Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
The nightmare started back in July of 2010. Pvt. Bradley Manning was arrested and detained in the Brig at the Quantico Marine Base on allegations that he stole and then leaked classified documents to Wikileaks. The conditions that Pvt. Manning has been held under have been outrageous from the start. He has suffered shackling, solitary confinement and he has not been allowed normal contact with visitors and the outside world. His visitors have been denied access to him and now the latest humiliating tactic being used by the Department of Defense is to force Pvt. Manning to strip naked in his cell for hours!
“All Americans should be horrified and outraged by yesterday’s revelations that PFC Bradley Manning, already being held under Maximum Security and a Prevention of Injury (POI) order, has now been forced to spend seven hours each night and morning stripped naked: Last night, PFC Manning was inexplicably stripped of all clothing by the Quantico Brig. He remained in his cell, naked, for the next seven hours. At 5:00 a.m., the Brig sounded the wake-up call for the detainees. At this point, PFC Manning was forced to stand naked at the front of his cell. The Duty Brig Supervisor (DBS) arrived shortly after 5:00 a.m. When he arrived, PFC Manning was called to attention. The DBS walked through the facility to conduct his detainee count. Afterwards, PFC Manning was told to sit on his bed. About ten minutes later, a guard came to his cell to return his clothing.” ‘ Firedoglake How can a detainee who has not been convicted of anything and has been an exemplary prisoner be subjected to this kind of treatment? It appears that this latest degrading treatment is in response to a remark made by Manning when his Article 138 request to be removed from the suicide watch was denied. David E. Combs, Esq.
‘“Brig officials notified defense lawyers that mental health providers were not consulted in deciding to strip manning of his clothes. “This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification. It is an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated,” Coombs said. “No other detainee at the Brig is forced to endure this type of isolation and humiliation.”’ RawStory We have a situation where the United State government has been holding a prisoner who has only recently been charged with leaking classified documents and more recently the charges were amended to add in a charge of “aiding the enemy”. This is not some convicted killer that requires some tougher sanctions to keep him under control. This is a soldier who has been a model prisoner who just wants to be treated according to the law and according to normal military procedures.
Didn’t President Obama make it a campaign issue that he considered the Bush interrogation methods as torture and that those methods were illegal and that they would not be continued under his administration? I realize that the claim has been made that those methods have been outlawed at Gitmo, but I wonder why they haven’t been outlawed at Quantico? If Pvt. Manning is guilty of leaking classified documents, then prove it in a trial or court-martial.
Is there another reason why Manning has been the recipient of these harsh measures? Could the Obama Administration and the Department of Defense just be embarrassed that the leaked documents actually showed that they had been lying to the American people by taking official steps to prevent Bush-era torture from being investigated internationally? Anyone who reads about the horrible treatment that Private Manning has been receiving from our government, should be ashamed and outraged. What are we going to do about it?
Additional Sources: Emptywheel
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
One broad objective of our government is to crush dissent and broaden state power.
Keeping that in mind, there are two reasons for the torture of Manning in prison:
1. To coerce evidence – real or falsified – against Assange. This evidence will support his extradition to the United States. Once extradited, Assange will be tortured, tried and executed to media acclaim. Wikileaks staff and supporters will also be punished.
2. To severely deter future whistleblowers. This is accomplished by being sure that the public knows the array of barbaric conditions and tortures Manning (and future whistleblowers) will be subjected to, even without trial. Ultimately, Manning will be executed.
Tootie,
There has been no declaration of war, but that didn’t stop the Bush administration from torturing detainees and now citizens are being abused by the Obama government. Where and how do we stop this abuse?
eniobob
I’m usually the last to know about things. I appreciate that it is not true in this case.
Sadly.
To: I Don’t Care
And your description of prison rape? If leftists put you in jail: YOU WILL CARE?
Or most likely enjoy it? Why else do you advocate it for others?
“14 Tootie 1, March 5, 2011 at 4:24 pm
To: I Don’t Care
What war? Did I miss the declaration?”
Tootie:If you missed that declaration don’t feel bad you are** NOT** alone on that question.
To: I Don’t Care
What war? Did I miss the declaration?
Forced nudity and sexual humiliation by government officials is a key feature of a government prepped to commit mass murder and genocide on its own people (democide). When government does this without flinching you can be sure your government, military, and police forces are ready to murder their own in large numbers (absolute power murders).
Obama is in charge of this. (please note: molesters at the TSA, DHS)
I wonder why the guy is on suicide watch anyway? It wouldn’t have anything to do with his being tortured by government officials?
Pay some schmuck to watch him on camera 24/7 and give him some clothes. Even if they are those awful paper exam clothes you wear before the doctor checks you over. In Florida hospitals (where “disturbed” people are held under the Baker Act) the detained individual is observed by security cameras, has hospital clothes on, and hangs out in a room with an open door (observable) to medical personnel at all times.
Put him in a room with a nurses desk just outside it. Have it staffed 24/7.
Rafflaw asks what can we do about this?
Not much when our leaders are lawless, have militarized our local police, ask us to spy on each other at Wal Mart, sexually molest us at transport hubs, and demonize those devoted to the Constitution. Democrats are in charge of totalitarian police-state and they like it real well. In my day leftists loathed the police state. Not much hope now.
Pray.
Because the government tyrants, perverts, Torquemadas, and despots are already in the gates and we have armed them to the hilt.
Thanks for the correction Gyges!:)
Rafflaw,
That’s only for innocent people. Guilty people don’t deserve a trial.
IDC,
Don’t our laws assume innocence until proven guilty?
Why not put him in general population so some nut case can break a broom stick off in his ass so you bleading heart liberal, dope smoking hippies would have something to really cry about. I hope they put him to death after they find him guilty of treason during a war…….
Elaine,
I was assured that they would only use those techniques on enemy combatants. Since this guy isn’t the enemy, and his alleged crime was non-violent it must be just plain torture.
rafflaw,
Thanks for keeping up on this horrific story! If enough people keep screaming there’s a chance to stop this. Gyges, you are right.
You are right Gyges. Who else are they treating in this manner? What other citizens are being stripped naked?
Gyges,
It’s not torture! It’s called enhanced interrogation techniques.
Hey, does anybody remember way back when the fact that the Bush Regime tortured people came to light? People kept saying that if we let the government torture foreign nationals it will lead to them torturing U.S. citizens?
Sometimes being right sucks.
Thanks for doing a post on Bradley Manning!
Bradley Manning’s forced nudity to occur daily
By Glenn Greenwald
(3/5/2011)
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/05/manning/index.html
Excerpt:
To follow-up on yesterday’s observations about the prolonged forced nudity to which Bradley Manning has been subjected the last two days: brig officials now confirm to The New York Times that Manning will be forced to be nude every night from now on for the indefinite future — not only when he sleeps, but also when he stands outside his cell for morning inspection along with the other brig detainees. They claim that it is being done “as a ‘precautionary measure’ to prevent him from injuring himself.”
Has anyone before successfully committed suicide using a pair of briefs — especially when under constant video and in-person monitoring? There’s no underwear that can be issued that is useless for killing oneself? And if this is truly such a threat, why isn’t he on “suicide watch” (the NYT article confirms he’s not)? And why is this restriction confined to the night; can’t he also off himself using his briefs during the day?
*****
Bradley Manning could face death: For what?
By Glenn Greenwald
(3/3/2011)
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/03/manning/index.html
Thanks for the link eniobob. It is a sad story that is still going on.
Sexual Sadist Denise Barnes Strips Bradley Manning Naked Over Sarcastic Quip
By: Jane Hamsher Saturday March 5, 2011 10:27 am
Bradley Manning civilian clothesBradley Manning’s attorney, David Coombs, writes about the true reason Bradley Manning is being stripped each night and forced to report naked each morning in the same way prisoners were tortured at Abu Graib:
http://firedoglake.com/