According to Bradley Manning’s attorney David Coombs, Manning’s confinement conditions have improved dramatically. veryone who said that Manning was being stripped naked, held in solitary confinement and shackled in chains “for his own good” was evidently lying. It should be obvious to everyone now that Manning’s mental health status was being mis-classified as a way to abuse and punish him, in complete violation of both the Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Accused Wikileaks whistleblower PFC. Bradley Manning will be removed from solitary confinement and placed in medium security at Fort Leavenworth prison, according to reports from journalists who took a tour of the Kansas facility today.

The first report of Manning’s move came from National Catholic Review reporter Joshua J. McElwee, who said that after the tour of the Leavenworth facility, military officials announced that Manning would be moved to medium security tomorrow morning.

Jane Hamsher was on MSNBC this afternoon to speak about PFC. Bradley Manning’s surprise transfer from Quantico to Fort Leavenworth, away from his attorney, his friends, and his family. Jane called on Obama to explain why he said Manning’s treatment met basic standards, when the Pentagon admitted yesterday Manning’s treatment was “rare, if not unprecedented.”

Yesterday the Pentagon surprised everybody – including Bradley Manning’s lawyer – with news that the accused Wikileaks whistleblower will be moved from the Quantico brig in Virginia to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Pentagon’s lawyer, Jeh Johnson, announced Manning’s transfer in a snap press conference (video embedded) that revealed the government’s strategy: take Manning to a place “not in the Washington[, DC] area” where he will “likely be in pre-trial confinement for a while.”

Bradley Manning is set to be moved to the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the only maximum security prison for members of the military, and the home to the military’s Death Row. The Pentagon is expected to announce the move tomorrow.

Dennis Kucinich again spoke out against the US Government’s refusal to allow him to have an “official visit” with Wikileaks whistleblower Pfc. Bradley Manning, saying that Manning’s treatment “is more consistent with Kafka than the US Constitution.”

On Twitter last night, Crowley renewed his campaign against the Pentagon’s torture of Manning. In two tweets, Crowley contrasted the State Department’s push for human rights for an American held by North Korea with the Pentagon’s decision to “play by its own rules” in denying the UN Special Rappoteur on Torture an official visit with Bradley Manning.

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. Sign our letter to Quantico and Pentagon leaders: follow your own rules and allow official visits to PFC. Bradley Manning. Click here to add your name.

Government officials and Quantico Marine base have blocked official visits to PFC. Bradley Manning by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Amnesty International, and the UN Special Rappateur on torture.

It was one year ago today – April 5, 2010 – that Wikileaks released a video it titled “Collateral Murder,” that the organization described as “shot from an Apache helicopter gun-site, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers,” and the injury of two children. None of us had heard the name Bradley Manning one year ago. Indeed, 365 days ago, PFC. Manning was in Baghdad, serving as an Army intelligence specialist. Today, Manning sits in almost total solitary confinement at the Quantico Marine Brig, having been charged with allegedly leaking the Collateral Murder video and other documents currently in Wikileaks’ possession.