objector Bradley Manning Organizing Toolkit now online! Supporters cause ruckus over Bradley Manning at President Obama's fundraiser this morning Accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower becomes focus of breakfast with President Barack Obama By the Bradley Manning Support Network. April 21, 2011 This morning President Obama met with 150 donors for his 2012 reelection campaign over breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco, California. However, the event turned interesting when nearly two dozen of his contributors pressed the president in song on the unjust confinement and tortuous treatment of alleged WikiLeaks whistle-blower US Army intelligence analyst PFC Bradley Manning.  As the President spoke of the creative organizing that won him the 2008 election, over 10% of the attendees held up “Free Bradley Manning” signs and launched into a song entitled “Where’s our change?” As Secret Services agents attempted to grab the signs, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, and President Obama looked on. (Video) Read more... Military moves to further isolate Bradley Manning with transfer to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas By the Bradley Manning Support Network. April 19, 2011 Alleged WikiLeaks source moved away from attorney and DC-area backers; however, Kansas residents already preparing to spearhead support with June 4th rally at Fort Leavenworth. The military and Administration has been shocked by the support Bradley Manning has garnered globally--specifically at the gates of Quantico. Read more... Related: Why was PFC Bradley Manning moved? By Bradley's attorney David Coombs "Although the news of the move came as a surprise to the defense, the timing did not... the defense was in the process of filing a writ of habeas corpus seeking a court ruling that the Quantico Brig violated PFC Manning’s constitutional right to due process." Pfc. Colton Turner—Conscientious Objector By Bob Meola, Courage to Resist. April 13, 2011 U.S. Army Pfc. Colton Turner is a twenty year old conscientious objector.  Presently the Army is playing mind games with him and has been acting less than honorably in processing his application for Conscientious Objector classification.  On April 11th, after nearly six months of stalling and failing to properly address Turner’s request for recognition as a C.O. based upon his Christian faith and sincere beliefs, and instead responding to him in inappropriate ways, the Army issued Turner a whole new set of gear—the kind that is issued to a soldier who is about to be deployed. Turner received a new bulletproof vest, an assault pack, pocket knife, ammo pouches, grenade pouches, and a seatbelt cutter among other things.  According to his attorney, James Branum, on April 11th, “It is unclear at this time what the command’s intentions are, but it appears that they may be planning to ignore the alleged AWOL and instead pressure Colton to go on a deployment and fight in violation of his conscience.”   Turner’s defense team hopes to dissuade the command of this idea as Colton is resolved that he cannot deploy. But as of today, April 13th, Turner is now on a deployment list. Read more... Bradley Manning Organizing Toolkit now online! For those of you who want to participate more actively in the campaign to free Bradley Manning, we have created an activist toolkit, jam-packed with useful info, strategy and resources. Months in the making,  this toolkit is designed with you in mind.  It contains a breakdown of how to take individual action and encourage others, create and host events, outreach to the media and ally organizations, and plenty more. Everyone is an activist. View, download and/or print the PDF

---