COURAGE TO RESIST E MAIL NEWSLETTER 8NOV10

ARTICLES AND UPDATES on PTSD, TBI, conscientious objectors, Bradley Manning, Jeff Hanks, and Naser Abdo.

PTSD Soldier refusing deployment "I am just trying to get help," insists Jeff Hanks, US Army infantryman who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is expected to surrender to the Army next week. Bradley Manning legal overview We expect the pre-trial hearing of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning to take place early 2011, followed by trial about four months later. Naser Abdo, Muslim peacemaker On the anniversary of the shooting at Fort Hood, Naser Abdo, a Muslim servicemember seeking Conscientious Objector status based on the principles of Islam tells the missing story of Muslim peacemaking. SF Bay Area event: Mailing / pizza party this Wednesday Help Courage to Resist mail our tri-annual newsletter and fund appeal to supporters around the world. Join us at 55 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland CA 94610 this Wednesday evening, November 10, from 5pm-10pm. AWOL Soldier Jeff Hanks refusing deployment due to PTSD Please consider a donation to Jeff's defense fund hosted by Courage to Resist. Est. need is approx. $1,500. By Sarah Lazare, Truthout. November 5, 2010 "I am just trying to get help," insisted Jeff Hanks (photo right), active duty US Army infantryman, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My goal in this situation is to simply heal. And they wonder why there are so many suicides." Jeff spoke rapidly over the phone from Virginia, where he, his wife and his two young daughters are staying while he is AWOL from the military. Days earlier, Jeff had walked out of an airport, refusing to board a plane headed for Kuwait, which was to be his first stop on his way back to Afghanistan. During his mid-September leave from his second combat tour with the 101st Airborne Division, Jeff sought help from Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell military doctors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical wounds sustained in battle. Yet, just as his treatment was getting started, his command interfered, insisting that his military health care providers grant him clearance for immediate deployment. His providers acquiesced, even though they had not completed preliminary testing. Jeff, who has trouble being in large crowds of people and difficulty controlling his anger, says he is in no state to deploy back to the war from which he is still struggling to heal. The 30 year-old soldier decided that his only choice was to go AWOL. Jeff plans to turn himself into his command at Fort Campbell on Veterans Day, November 11. He will be accompanied by supporters, including members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Read more... Bradley Manning legal update and overview We expect the pre-trial hearing of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning to take place early 2011, followed by trial about four months later. Both hearings should be open to the public and media in the Washington DC area. Supporters will be encouraged to attend. - Courage to Resist By David Coombs, attorney for Bradley Manning. November 1, 2010 I. The Military Process: The basic structure of the military process is similar to any criminal trial in a civilian court. Once allegations are made, the government begins to investigate the alleged crime. The government’s investigators are usually either Military Police Investigators (MPI) or Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers. These individuals interview the key witnesses, secure all available evidence, and create a report that details the nature of their investigation. Based upon the investigation by MPI or CID, the government prosecutor (Trial Counsel) then discusses the case with the soldier’s chain of command. The trial counsel will typically recommend to the command the possible charges that could be preferred against the individual soldier and discuss the likelihood of success at trial. II. Charges have been Preferred: Once charges are preferred against a soldier, each level in the chain of command will make a recommendation as to what level of court-martial should hear the soldier’s case. The command can recommend a Summary Court-Martial, a Bad Conduct Discharge Court-Martial, or a General Court-Martial. Each level of court-martial has different maximum punishments that it is authorized to impose. If the charges against a soldier are serious, such as in this case, then they will be most likely be heard by a General Court-Martial. In any case where the command has recommended trial by General Court-Martial, the Brigade Commander will direct that the case be first investigated by an Article 32 Investigating Officer. Read more... Naser Abdo: The missing story of Muslim peacemaking On the one-year anniversary of the shooting at Fort Hood, TX, Naser Abdo (photo right), a Muslim servicemember seeking Conscientious Objector status based on the principles of Islam tells the missing story of Muslim peacemaking. Please consider a donation to Naser's defense fund hosted by Courage to Resist. By Kimber Heinz, War Resisters League. November 5, 2010 Today, November 5, 2010, marks the one-year anniversary of the Fort Hood shooting, in which former Army psychiatrist Major Nadal Halik Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, wounding 42 others. As U.S. servicemembers and the families of the victims of this shooting grieved for those who were killed and Americans mourned the loss of life, reports on these crimes riveted the mainstream media. The shootings were certainly newsworthy. The problem is that almost the only time Muslims are featured in the U.S. news media is when a Muslim engages in an act of violence. A one-sided focus on violence committed by some Muslims fuels the racist narrative that “Islam is a religion of violence"—which underwrites the so-called “Global War on Terror.” In spite of ongoing efforts by many in the Muslim religious community and Muslim-American organizations, the long and vital history of Muslim peacemaking has been lost in the avalanche of reports on Muslims where the mainstream media connects them only with violent extremism. The lack of acknowledgment and recognition in the U.S. of Muslim peacemakers continues to have grave effects on Muslims all over the world as well as those at home in the U.S. Additionally, the ongoing hyper-focus by the U.S. state and mainstream media on Islamic militants to the exclusion of those Muslims whose peacemaking efforts oppose militarism of all kinds continues to prop up and justify ongoing U.S.-backed military occupations, including those of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Private First Class Naser Abdo, a 20-year-old Muslim servicemember currently serving in the U.S. Army and seeking Conscientious Objector (C.O.) status on the grounds of Islam, is a Muslim peacemaker. Read more... Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

---

Bradley Manning Support Network Condemns Unjust Detainment of Activist 10NOV10

HOW sad the government chooses to violate the civil rights of citizens while supposedly celebrating those same civil rights and the protection of them by the sacrifices by those in the U.S. military. 

                                                      IMPRISONED FOR 169 DAYS

0diggsdigg

116Share

Digg Digg

Washington, DC, November 10, 2010 – Last week, David House, a developer working with the Bradley Manning Support Network, was detained and had his computer seized by the FBI when returning from a vacation in Mexico. He committed no crime, nor was he ever alleged to have committed a crime.  He was questioned extensively about his support for alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning, who has been imprisoned at Quantico for over 160 days.
This invasive search is of great concern to all Americans who value the Constitutionally-protected rights to free speech and free assembly.  The campaign to free Bradley Manning – which has garnered the support of tens of thousands of individuals from across the United States and the world – is rooted in a belief that government transparency is key to a healthy democracy.  Our network stands firm in support of alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning and has raised over $80,000 for his defense.  If he is a source for documents published by WikiLeaks illuminating the campaign of disinformation about US foreign wars, then Manning deserves the gratitude of the entire nation.
House sent an email to the Network describing his detainment, saying that, “My computer, video camera, and flash drive were confiscated, leaving me in a tough spot in terms of research obligations; the reason for the seizure, said the officials, was ‘border search.’”
The FBI denied House’s requests to have a copy of his research data.  This seems to be part of a disturbing trend of intimidation and property seizure being carried out against activists critical of US policies, including the detainment and laptop seizure of activist Jacob Applebaum in July and the September 24th FBI raids against antiwar and social justice activists.
House has not been charged with a crime.
“I try to be as even-handed as possible, but based on the subject of the search I can’t help but feel that this constitutes a form of intimidation,” wrote House in an email to the Network, “I feel as though the DHS has turned to harassing the friends and supporters of Bradley Manning in a potential attempt to disrupt our abilities to run a legal defense network.”
The Bradley Manning Support Network denounces this recent attempt by the FBI to intimidate its supporters.  Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime, and neither is standing up for Bradley Manning.

We stand with accused whistle-blower US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning from COURAGE TO RESIST 26OKT

JOIN the struggle for Bradley Manning's release from prison and against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and against the abuse, corruption, deception and manipulation of the American public and the world by the pentagon and the military-industrial complex! Click the header or the link below to sign the letters of support for Bradley Manning!

"We stand for truth, for government transparency, and for an end to our tax-dollars funding endless occupation abroad... We stand with accused whistle-blower US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning."

The Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist are launching a new campaign, and we wanted to give you a chance to be among the first to add your name to this international effort. If you sign the letter online, we’ll print out and mail two letters to Army officials on your behalf. With your permission, we may also use your name on the online petition and in upcoming media ads.

Read the complete public letter and add your name at:
http://standwithbrad.org/

	Stand with Bradley! A 22-year-old Army intelligence analyst, Pfc. Manning faces decades in prison for allegedly leaking a video of a US helicopter attack that killed at least eleven Iraqi civilians to the website Wikileaks. Among the dead were two working Reuters reporters. Two children were also severely wounded in the attack. In addition to this "Collateral Murder" video, Pfc. Manning is suspected of leaking the "Afghan War Diaries" – tens of thousands of battlefield reports that explicitly describe civilian deaths and cover-ups, corrupt officials, collusion with warlords, and a failing US/NATO war effort. "We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk ... Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal," noted Barack Obama while on the campaign trail in 2008. While the President was referring to the Bush Administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans, Pfc. Manning's alleged actions are just as noteworthy. If the military charges against him are accurate, they show that he had a reasonable belief that war crimes were being covered up, and that he took action based on a crisis of conscience. After nearly a decade of war and occupation waged in our name, it is odd that it apparently fell on a young Army private to provide critical answers to the questions, "What have we purchased with well over a trillion tax dollars and the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan?” However, history is replete with unlikely heroes. If Bradley Manning is indeed the source of these materials, the nation owes him our gratitude. We ask Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John M. McHugh, and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General George W. Casey, Jr., to release Pfc. Manning from pre-trial confinement and drop the charges against him. Sincerely, Bradley Manning Support Network Advisory Board members: Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, board member for the National Whistleblower Center Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle blower Kathleen Gilberd, co-chair of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker Jose Vasquez, executive director of Iraq Veterans against the War US Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), former US State Department official Kevin Zeese, co-founder and executive director, Voters for Peace Bradley Manning Support Network Steering Committee members: Gerry Condon, national co-chair of the Veterans for Peace GI Resistance Working Group Mike Gogulski, founder of bradleymanning.org Jeff Paterson, project director of Courage to Resist Loraine Reitman, privacy advocate
			Add your name! I Stand with Bradley Your name (and title) as letter signer: We will mail these on your behalf and publish your name and title online. Postage donation required to use this form ($5 Suggested). $  Or, sign with no postage donation. Resources & info  Print petition, single signature  Print petition, three signatures  Donate to the defense fund  View Collateral Murder video  Shirts, stickers, buttons... Write a personal appeal  Hon. Mr. John M. McHugh  Secretary of the Army  101 Army Pentagon, Rm. 3E560  Washington DC 20310-0101  General George W. Casey, Jr.  Cheif of Staff of the Army  101 Army Pentagon, Rm. 3E672  Washington DC 20310-0200

IVAW responds to Wikileaks' Iraq War Logs 26OKT10

IVAW responds to Wikileaks' Iraq War Logs The latest release by Wikileaks of the Iraq War Logs is the largest leak in U.S. history and reveals in extensive detail what Iraq Veterans Against the War has been saying since our founding in 2004.  The U.S. has presided over a bloody occupation for seven years where war crimes are a common offense, civilian casualties have been grossly under-reported, and corporate contractors run amok.  See our official statement on the Iraq War Logs below. IVAW Statement on the Iraq War Logs - A Call for Accountability The recent Wikileaks release--The Iraq War Logs--has shed important light on the high rate of civilian death and widespread atrocities, including torture, that are endemic to the war in Iraq. As veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are outraged that the U.S. government sought to hide this information from the U.S. public, instead presenting a sanitized and deceptive version of war, and we think it is vital for this and further information to get out. Members of IVAW have experienced firsthand the realities of war on the ground, and since our inception we have spoken out about similar atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are asking the U.S. public to join us in calling on our government to end the occupations and bring our brothers and sisters home. The U.S. government has been claiming for years that they do not keep count of civilian death tolls, yet the recent releases show that they do, in fact, keep count. Between 2004 and 2009, according to these newly disclosed records, at least 109,032 Iraqis died, 66,081 of whom were civilians. The Guardian reports that the Iraq War Logs show that the U.S. military and government gave de facto approval for hundreds of reports of abuse, torture, rape, and murder by Iraqi soldiers and police officers. These recent revelations, along with the Afghan War Diaries and Collateral Murder footage, weave a picture of wars in which the rules of engagement allow for excessive violence, woven into the fabric of daily life with the U.S. military presence acting as a destabilizing and brutalizing force. The Iraq War Logs, while crucial, are reports produced in real time and themselves may be slanted to minimize the culpability of U.S. forces. Still, they represent an important part of evidence in assessing the reality of the Iraq war, evidence that can only be improved by the further release of documents and information and corroboration by individuals involved. To this end, our members are reviewing both Wikileaks' Afghanistan War Diaries and the Iraq War Logs to identify incidents we were part of and to shed more light on what really happened. IVAW has been speaking out about these atrocities and abuses since our inception. Our organization is comprised of over 2,000 veterans and active duty troops who have served since September 11, 2001. We demand immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, reparations for the people of those countries, and full benefits for returning veterans, including mental healthcare. At our March 2008 Winter Soldier hearings in Maryland, more than fifty veterans and active-duty service members publicly testified about the orders they were told to carry out in these countries, sharing stories of excessive violence, trauma, and abuse. Josh Stieber and Ethan McCord, two IVAW members who were in the unit captured in the Wikileaks "Collateral Murder" video, have spoken out about how the incidents caught on film are not isolated cases of 'a few bad soldiers' but rather, part of the nature of these wars. "There has been little accountability in the wars that my friends and I once thought represented everything that was noble about our country," wrote Stieber in anticipation of the Iraq War Logs. In an open letter, Stieber calls for policy makers to "take accountability for these wars and the full truth about them." As veterans, we know that the violence documented in the Iraq War Logs traumatizes the people living under occupation. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also have been marked by staggering rates of military trauma and suicide among the troops tasked with carrying out these orders. Last year, 239 soldiers killed themselves and 1,713 soldiers survived suicide attempts; 146 soldiers died from high-risk activities, including 74 drug overdoses. A third of returning troops report mental health problems, and 18.5 percent of all returning service members are battling either Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or depression, according to a study by the Rand Corporation. Our Operation Recovery campaign, launched on October 7, seeks to end the cruel and inhumane practice of redeploying troops suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Sexual Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other mental and physical wounds--a practice that underlies the continued occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Critics attacking Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's character are attempting to use ad hominem arguments to detract from the real issues and divert public attention from the content of the Iraq War Logs. We urge honest and thorough discussion of the content of these documents, and we think this discussion must not be sidelined. Furthermore, with past Wikileaks revelations, U.S. administration and military authorities were quick to vilify Army Specialist Bradley Manning who is being accused of leaking these documents to the public. Yet we insist that it is the right of the U.S. public to have accurate information about wars that are being fought in our name and funded by our tax dollars, and we support the public sharing of this information. Exposing war crimes is not a crime. Government deception is inexcusable. Authorities have kept this information secret in the name of 'national security,' but what they really are afraid of is public opinion, which they know will turn against them if the truth about these wars gets out in the mainstream. An accurate count of Iraqi dead, acknowledgment of torture, and full disclosure of the role of private contractors are facts that should be made public in a democracy. We believe that real national security is created where government transparency and accountability, free press, and an end to spending on illegal wars and occupations are the norm. Continued silence and secrecy is a grave threat to the security of the Iraqi and Afghan people, and we demand openness, accountability, and real discussion of these revelations. We grieve for the Iraqi and Afghan lives that were lost and destroyed in these wars. We also grieve for our brothers and sisters in arms, who have been lost to battle or suicide. The Iraq War Logs bring home part of the harsh reality of these wars, a reality that we--as veterans--live with everyday. We demand a real end to both wars, including immediate withdrawal of the 50,000 "non-combat" troops who remain in the Iraq. The Iraq War Logs underscore the urgent need for peace, healing, and reparations for all who have been harmed by these wars. The first step is to bring our brothers and sisters home.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions

© 2010 IVAW 630 9th Avenue Suite 807, New York, NY 10036. All Right Reserved. | Contact Us

IRAQ WAR LOGS, 2004-2009 from WIKILEAKS 22OKT10

ALSO AVAILABLE, WITH OTHER INFORMATION, ON THE AFGHAN WAR DIARIES PAGE ON THIS BLOG.
WarLogs.Wikileaks.org is a website which provides an easy way to search through the Iraq War Logs, which were made public by Wikileaks on 22nd October 2010. The documents are a set of over 391,000 reports which cover the war in Iraq from 2004 to 2009.
From here, you can browse through all of the documents that have been released, organized by type, category, date, number of casualties, and many other properties. From any document page, clicking on the green underlined text will open a popup that links to other documents that contain those phrases, making it possible to see important search terms and connections that you might not otherwise notice.
Our hope is that this tool will be helpful to reporters and researchers who are interested in learning more about the US's war in Afghanistan and making sense of this important database. If you wish to support this work, we encourage you to make a donation to wikileaks.
Source code for this website is freely available on github – we welcome any contributions, improvements or suggestions.

On to the documents.

Wikileaks' Iraq War Logs: Secret Files Show How US Ignored Torture 22OKT10

MORE FROM WIKILEAKS OFFERING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE U.S. WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND THE KILLING AND TORTURE DONE "IN OUR NAME". The Pentagon claims the release of these documents puts American lives at risk....bull....rampant killing, torture and other human rights abuses and illegal wars and then lying about them put American lives at risk. This, with the link to the additional documents from Wikileaks, have been added to the Afghan War Diary page on this blog. From Alternet & The Guardian......

Massive leak reveals serial detainee abuse -- files show 15,000 unknown civilian deaths in war.

October 22, 2010  |  

A grim picture of the US and Britain's legacy in Iraq has been revealed in a massive leak of American military documents that detail torture, summary executions and war crimes.
Almost 400,000 secret US army field reports have been passed to the Guardian and a number of other international media organisations via the whistleblowing website
The electronic archive is believed to emanate from the same dissident US army intelligence analyst who earlier this year is alleged to have leaked a smaller tranche of 90,000 logs chronicling bloody encounters and civilian killings in the Afghan war.
The new logs detail how:
• US authorities failed to investigate hundreds of reports of abuse, torture, rape and even murder by Iraqi police and soldiers whose conduct appears to be systematic and normally unpunished.
• A US helicopter gunship involved in a notorious Baghdad incident had previously killed Iraqi insurgents after they tried to surrender.
• More than 15,000 civilians died in previously unknown incidents. US and UK officials have insisted that no official record of civilian casualties exists but the logs record 66,081 non-combatant deaths out of a total of 109,000 fatalities.
The numerous reports of detainee abuse, often supported by medical evidence, describe prisoners shackled, blindfolded and hung by wrists or ankles, and subjected to whipping, punching, kicking or electric shocks. Six reports end with a detainee's apparent death.
As recently as December the Americans were passed a video apparently showing Iraqi army officers executing a prisoner in Tal Afar, northern Iraq. The log states: "The footage shows approximately 12 Iraqi army soldiers. Ten IA soldiers were talking to one another while two soldiers held the detainee. The detainee had his hands bound … The footage shows the IA soldiers moving the detainee into the street, pushing him to the ground, punching him and shooting him."
The report named at least one perpetrator and was passed to coalition forces. But the logs reveal that the coalition has a formal policy of ignoring such allegations. They record "no investigation is necessary" and simply pass reports to the same Iraqi units implicated in the violence. By contrast all allegations involving coalition forces are subject to formal inquiries. Some cases of alleged abuse by UK and US troops are also detailed in the logs.
In two Iraqi cases postmortems revealed evidence of death by torture. On 27 August 2009 a US medical officer found "bruises and burns as well as visible injuries to the head, arm, torso, legs and neck" on the body of one man claimed by police to have killed himself. On 3 December 2008 another detainee, said by police to have died of "bad kidneys", was found to have "evidence of some type of unknown surgical procedure on [his] abdomen".
A Pentagon spokesman told the New York Times this week that under its procedure, when reports of Iraqi abuse were received the US military "notifies the responsible government of Iraq agency or ministry for investigation and follow-up".
The logs also illustrate the readiness of US forces to unleash lethal force. In one chilling incident they detail how an Apache helicopter gunship gunned down two men in February 2007.
The suspected insurgents had been trying to surrender but a lawyer back at base told the pilots: "You cannot surrender to an aircraft." The Apache, callsign Crazyhorse 18, was the same unit and helicopter based at Camp Taji outside Baghdad that later that year, in July, mistakenly killed two Reuters employees and wounded two children in the streets of Baghdad.
Iraq Body Count, the London-based group that monitors civilian casualties, says it has identified around 15,000 previously unknown civilian deaths from the data contained in the leaked war logs.
Although US generals have claimed their army does not carry out body counts and British ministers still say no official statistics exist, the war logs show these claims are untrue. The field reports purport to identify all civilian and insurgent casualties, as well as numbers of coalition forces wounded and killed in action. They give a total of more than 109,000 violent deaths from all causes between 2004 and the end of 2009.
This includes 66,081 civilians, 23,984 people classed as "enemy" and 15,196 members of the Iraqi security forces. Another 3,771 dead US and allied soldiers complete the body count.
No fewer than 31,780 of these deaths are attributed to improvised roadside bombs (IEDs) planted by insurgents. The other major recorded tally is of 34,814 victims of sectarian killings, recorded as murders in the logs.
However, the US figures appear to be unreliable in respect of civilian deaths caused by their own military activities. For example, in Falluja, the site of two major urban battles in 2004, no civilian deaths are recorded. Yet Iraq Body Count monitors identified more than 1,200 civilians who died during the fighting.
Phil Shiner, human rights specialist at Public Interest Lawyers, plans to use material from the logs in court to try to force the UK to hold a public inquiry into the unlawful killing of Iraqi civilians.
He also plans to sue the British government over its failure to stop the abuse and torture of detainees by Iraqi forces. The coalition's formal policy of not investigating such allegations is "simply not permissible", he says.
Shiner is already pursuing a series of legal actions for former detainees allegedly killed or tortured by British forces in Iraq.
WikiLeaks says it is posting online the entire set of 400,000 Iraq field reports – in defiance of the Pentagon.
The whistleblowing activists say they have deleted all names from the documents that might result in reprisals. They were accused by the US military of possibly having "blood on their hands" over the previous Afghan release by redacting too few names. But the military recently conceded that no harm had been identified.
Condemning this fresh leak, however, the Pentagon said: "This security breach could very well get our troops and those they are fighting with killed. Our enemies will mine this information looking for insights into how we operate, cultivate sources and react in combat situations, even the capability of our equipment."

© 2010 Guardian/UK

The latest from Courage to Resist on Bradley Manning, opportunities to show your support and a great video too

Bradley Manning lawyer hired Accused Wikileaks whistle-blower finally represented by civilian attorney. Also: Advisory panel formed, legal trust account created, defense fund update, and sending letters to Bradley. Vets salute Bradley Manning (YouTube link) Wikileak's "Collateral Murder" video was highlighted at the Veterans for Peace 25th annual convention in Portland, Maine last week. In this video, Ethan McCord, who appears in the video, discusses that day and Manning. Quick links: Donating to Bradley's defense, a few options Order "Free Bradley" shirts, posters, buttons September 16-19 Int'l Days of Action SF Bay Area events to support Bradley 9/16, 9/18 Bradley Manning lawyer hired Also: Advisory panel formed, legal trust account, and letters “He's aware of all the people who are rallying to his support. So his spirits are relatively good.” – Bradley Manning’s attorney David Coombs By Courage to Resist. September 3, 2010 We are relieved that accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning is finally represented by an experienced and qualified civilian defense attorney. After receiving a wide range of opinions, Bradley selected attorney David Coombs of Providence, Rhode Island, to lead his legal defense. Mr. Coombs has over a decade of experience as a military trial lawyer and is a former law professor at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia. A personal friend of Bradley’s verified the selection of legal counsel during a recent visit with him at the Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Virginia. Bradley was said to have appeared to be in good health and good spirits, considering the situation. "Obviously, being in solitary confinement is very difficult," Mr. Coombs told CNN. "But the individuals at the confinement facility are very professional. They're doing a very good job. And he's aware of all the people who are rallying to his support. So his spirits are relatively good." According to CNN, Mr. Coombs explained that the leaked "Afghanistan War Diaries" didn't really reveal anything damaging to the U.S. occupation. Mr. Coombs acknowledged that the leaked documents named a few Afghans who were cooperating with U.S. forces, but he explained that because the names were spelled phonetically, the insurgents would have a very difficult time tracking them down--even if they were still in the same area years later. Mr. Coombs also noted that statements from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates about Bradley Manning were hurting his chances for a fair trial. Bradley's turmoil leading up to arrest confirmed "The AP ran a story stating that I questioned the sanity of my client, PFC Bradley Manning. This statement is inaccurate," explained David Coombs on his blog Wednesday. In fact, Mr. Coombs was simply explaining the process and basis for an upcoming mental health evaluation hearing that Bradley will undergo before the Army proceeds to an expected Article 32 pre-trial hearing. On his blog, Mr. Coombs noted: "PFC Manning's unit documented a steady decline in his mental stability from early on in their deployment starting around December of 2009 to May of 2010. Consistent in this documentation was the behavior that they were concerned about intensified during the deployment. Due to this behavior and a concern about his personal safety, the command made the decision to remove the bolt from PFC Manning's weapon. For several weeks, he apparently walked around Forward Operating Base Hammer with his assigned weapon that was incapable of being used. During this time, however, he was still expected to perform his duties as an intelligence analyst." Courage to Resist project director Jeff Paterson adds: "Many accounts have indicated that Bradley was showing outward signs of turmoil in the months leading up to his arrest. If he is indeed the whistle-blower in question, then of course he was going through significant mental anguish regarding the information he may have come across. As someone who deals with conscientious objectors in the military, I can say that most are considered "crazy" for no longer wanting to kill for a living. Bradley's situation may have been not too different." Legal defense about half funded “From our first communications with Bradley, back when he was still jailed in Kuwait, we pledged to support and fund his choice of civilian legal representation,” said Jeff Paterson, “We’re happy to begin fulfilling that promise by transferring funds raised to Mr. Coombs for his retainer and initial legal fees.” So far, about 850 generous individuals have already donated $51,000 towards Bradley Manning's defense--of which about $38,000 will go towards legal fees. In addition to our tax-deductible defense fund, supporters now have the option of making a non-deductible contribution directly to Bradley’s IOLTA legal trust account which is managed by Mr. Coombs under regulation of the American Bar Association. Our tax-deductible defense fund currently allocates about 20% of funds for public education and related administrative expenses. However, 100% of IOLTA legal trust account contributions offset Bradley’s legal expenses--estimated to eventually total $100,000. Before donating $5,000 yesterday to Bradley's legal trust account, filmmaker Michael Moore noted to The Hill, "He did a courageous thing and he did a patriotic thing". To make a non-deductible contribution to the new legal trust account, donate online here, or make checks payable to “IOLTA / Manning” and mail to: Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610. For an overview of all donation options regarding Bradley Manning's defense, visit: couragetoresist.org/bradley Days of Action, September 16-19, shaping up The announcement of a civilian military attorney comes less than a week after our Network announced the International Days of Action in Support of Bradley Manning, September 16-19. Events and rallies have already been confirmed for New York City NY, Oakland CA, San Diego CA, Minneapolis MN, San Francisco CA, Houston TX, London UK, Fort Lewis WA (Seattle area), Columbus OH, and Quantico VA--near the Marine brig where Bradley is being is currently being held in pre-trial confinement. It’s not too late to organize something in your community! Email support [at] bradleymanning.org to discuss your ideas and plans. Advisory board formed The Bradley Manning Support Network is also pleased to announce the formation of an Advisory Board comprised of prominent individuals who are widely respected for their efforts in resisting war, progressive activism and in support of government transparency. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, board member for the National Whistleblower Center Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle blower Kathleen Gilberd, co-chair of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker Jose Vasquez, executive director of Iraq Veterans against the War US Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), former US State Department official Kevin Zeese, co-founder and executive director, Voters for Peace Letters to Bradley Hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals have sent mail to Bradley at Quantico, and to Kuwait before that. Due to a strict interpretation of confinement facility regulations, Bradley has not received a single letter, and most letters have been returned to sender. This effort has not been in vain as Bradley has been heartened by the mountain of support--even if he is not been allowed to open the letters. To send a message to Bradley, please send letters and postcards to Bradley Manning, c/o Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610. Letters will be opened, "contraband" discarded and the letters then mailed in a weekly package to Bradley via an individual currently on his approved brig correspondence list. Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime! Free Bradley Manning! Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

---

Civilian lawyer takes over defense of accused Wikileaks whistle blower Bradley Manning By the Bradley Manning Support Network. September 1, 2010

The Bradley Manning Support Network is relieved that accused Wikileaks
whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning is finally represented by an
experienced and qualified civilian defense attorney.

After receiving a wide range of opinions from our Network, his
military defense JAGs, and a family member, Bradley has selected
attorney David Coombs of Providence, Rhode Island, to lead his legal
defense. Mr. Coombs has over a decade of experience as a military
trial lawyer and is a former law professor at the Judge Advocate
General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“From our first communications with Bradley, back when he was still
jailed in Kuwait, we pledged to support and fund his choice of
civilian legal representation,” said Jeff Paterson, steering committee
member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, “We’re happy to begin
fulfilling that promise by transferring funds raised to Mr. Coombs for
his retainer and initial legal fees.”

A personal friend of Bradley’s personally verified his selection of
legal counsel during a recent visit at the Marine Corps brig at
Quantico, Virginia. Bradley appeared to be in good health and good
spirits, considering the situation. Bradley again expressed his deep
appreciation for the support and concern of so many.

Over 835 generous individuals have already donated $50,000 towards
Bradley Manning defense, of which $37,500 will go towards legal fees.
In addition to the tax-deductible defense fund, supporters now have
the option of making a non-deductible contribution directly to
Bradley’s IOLTA legal trust account which is managed by Mr. Coombs
under regulation of the American Bar Association. Our tax-deductible
defense fund allocates 25% of funds received for public education
(“Free Bradley Manning” leaflets, posters, etc.), non-profit fiscal
management fees, and credit card transaction fees. However, 100% of
IOLTA legal trust account contributions offset Bradley’s legal
expenses, which are estimated to eventually total $90,000.

To make a non-deductible contribution to the new legal trust account,
please make checks payable to “IOLTA / Manning” and mail to: Courage
to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the defense fund, please make
checks payable to “Courage to Resist”, note “Manning Defense” on the
memo line and mail to: Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41,
Oakland CA 94610. Or online at http://couragetoresist.org/bradley


Days of Action, September 16-19, shaping up

The announcement of a civilian military attorney comes less than a
week after our Network announced the International Days of Action in
Support of Bradley Manning, September 16-19.  Events and rallies have
already been confirmed for New York City NY, Oakland CA, San Diego CA,
Minneapolis MN, Houston TX, London UK, Olympia WA, Columbus OH, and
Quantico VA--near the Marine brig where Bradley is being is currently
being held  in pre-trial confinement. It’s not too late to organize
something in your community!  Email support [at] bradleymanning.org to
discuss your ideas and plans.


Advisory board formed

The Bradley Manning Support Network is also pleased to announce the
formation of an Advisory Board comprised of prominent individuals who
are widely respected for their efforts in resisting war, progressive
activism and in support of government transparency.

Medea Benjamin, founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace
Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, board member for the National Whistleblower Center
Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle blower
Kathleen Gilberd, co-chair of the Military Law Task Force of the
National Lawyers Guild
Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist
Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker
Jose Vasquez, executive director of Iraq Veterans against the War
US Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), former US State Department official
Kevin Zeese, co-founder and executive director, Voters for Peace

Letters to Bradley

Hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals have sent mail to Bradley
at Quantico, and to Kuwait before that. Due to a strict interpretation
of confinement facility regulations, Bradley has not received a single
letter, and most letters have been returned to sender. This effort has
not been in vain as Bradley has been heartened by the mountain of
support--even if he is not been allowed to open the letters.

To send a message to Bradley, please send letters and postcards to
Bradley Manning, c/o Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland
CA 94610. Letters will be opened, "contraband" discarded and the
letters then mailed in a weekly package to Bradley via an individual
currently on his approved brig correspondence list.

Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime! Free Bradley Manning!

---
Bradley Manning Support Network
www.bradleymanning.org

COURAGE TO RESIST E MAIL NEWSLETTER 20AUG10

MORE and more people are taking a stand against the bush era wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here is the latest e mail newsletter from Courage To Resist.

Muslim objector facing deployment Army PFC Nasser Abdo is seeking a conscientious objector discharge, but the military may attempt to force him to deploy to Afghanistan as soon as this weekend. See below, or freenasserabdo.org for updates. UXO Tour needs our help The free anti-war, pro-GI, and pro-GI resistance concert series dedicated to reaching military service members faces financial challenges in staging an important September 10th concert in Washington DC. See below, or uxotour.com. Bradley Manning actions Sept 16-18 Now is the time to start planning your own local event in support of alleged Wikileaks whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning. Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime! Also, donate to his defense, or get "Free Bradley Manning!" shirts, buttons, and posters. Muslim objector facing forced deployment Friends of PFC Nasser Abdo. August 20, 2010 US Army Private First Class Nasser Abdo is seeking a discharge from the military, because he deeply believes that his religious belief as a Muslim forbids him from fighting in any war as a member of the U.S. Military. The 20-year-old applied for conscientious objector status on June 7, 2010, and if granted would be discharged from the military according to the provisions of AR 600-43. Despite PFC Abdo's good faith efforts to seek C.O. status, his unit has decided to deploy him from Fort Campbell, KY to Afghanistan, possibly as soon as August 23, 2010. If deployed, PFC Abdo will be at danger of harassment and even death from his fellow soldiers, many of whom will be resentful of PFC Abdo's religious beliefs and his desire to be discharged from the military. PFC Abdo will continue to do all he can to persuade his unit to cancel his deployment, but if he is unsuccessful in this, he likely will refuse to deploy. PFC Abdo is willing to take this stand of conscience but he shouldn't have to do it alone. We are asking people of conscience to join us in standing with PFC Abdo. A website dedicated to his situation, www.freenasserabdo.org, explains PFC Abdo's case in more detail, and how you can help PFC Abdo in his fight against military religious discrimination. www.freenasserabdo.org UXO Tour needs our help By the UXO Collective. August 20, 2010 The UXO Tour is modeled after the traditional USO Shows offering free concerts and entertainment for troops, yet they are specifically designed to reach out to active-duty personnel who, after nine years of war, are looking for a way to express their disillusionment with the top brass and to resist misguided foreign policy that puts their lives at direct risk. The UXO Tour looks to provide the resources to this ever growing population of soldiers. To support the tour, and specifically the September 10 free concert in Washington DC, please visit uxotour.com UXO is a military acronym for unexploded ordnance that has been deployed, not yet detonated, and still poses a risk. This is an astonishingly accurate description of the GI resistance and anti-war movement. It’s there, it’s growing, and it poses a risk to the war-makers in Washington, but has yet to reach its full potential. The upcoming UXO Show in Washington, DC will continue this message while providing a rallying point for active-duty personnel, veterans, and allies, to effectively support PFC Bradley Manning. Featuring nationally known acts Anti-Flag, State Radio, and Flobots, and co-sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War, the Bradley Manning Support Network, World Can’t Wait, and Courage to Resist, the concert and following action will provide draw for the media and public to see the swelling support of troops and regular Americans that has been growing behind Bradley Manning. www.uxotour.com Bradley Manning actions Sept 16-18 Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network are calling on individuals and organizations around the world to take action in support of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning September 16-18. With dozens of local actions taking place during the same time frame, we hope to take the next step in building an international movement to free Bradley. Events will include public events, film screenings, discussion meetings, house party fundraisers, vigils and rallies. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Courage to Resist is hosting: Afghanistan: Occupation, Wikileaks, and Accused Whistle-blower Army Pfc. Bradley Manning Thursday September 16, 7pm Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland, California Featuring: * Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower * Tom Hayden, author and activist * Aimee Allison, author and KPFA Morning Show Host * Carl Davison, US Marine/Army vet of Guantanamo Bay, Africa, and Asia * Wikileaks "Collateral Murder" video screening Presented by Courage to Resist, with the help of Veterans for Peace-Bay Area Chapter, National Lawyers Guild Bay Area Military Law Panel, CodePink, War Resisters League-West, Iraq Veterans Against the War-Bay Area, Asian Americans for Peace and Justice, and BAY-Peace. Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

---

Army analyst linked to WikiLeaks hailed as antiwar hero 14AUG10

TO find out more, and to support Bradley Manning click the header to go to the website. He is an American hero for exposing war crimes and causing the public to question just what the government is doing in our name....
 

By Michael W. Savage
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 14, 2010; A02


For antiwar campaigners from Seattle to Iceland, a new name has become a byword for anti-establishment heroism: Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning.
Manning, a 22-year-old intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking thousands of classified documents about the Afghanistan war to the Web site WikiLeaks.
The breach has elicited a furious reaction from national security officials, who say it has compromised the safety of U.S.-led forces and their Afghan allies.
Yet, since his arrest in the spring, Manning has become an instant folk hero to thousands of grass-roots activists around the world, some of whom are likening the disclosure to the unauthorized release of the Pentagon Papers or the anonymous tips that helped uncover the Watergate scandal.
Neither Manning nor his attorney have commented on the WikiLeaks dump -- and WikiLeaks has not identified Manning as its source. But chat logs released by an online confidant suggest that the intelligence analyst was as disturbed by U.S. foreign policy as many of the strangers now supporting him.
In the logs, Manning said he had seen "incredible things, awful things" in classified government files. It's "important that it gets out . . . I feel, for some bizarre reason," he said.
The Pentagon has played down the significance of the files disclosed by WikiLeaks. But that has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of Manning's supporters.
Phillip Bailey, an Italian IT specialist living in Croatia, set up a Facebook page to support Manning after he learned of the case. In less than a week, the page had more than 6,000 members.
"When I read [Manning] had been arrested, I knew I had to do something to help the guy," Bailey said. "For me, he has done something really incredible. He did something brave, with a big risk."
Like Bailey, Mike Gogulski, a U.S. citizen living in Slovakia, has never met Manning. He has, nevertheless, set up the Bradley Manning Support Network, a Web site devoted to the cause.
"The story grabbed me," Gogulski said. "It seems to be a new kind of cause. You've got a charismatic young whistleblower being linked to what I've heard called the story of the decade."
Although most of those who contact the Web site are in the United States, Gogulski said he has also received calls from Spain, Germany, Canada, Australia, Italy and Britain.
The group co-coordinating Gogulski's campaign, Courage to Resist, has developed a line of Manning memorabilia, replete with images of the boyish-looking private. There are "Save Bradley Manning!" badges, posters and T-shirts. The products' tagline: "Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime."
Jeff Patterson, head of Courage to Resist, said the group has set an initial goal of $50,000 to support Manning's defense and has already raised $33,000.
The campaign extends beyond the Internet. More than 100 supporters gathered at a hastily organized rally Sunday in Quantico, where Manning is being held at the Marine Corps base. Another took place Thursday night in Oklahoma City, the capital of his home state. Plans are being drawn up for an international day of solidarity.
Andrew Burgin, spokesman for Britain's Stop the War Coalition, said that whoever disclosed the classified material to WikiLeaks had done the public a favor.
Although Manning has not been charged in connection with the more than 90,000 documents leaked to WikiLeaks, he has been charged in the disclosure of U.S. combat video footage showing a helicopter attack that killed several civilians in Iraq.
Burgin said Manning should "be on a par" with Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe at George W. Bush during a Baghdad news conference in 2008.
Peace campaigners hope that Manning's rising profile will spur interest in their cause.
"It is like the story of the boy who cried out that the emperor was wearing no clothes," said Gerry Condon, president of Seattle's branch of Veterans for Peace and a member of the Bradley Manning Support Network.
"He's really becoming a focus that could help revive what has been a somewhat weakened antiwar movement."
Daniel Ellsberg, who was imprisoned for leaking the top-secret Pentagon Papers in 1971, said he felt "great identification" with Manning.
"He's a hero to me," he said. "I haven't seen someone make an unauthorized disclosure on this scale, that would lead to serious charges, for 40 years. It seems he believed, as I did, the stakes involved justified that kind of risk."

5 Passages from the WikiLeaks "Afghan Diary" That Bring the Bizarre, Tragic Reality of War to Life 7AUG10

DOES anyone remember Vietnam???? ANYONE???? This should refresh your memory......It really is a crime that that fascist war pig george w bush didn't send enough troops and material and take advantage of the support from NATO and the world at the start of this war to send us in and take care of bin laden and company and the taliban and then get us out...the war would probably be over by now. But he and his blood thirsty, war mongering cabal had to start the illegal and immoral Iraq war, and so thousands on American and NATO lives have been wasted, hundreds of thousands of Afghan and Iraqi lives have been wasted, over a trillion dollars has been wasted and we are no closer to victory in Afghanistan than when the war started 9 years ago, and Iraq is still fighting itself. It is time to end this war. This has been added to the Afghan War Diary page on this blog.

 

From accounts of prison life to tales of drug smuggling, the Wikileaks memos bring the Afghan war home.

August 7, 2010  |  

Much has been made of the unfolding scandal surrounding the WikiLeaks Afghanistan war cache. Surprisingly less attention has been paid to the vast amount of material itself -- beyond, that is, what the New York Times and Guardian have deemed important enough to publish. Much of the public, including many people who consider themselves engaged in the war debate, seems (understandably) intimidated by the size of the mega-dump and content to let others explain its significance. This is strange, given that perhaps the loudest message of the leakers is that we should never rely only on officials, embeds, and editors.
Putting to the side the political debates swirling around the leak, the material is rich on its own terms, rich in a way that second-hand round-ups and editorializing syntheses simply cannot capture. The mass of 91,000 raw files is perhaps best read (or heavily skimmed) as a very long work of experimental combat non-fiction, with each chapter a narrative bark of unedited, acronym-packed military speak. Over the course of hours, the sheer redundancy of the material -- a drumbeat of tribal skirmishes, dead civilians, and firefights among Afghan cops, soldiers, and militias -- powerfully conveys with incredible compression the daily grind of chaos and violence that is Afghanistan. The WikiLeaks memos make even the shortest wire dispatch read like an Op-Ed. They are bullets by bullet-point.
Below are five memos that gave this reader pause, each for different reasons. They don't represent the most shocking or important details buried in the cache, but are representative of the tiny rough gems you might find perusing the leaks. They are highly compressed true war stories that will lead different people to different conclusions, including none at all.
#1. The Great Escape
Prisons and prisoners are running motifs in the memos. They are full of reports of AAF's (Anti-Afghan Forces) and ACM's (Anti-Coalition Militias) being overcome, disarmed, flex-cuffed and sent off to the nearest base or holding facility. Some describe interrogations, releases and the occasional jailbreak. This entry relays one such escape with a touch of the cinematic despite itself:

On the night of 28 May between 1500Z and 2400Z Mohammed Wali Jan, a detained suspected ACM (Anti-Coalition Militia) was able to use his blanket as a tool and pull in the roof of his cell. From there he climbed the detention facility wall and escaped. The front gate to the PUC (Prison Under Control) facility was secure and we have been able to retrace his movement over the wall and concertina wire and have identified a recent blood trail heading east. Due to this probable escape route we do not at this time suspect any collaboration from HN (Host Nation) workers or terps (interpreters). Searches are being conducted in the local area.

Zawahiri's Gift of Grammar
There are not many Al Qaeda cameos in the WikiLeaks cache, but among them include this arrest made in January of 2004:

Afghan male found drawing map of kabul military training center (kmtc): an afghan male, jaweed ali, was seen drawing a map of kmtc. Jaweed was apprehended at 1000hrs on 12 jan 04 and taken before the 15th kandak commander who asked that the incident be investigated. A search of jaweeds personal effects resulted in the discovery of an english grammar book dedicated to jaweed by zawahiri in arabic. As the name ubl was also found in the same dedication, it was assumed that the zawahiri was the same one known to be an aq member.

The Curse of UX
Numerous documents detail the deaths of young LN's (Local Nationals). There are reports of kids running into streets and being grinded to death by coalition convoys; of young Afghans getting caught in crossfire; and of children being used as mules and spies. Then there are those who make the mistake of playing with UX (Unexploded Ordinance), scattered throughout the country by all sides. This happened in November of 2009:

Col Shamsul [reports] from Barge Matal, that LN children picked up a UXO and were carrying it through town. It detonated and killed 4 and wounded 3. The WIA injuries are burn and schrapnel wounds to the upper body and arms. Col Shamsul requests MEDEVAC of children to CF hospital to receive treatment. 1302z JCC rpts update for incident in Barge Matal. Of the four KIA rpted 2 were women and 2 were children, and one of the WIA has died of wounds. SUM 2xKIA (Women) 3xKIA (Children) 2xWIA (Children)

"Green on Green"
Dozens of documents report violence between factions within the Afghan national forces. These are listed under "Friendly Fire" in a subsection called "Green-Green" conflict. Usually these reports involve firefights between the ANA (Afghan National Army) and the ANP (Afghan National Police). Others describe explosive scuffles and drawn-out battles between tribal militias, who are often allied with ANA or ANP units. In this case , the green on green "Event" involved a rooftop firefight that cut across a moonlit opium haze:

B Coy 1 RIFLES reported that some ABP (Afghan Border Police) high on drugs were arguing and woke up the TERPS (Interpreters). The ABP were later on the roof talking when 3 x shots were fired in the direction of the terps. 1 x ABP fell from the roof apparently from a GSW (Gunshot Wound). QRF (B Coy 1 RIFLES) was alerted and arrived on the scene to deal with the incident and treat the casualty. The casualty later died from his GSW. OCCD (Operational Command Center - District) will investigate at first light A significant proportion of the ABP in PB (Patrol Base) JUGROOM were high on opium and having a party. An argument between an interpreter and a number of policemen ensued; this developed into a fight between the interpreter and the ABP. The Guard Commander was called, and the PB Commander and Plt Sjt attempted to negotiate with the ABP Commander. The majority of the ABP were on the roof of the interpreters accommodation, and a number of shots were fired. The sentry in Sanger 2 fired one shot in response believing the lives of his PB Commander and Platoon Sjt were in danger. One ABP was wounded with a single GSW to his abdomen. It is not known whether the round lead to the ABP casualty was fired by the UK sentry or was fired from another weapon. After the medical attention the GSW proved fatal and the MIRT was stood down.

The Cave
There aren't many documents dealing with the Coalition's war on drugs. Most that do are organized on a WikiLeaks page titled " Smuggling ." Here are found interdiction reports of everything from massive hashish screens to garbage bags of softball-sized orbs of wet opium. Then there is this evocative memo , describing the Afghanistan equivalent of a dime-bag bust:

ANA (Afghan National Army) were conducting a joint patrol vic WB 546 800. CCA (Carrier Controlled Approach) had seen personnel down loading jingle trucks in caves vic that grid. We set up an RP approximately 300 meters from the suspected jingle truck sight and put a dismounted patrol along the road. We established overwatch over the wadi surrounding the area. While attempting to find another cave to the west, we saw a cave to our south with personnel in it. After coming up short looking for jingle trucks, we decided to look into the cave to the South. A man approached us from the cave and began telling a story about his truck breaking down. ANA and CF (Coalition Forces) were searching the area around the man while we were questioning him. They found an AK-47, two pistols, marijuana, several sticks of explosives, det cord, a large number of D cell batteries, blasting caps, a notebook, a book of pictures and other personal items. I then had the ANA place the men in flex cuffs and sit them down. We brought them to Salerno. Of the four men, one is young, and one is older. The fat man with the lazy eye was very quiet the whole time.

BRADLEY MANNING, AMERICAN HERO, (COLLATERAL MURDER) SUPPORT NETWORK FORMED from IVAW 6AUG10

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. Bradley Manning Support Network formed 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