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The US Government appears to be sweating from the heat brought on by the United Nations after the international organization’s lead torture investigator publicly criticized the United States’ decision to deny official visits to Wikileaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. As Marcy Wheeler wrote this morning, “the State Department is might confused about what to do when the international community calls you on your human rights abuses.”
US Military regulations clearly state that Members of Congress, such as Rep. Dennis Kucinich, are allowed to have “official visits” with PFC. Manning at the Quantico brig. That means no one can eavesdrop on their conversation, and nothing from the visit can be used against Manning at his trial. Additionally, as Marcy noted yesterday,
Apparently, our “national interest” in the credibility of the UN extends only so far as it allows us to bomb other countries, but not so far as it might expose our own treatment of detainees to independent evaluation.
What do Quantico and the Pentagon have to hide? Are they afraid of what Bradley Manning might say about his treatment when the brig cameras are turned off?
For 9 months and counting, Bradley Manning has faced almost complete solitary confinement. He is still forced to strip nude nightly. He is still in maximum custody with an unnecessary “Prevention of Injury” order – far beyond that of any other detainee. He is still cut off from appropriate exercise and other rights afforded prisoners at the brig.
When confronted about Manning’s harsh treatment, President Obama said the Pentagon had reassured him that Manning’s confinement met “basic standards.“ If Manning’s conditions meets our “basic standards,” then why is the government going to such great lengths to keep him from meeting with official visitors?
Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, have tried to visit Manning for months to investigate Manning’s conditions in their official capacity. The Pentagon and Quantico Marine Base must allow official visits to Bradley Manning immediately.
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Manning is one tough Marine! The corps should be proud of him!
(Manning is Army being held at a Marine brig)
Signed. Sealed. Delivered.
Imagine the US military and government being so askeered of one PFC!
It’s quite amazing when you think of it.
Or, maybe, they just hate Manning for his freedoms.
Imagining O crossing his arms, stomping his feet,pursing his lips, frowning and lighting up a cigarette. How DARE anyone defy him that way.
This shows how far we’ve slid down the slippery slope. Could this have happened in the US a mere twenty years ago? I doubt Bill Clinton, for all his faults, would do it, yet here we have an authority of Constitutional law ripping the Constitution to shreds.
I’ve signed your petition, but I have little hope it will succeed. Increasing publicity and the UN (so much for those who say it is nothing) may change things. Win or lose, it should be clear online petitions are not a winning strategy. We should have seen enough by now to know we must return to the drawing board.
I know some Obama True Believers who think Manning’s treatment is perfectly justified.
I am not friends with them anymore.
Ah yes, america the beautiful, home of the brave — the bestest country in the world.
Signed the letter.
{{{Margot}}}
Sit by me!
I know some people like that – I keep my distance. I just don’t understand them.
Yes … if ONLY Manning would betray Assange … like Khadr (falsely) betrayed Maher … and so on. All would be well. Oh. Wait. Khadr is STILL in Gitmo after a show trial. Never mind!
Signed and retweeted!
Do you think Clinton really has any say so about this or other captive issues? Either she doesn’t or she really doesn’t care what things are or how they look to the world.
The U.S. has gotten so used to pushing its weight around the world, I think it doesn’t care what anyone else sez, thinks or does anymore.
No visitors, no sleep, and being stripped nakid is basic standards? We should ask Obama if Brad was African American would he be ok with that?
Obama is very careful to appear to do nothing to help African Americans he wants to be race neutral sooo bad.
Sooner or later people will notice Bradley is White some GOPer will say Bradley’s treatment is proof Obama hates White people.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you O.
Obama got elected Senator in part because of Hispanic outrage in Illinois over the Rolondo Cruz death penalty case and the racist treatment Rolondo got Obama in fact help make a law requiring all death penalty police confessions be video taped.
But now Obama won’t even let Bradley have visitors? Some people might say Obama will say anything to get elected some will say Obama hates White People.
And you know what I don’t care to defend Obama either way.
Obama does not care about Human Rights but he does care that the GOP will use Obama’s treatment of Bradley to call him a racist.
When you contrast Obama’s actions regarding Hispanic Rolondo Cruz with how Bradley is treated Obama is leaving himself open to calls of racism.
You’re missing their point. If you don’t agree with what someone does, or who they have sex with, it’s okay to treat them like shit.
It’s the Republican Way™.
Signed.
I wonder what the brig commander would feel like after a couple days in a VN tiger cage. McSFB didn’t like how the North Vietnamese treated him but he doesn’t mind if we treat people, whether Americans or not, the same way.
As much as I understand intellectually that victims turn into victimizers, I still can’t wrap my emotional brain around it.
International pressure is the only lever we have to get Manning released from his current state of torture. We like to think that our great achievements are home-grown, but probably the most important factor aiding the early stages of the Civil Rights movement was the perception by Federal officials that suppressing Negro rights was bad for our image abroad. Competition with the Soviet Union suppressed American fascist tendencies on a broad front. Since 1989 that constraint has been removed, and the PTB have been unrestrained in their quest for unlimited power.
If you have friends abroad, write them to put pressure on their governments to put pressure on ours. Manning’s torture is an egregious violation of international (not to mention domestic, which doesn’t seem enforceable anymore) law.
You can write the Pentagon all the letters you want, Obama now OWNS this decision AND he knows FDLers are going to vote for him regardless what he does.
Ever bother to read the blog or the comments here, champ?
Maybe we need to get Lady Gaga personally involved. One tweet from her and a few million fans will bombard the government over this.
And allegedly a Gaga cd was used in this farce of a “crime”…
x2
I just love people who know what I’m gonna do. Soothsayers never know what the fuck they’re talking about.
Hell, if Lady Gaga got involved half the military would be calling for his release.
That’s a good idea. You should email her. Or DM her on twitter. Or call her people. Or whatever it is you do to get in touch with a celebrity. Facebook?
It’s a shame. Bailey should make an effort to read and comprehend the comments and the blogs before spewing baseless shit on a Bradley Manning post.
me too, please??? I have dumped friends and family for Bradley, also for the Israel/Gaza madness.
X100 Both of you hit his TROLL comments spot on.. They do get a bit tiring don’t they… I just signed the Petition from the PCCC:
“President Obama: If you cut Medicare and Medicaid benefits for me, my parents, my grandparents, or families like mine, don’t ask for a penny of my money or an hour of my time in 2012. I’m going to focus on electing bold progressive candidates — not Democrats who help Republicans make harmful cuts.”
Yeah right I am going to support BO after His track Record??? give me a fucking break!!
this was in reply to “reader” May I sit with you, too?
I call the WH daily re Manning and heckle the volunteers who take the comments…”You are working for free for Obama the torturer, you should be ashamed of yourself!”
Bailey—-I’ve been a FDL reader for years and I have to say I will not be voting for Obama a second time. Obama is the same as any other GOP. If Obama is the dem candidate I’ll just add to the GOP numbers. There is no D or R with Obama. It’s all hype in order to divide and conquer. The two parties?–those above 250,000 per year who like keeping others down, and those below 250,000 per year who are done taking crap and see the wealthy and corps rip others off.
Sorry if the following link has already been posted, but, Glenn Greenwald made some interesting observations in regards to this matter.
Private Manning’s Humiliation
It is signed by more than 250 of America’s most eminent legal scholars and in part states the following:
It’s about time that other “leaders” came out to rebuke what the President is doing.
Talk is cheap. Think about it, when it came time to stand up & protest fundraise, campaign against & vote against Coakley, did FDL take a position? When it came time to do the dame against Harry Reid? I guess you forget Jane’s championing our “true” Progressive Russ Feingold’s reelection attempt. Care to name one “Progressive” push he made in Obama’s 1st 2 years? Remember, that’s when we desperately needed credible leadership to stand up to Rahm & Barry?
There are a few amazing contributers here (Jon & Marcie in particular) & a few commenters I believe who obviously have exceeded their patience for Obama, but for the most part, an awful lot of the noise around here sounds like “tribal” whining to me. And, because this is the cream of “Progressive” sites, this pretty much explains why Obama so casually beats up Progressives, just for kicks, doesn’t it?
I AGREE, I know we are not alone, & I’ve commented so several times.
That’s a pretty big leap, isn’t it, to extend my thoughts on many commenters to Jane & team’s efforts on behalf of specific & highly courageous efforts? I’ve commented before, Jane has done amazingly well in walking a tenuously delicate line in dealing with Obama’s flagrant disregard for the “truths” he preached on. Obama’s insiders have shown themselves to be immoral, unscrupulous, and corrupt. But, they have enormous power & no mercy for those who challenge it.
Here’s a simple question from this Troll: In light of Obama’s callous response re: Bradley Manning, is there ANYTHING he can do between now & the 2012 election to earn the votes of ideological Democrats? (Remember, the Repubs. control the House, so his idle words about fighting for Democratic ideals no longer count for squat.)
I won’t