Nearly nine months after he was arrested for allegedly leaking classified material, including diplomatic cables, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was very much in the news this week. His supporters and attorney David Coombs continued to charge that the conditions of his confinement were overly harsh and punitive, while the Pentagon continued to deny that. Amnesty International protested the conditions and so did Rep. Dennis Kucinich, among many others. Coombs revealed that Manning did not, as some had suggested, have dual British citizenship. Manning, he said, was proud to be an American and an American soldier.
With Manning gaining wide attention today, it's worth recalling that two months ago he was largely forgotten. How did so much change?
Even amid the vast Cablegate coverage, as I trace in my new book The Age of WikiLeaks, Manning got little notice, although the blog FireDogLake kept on the case. Then, on December 15, Glenn Greenwald at Salon delivered a strong piece on Manning's "inhumane detention."
He charged that the conditions constituted "cruel and inhumane treatment and, by the standards of many nations, even torture. "Interviews with several people directly familiar with the conditions of Manning's detention, ultimately including a Quantico brig official (Lt. Brian Villiard) who confirmed much of what they conveyed, establishes that the accused leaker is subjected to detention conditions likely to create long-term psychological injuries." A key point: The private had not yet been convicted of anything.
Liberal blogs highlighted Greenwald's piece and two days later The Guardian carried a report on Manning's health "deteriorating." He was subject to some form of suicide watch, but it seemed to his attorney more punitive than necessary.
On December 19, Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, supplied some fresh details at his blog: "PFC Manning is held in his cell for approximately 23 hours a day. The guards are required to check on PFC Manning every five minutes by asking him if he is okay. PFC Manning is required to respond in some affirmative manner. At night, if the guards cannot see PFC Manning clearly, because he has a blanket over his head or is curled up towards the wall, they will wake him in order to ensure he is okay. He receives each of his meals in his cell. He is not allowed to have a pillow or sheets."
The same day, NBC Nightly News paid a visit to Manning's hometown in Oklahoma. A former Marine there said he should be executed. Others were not much more sympathetic. Lester Holt, the correspondent, suggested that some felt that the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy then in effect might have contributed to Manning's decision to break ranks.
Four days later, David House, who had befriended Manning, filed a report at FireDogLake (which had been following the soldier's plight closer than any site) on his recent visits with Bradley Manning at Quantico. He contradicted many of the military's claims about his treatment.
On December 27, Glenn Greenwald revived a key component of the Manning saga, by ripping Wired for a "journalistic disgrace... For more than six months, Wired's Senior Editor Kevin Poulsen has possessed -- but refuses to publish -- the key evidence in one of the year's most significant political stories: the arrest of US Army PFC Bradley Manning for allegedly acting as WikiLeaks' source... This has long ago left the realm of mere journalistic failure and stands as one of the most egregious examples of active truth-hiding by a 'journalist' I've ever seen." Of course, he was referring to the unpublished portions of the Manning-Adrian Lamo chat logs.
The following day, Wired editor Evan Hansen and senior editor Poulsen responded separately. "It's odd to find myself in the position of writing a defense of someone who should be held up as a model," Hansen wrote, referring to Poulsen. "But it is unfortunately necessary, thanks to the shameless and unjustified personal attacks he's faced." Bottom line: Hansen still refused to print the full chat logs, citing privacy concerns, but said he might do it in the future.
Greenwald quickly responded, again pointing out that Lamo had made claims about Manning's direct contacts with Assange that were not borne out by the published chat logs. He concluded: "Ultimately, what determines one's credibility is not the names you get called or the number of people who get angry when you criticize them. What matters is whether the things you say are well-supported and accurate, to correct them if they're not, and to subject yourself to the same accountability and transparency you demand of others."
In any event, the exchanges sparked an important update by the Wired editors. They revealed that they had reviewed the chat logs and found no unpublished Manning references to Assange. This seemed to undermine some of Lamo's claims and might make it harder to prosecute Assange in this matter.
Then, on January 3, Manning's lawyer Coombs hinted that he would soon file motion to dismiss the charges against Manning due to lack of a speedy trial guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Two days later, on the Democracy Now! radio program, well-known writer Dr. Atul Gawande, referring to the Manning case, said, "People experience solitary confinement as even more damaging than physical torture." More than 30,000 people signed a petition on Manning's behalf.
As charges of cruel treatment of Manning continued, a Pentagon spokesman responded by describing the prisoner's confinement as "maximum," not "solitary," since others were incarcerated nearby and he did get to watch some TV and see visitors -- and was being treated like others in the unit. David Coombs challenged this assessment, charging that Manning, in fact, was the only prisoner in "maximum" custody while others were held in "medium" detention.
And the protests continued.
Mitchell's book "The Age of WikiLeaks" is his eleventh and is only available here. He blogs daily about WikiLeaks at The Nation site.
Follow Greg Mitchell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GregMitch
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20110214/leaks/default.htm
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
There is no exemption there for members of the Military. Nor should there be Why should it be a right of our elected leaders to torture anyone, let alone an American member of the armed forces?
Remember the old saying, "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."
Let's update
First they came for Bradley Manning and Julian Assange.....
We had all better wake up and understand that these 2 are being used as an example to the rest of us. Do not question our barbaric tactics or YOU will be next.
R. Buckminster Fuller
I never understand people who use computers and think their actions aren't logged--whither it be a cashier, someone spending their time on the internet instead of working, or someone taking files from a company/government computer. For crying out loud, your actions on your own home computer are logged.
But that is all smokescreen for it for it ignores the elephant in the room which is "how did someone like Manning have access to all of this information in the first place?" Either the security was extremely relaxed (if in place at all) which is a command problem, the responsibility for the crime therefore falling on command as well, or, the information was widely available and not considered to be all that sensitive, in which case, Manning, if he did this at all, was merely embarassing his superiors for making public what was already widely known. Clearly, there is a command and security problem here that is the responsibilty of those who were above manning in rank. The buck stops at the top which is where most security problems begin.
Manning has actually done little to compromise our nation's security and has probably done far more toward making us as a people more conscious of what we do and how we are perceived around the world than any of our leaders have. What he supposedly did was illegal but he is not supposed to be punished until after his conviction. And because he is being punished, I suspect it is because he exposed a major security flaw that now embarasses the goverment and the military command.
"Perhaps the nation's security is truly in the wrong hands!"
How can you be so critical? (Joke.) If three million people have access to this stuff how on earth can any organisation have kept it free of 23-year-old loose cannons (sic), or people connected to every other foreign government, major corporation or anyone else who might be interested.
That's what is missing in all this. The fact that Bradley Manning was (perhaps) able to release this stuff shows that everyone that is at all interested already knows it - except the public.
All governments have agents in place, have had forever, and are investing more heavily than ever in espionage. Even here in little Australia the fanciest, highest-tech, most modern, most prominent building ever to be built in our nation's capital (Canberra, not Sydney or Melbourne) is being built right now - and it is all about espionage. (Time was when you had to ask a taxi-driver where the spooks lived. Now you can Google it.)
Something to keep in mind on election day.
In fact, I may have suffered financial penalties because of my comments regarding Bush's crimes.
Your sarcasm suggests that you are not a person of principle and can't even imagine that such people exist.
Too bad for you.
But the Brits had habeas corpus even then - and that right has now been taken away by Bush and Obama and the congress and the cowards on the courts - who are even willing to decide that people are not "persons" because they don't want them to have the rights that "persons' are guaranteed under the constitution.
One would think the U.S. Government would want a speedy, hi profile trial to prevent others from taking a similar course. The long delay indicates they either don't have the evidence they need to convict Manning or that they hope they can pressure him into implicating Assange.
Either way, the U.S. Government's behavior is inexcusable.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/19/wikileaks-a-somewhat.html
Look, the government's main objective here is much less about Private Manning than it is about using Manning to get at Assange, and THAT is the connection they have been unable to make, so they continue to hold Manning in an attempt to break him.
We've allowed the abrogation of every right afforded to us by the Magna Carta. Or was that the Bill of Rights? Constitution? Or could we actually still enjoy all of those? And more?
Nahhhh...
The problem with this society is that nobody has any MORE rights!
I'm sure now that I'm guaranteed my right to a heated/air-conditioned apartment, clothing, fresh vegetables, health care, a wide screen tv and an X-Box. Aunt Zetuni gets these and more, and without employment, so as a US citizen I can't imagine that I'd be guaranteed less... But we need MORE!
Suspected criminals are doomed in this Nazi land. The incarcerated fare worse here than ever or anywhere before evidenced by a lack of Pay-per-View and private suites. If you've ever had the Stroganoff at a federal penitentiary you'd know from whence I speak.
Treason a punishable offense? Isn't treason good for the country? If PFC Manning sees fit (onetime Specialist, demoted for assault) with the untold wisdom he'd been able to compile in 22 years of experience, shouldn't he be able to compromise any and all persons and matters of national security without worry of censure? Jeesh...
The wikileaks releases have sparked an audacious and increasing peace based (r)evolution, ignited in Tunisia, that is building up to chase the empire(s) out of town. The Egyptian military (who are recruited, as always, from the community) are protecting the community from the lies and thugs of the Empire Builders
We might be wise to get out into the streets, and chase those perps living right around us here in the U.S. out of our communities and into the cell with Manning to give him someone to talk to.
Like right now, while they are on the run...
Something unforeseeable not so long ago is afoot.