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
James and Buckeye,
“In my opinion, solitary confinement – that is confinement of a prisoner alone in a cell for all or nearly all of
the day, with minimal environmental stimulation and minimal opportunity for social interaction – can can
cause severe psychiatric harm.”
http://www.prisoncommission.org/statements/grassian_stuart_long.pdf
“It has been convincingly documented on numerous occasions that solitary confinement may cause
serious psychological and sometimes physiological ill effects.3 Research suggests that between onethird
and as many as 90 per cent of prisoners experience adverse symptoms in solitary confinement.
A long list of symptoms ranging from insomnia and confusion to hallucinations and psychosis has
been documented. Negative health effects can occur after only a few days in solitary confinement,
and the health risks rise with each additional day spent in such conditions.”
http://www.solitaryconfinement.org/uploads/Istanbul_expert_statement_on_sc.pdf
Well, I’d say that forcing this man into months of solitary confinement pretty much meets the definition of “an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental,” is being “intentionally inflicted on” Pvt. Manning “for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person.”
“Hey Mikey, it’s people like you who think this guy is a hero and has courage who make me sick. Were you ever in the military or did you run off to Canada instead. You wouldn’t know courage if it jumped up and bit you in the butt.”
I was 4f in the Viet Nam era for high blood pressure and a lifelong heart condition backed up the SSS designation.
However, I was in various marches and protests trying to end that illegal and fruitless war. As for courage I can top any exploit of courage you might think you’ve evinced, but why bother when I’m responding to a tough talking nonentity who reveals nothing of themselves but false bravado. With the tendency to talk tough, while displaying their ignorance of the topic. In other words a pimply, overweight high school kid, who unfortunately
salves his insecure psyche with fantasies of heroism.
Ay, I think Pres. Huckabee will change things……….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-dennis-kucinich/is-this-quantico-or-abu-g_b_831606.html
by Rep. Dennis Kucinich
U.S. House Representative
March 4, 2011 03:39 PM
Is This Quantico or Abu Ghraib?
After initial allegations of mistreatment, I requested a visit with Private First Class Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking classified information to WikiLeaks, to see for myself the conditions of his treatment.
Despite the fact that Manning has not been found guilty of any crime, his lawyer reports that he is in isolation 23 out of 24 hours every day, conditions which may violate his 8th Amendment protection from ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment. This treatment is in stark contrast to a presumption of innocence and raises questions of whether Pfc. Manning can be fit for trial.
My request to visit with Pfc. Manning must not be delayed further. Today we have new reports that Manning was stripped naked and left in his cell for seven hours. While refusing to explain the justification for the treatment, a marine spokesman confirmed the actions but claimed they were “not punitive.”
Is this Quantico or Abu Ghraib? Officials have confirmed the “non-punitive” stripping of an American soldier who has not been found guilty of any crime. This “non-punitive” action would be considered a violation of the Army Field Manual if used in an interrogation overseas. The justification for and purpose of this action certainly raises questions of “cruel and unusual punishment,” and could constitute a potential violation of international law.
———————-
The Army Field Manual, 2-22.3 (FM 34-52): Human Intelligence Collector Operations, Page 5-21, section 5-75 clearly states that: “If used in conjunction with intelligence interrogations, prohibited actions include, but are not limited to — Forcing the detainee to be naked, perform sexual acts or pose in a sexual manner.”
SWM,
That is what is scary…. Nothing has really changed but the guard….
http://www.salon.com/news/wikileaks/index.html?story=/news/feature/2011/03/05/wikileaks_marines_defend_manning_nude
AY We have essentially the same military personnel as we had with Bush.
This is sad…unfortunately it is a continuation of the predecessors policy….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/05/AR2011030503686.html I hope the MSM continues to pick up on the Manning story. The Washington Post article is a start. Thank you, rafflaw, for continuing to bring this up.
Well, I still remember in horror the bizarre interview of Justice Scallia (sp?) telling Lesslie Stall in 60 Minutes (some 6 months ago) that the Constitution does not have anything forbidding torture. When Leslie parroted the famous “cruel and undue punishment” he burst: “Punishment? what are we punishing him for?!” Namely, torture is a stand-alone act, not a punishment.
He may legally be right, but by me!
It is through such events that we can see the vicious behavior of our legal system.
Our leaders have forgotten that absolute power is an evil. And our inability to rein in government abuse after decades of elections proves that absolute power is in full operation.
Nullify. Do it now. Do it often.
And if they buck it: secession would be our last resort. Then we will see what kind of people they really are: will they mow us down or not? Will they murder us because we will not agree to their despotism?
They need to see who THEY are. And we need to see where we stand.
Another tool is a constitutional convention. Once 2/3 the states’ legislatures call for one Congress has to agree to it. If they don’t, a mass march on Washington would be in order to MAKE them do it.
Nullification, constitutional convention, secession. And the central government probably WOULD respond with violence.
And of course they will murder us. ALL of us. This government will not hesitate to mow us all down once they and their state organs, the corporations, perceive that we are a threat to them.
The only real chance Pvt Manning has of getting a fair trial and humane treatment resides with us, the public. It is vital to his survival that we keep his name on our lips and publicize every action those who are in charge of his imprisonment and prosecution take.
Every two weeks I send an email to the President, Vice-President, Secy. of Defense, Secy. of State, my U. S. Senator and House Representative inquiring as to the legal status and physical health of Pvt. Manning.
Elaine, you are correct. “Some people believe…” does not make it so. There are ingenious ways to torture that leave no marks. Sleep deprivation is one of the worst. Extreme sleep deprivation can actually cause the body to shut down and end in death. Many years ago Dr. Hans Selye at McGill pioneered the study of stress on a living organism. He coined the term General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to describe the phenomenon. He found organ damage in mice that had been subjected to prolonged stress.
So much for the organ failure excuse of Lord Cheney.
It seems that they are making an example of Bradley Manning, attempting to intimidate anyone who steps out of “their” parameters. Of course, he has done nothing to deserve the treatment he is getting, now with even more cruelty. Then remember who has the most to lose with the documents that WikiLeaks has disclosed, our very own Hilary Clinton, who is not known for taking prisoners.
Our liberties are very fragile at this time, since even criticizing government here can get you on a list. The is outrageous and frightening and fear is their weapon to control the masses, in American and elsewhere.
Manning and Assange have been charged with disclosing information we have a right to know, and the transparency we were promised and has yet to be given.
We must stand together as a people and let the government know we oppose treatment of Bradley Manning in this manner without a trial, and even if he had a trial and been found guilty such treatment is un-American and is outrageous.
Other countries are losing respect for us, and we well deserve it. We are living under double speak and what Obama and Hilary announce publicly as universal human rights is certainly becoming disguised as something else here. Thank you, Bradley Manning, as the people are outraged with your treatment and find it abhorrent. Please hold on to your reality and do not let those who are breaking the law in your treatment cause you to lose yourself. You are strong and remember that you have been given new strengths to handle this through your special overseer. I called it a guardian angel when under political persecution.
You have many supporters out here who think and pray for your release daily.
I also thank your attorney who is fighting the fight to protect your rights. This is all appealable and can result in embarassent to the military and Attorney General’s office. The world is watching.
Any soldier who participates in this cruelty and torture should be charged with violating their oath to uphold the constitution. I have no respect for any military persons involved in torture of any American citizen, military or foreign prisoner.
God is watching.
rafflaw
No, I am a victim of calling an action by it’s appropriate name. Shackling, solitary confinement, and forced nudity occurs in every civilian and military prison in the United States as anyone who has watched the prisoner reality shows will know.
Is it your position that the authorities of all these institutions should be tried for torture? If not, then why consider this particular prisoner to have been tortured? If so, why has no one called for these authorities to be prosecuted for torture?
Now the case could be made that Pvt. Manning has undergone cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and that is also prohibited under the Convention against Torture.
“Because it is often difficult to distinguish between cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and torture, the Committee regards Article 16’s prohibition of such treatment as similarly absolute and non-derogable.[6]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_Against_Torture#Signatories_of_CAT
Perhaps you see no distinction between torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment – as the UN states, it is difficult – but I am condemned to make that distinction in Pvt. Manning’s case. He may have been treated to cruel and degrading treatment – it’s difficult to determine just what has happened with all the hoopla – but not inhuman treatment or torture as far as I can tell. I would prefer to reserve the word torture for those acts so inhuman or henious that no one could deny it is torture (other than Professor Yoo, et al).
Because his case has been mishandled under the Uniform Code of Military Justice as I read it – not that I’m a lawyer, of course, his case will be difficult if not impossible to prosecute.
Otteray,
I think some people believe it isn’t torture unless a person is physically hurt. No broken bones, no fingernails pulled out, no beatings, no electric shocks to genitals, etc.–no real harm done…right?
For those who are concerned about whether this is torture or not, sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture. In fact, sleep deprivation will cause the victim to hallucinate, become disoriented, and most important, suggestible. Do we see an ulterior motive here folks. A suggestible person is more prone to be “guided” into making a false confession.
These are two areas in which I have considerable expertise and have testified about in state and Federal court. The sleep deprivation softens the target up and given a skilled interrogator, he will admit to almost anything. I think I can say with some confidence that if I were to spend some time with him right now, in the condition he reportedly is in, I could get him to admit to killing John Lennon.
From
Bradley Manning and the stench of US hypocrisy
The US condemns human rights abuses abroad yet appears to be allowing the psychological torture of Bradley Manning
By Ryan Gallagher
guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 March
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/mar/04/bradley-manning-us-wikileaks-hypocrisy
Excerpt:
One of the few people to have visited Manning, David House, spoke yesterday of how he had witnessed his friend go from a “bright-eyed intelligent young man” to someone who at times has appeared “catatonic” with “very high difficulty carrying on day to day conversation”. House drew similarities with the case of Bobby Dellelo, an American prisoner who developed psychosis after a lengthy period in solitary confinement conditions similar to Manning’s. “For me this has been like watching a really good friend succumb to an illness or something,” he said. “I think that Bradley Manning is being punished this way because the US government wants him to crack ahead of his trial.”
While there has been widespread and well publicised condemnation of issues surrounding Manning’s detainment, his conditions have failed to improve. In fact, things may have got worse, not better, for the Oklahoma-born soldier who is incidentally entitled to UK citizenship through his Welsh mother. Just two days ago, for instance, only 24 hours after having been told he now faces a capital charge, Manning was made to strip naked in his cell for no apparent reason. According to David Coombs, Manning’s lawyer, the soldier was then left without clothes for seven hours. When the wake-up call sounded for the detainees at 5am, in an act of forced humiliation, Manning was made to stand naked at the front of his cell.
The incident, described as “inexcusable and without justification” by Coombs, is symbolic of the entire twisted saga: a gross injustice on a nauseating scale. We must bear in mind, of course, that Manning allegedly leaked military files because he, according to unverified internet chat logs, saw wrongdoing and had no other course of action because his superiors told him they “didn’t want to hear any of it”. He did not want to be complicit in war crimes, and felt that by leaking the files he could prompt “worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms”.
In recent days and weeks the US government has condemned human rights abuses and repression in almost every country across the Middle East – yet at a prison within its own borders it sanctions the persecution, alleged psychological torture and debasement of a young soldier who appears to have made a principled choice in the name of progress.
“Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal,” said Barack Obama in 2008. But the stench of his hypocrisy is no longer bearable. It is time, now more than ever, that Bradley Manning received the justice he so clearly deserves.
From Salon/Glenn Greenwald (3/4/2011)
The serial deceit of Geoff Morrell
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/04/morrell/index.html
Excerpt:
On January 26, 2011, Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell stood before the Pentagon press corps and made a series of patently false statements about Bradley Manning (the video is here). Even taking into account the position Morrell occupies — in which a penchant for telling the truth is not exactly a job requirement (it actually would be disqualifying) — this Press Conference was an extraordinary display of pure official mendacity.
Morrell was asked several times about the evidence — first reported here — that Manning was being held in repressive and inhumane conditions: specifically, 23-hour/day solitary confinement, a prohibition on exercising in his cell, and being allowed out only 1 hour per day to “exercise” which entails walking around alone in a room, shackled. Morrell repeatedly insisted that everything being done to Manning was being done to all of the other detainees at the brig; in his words:
he is being treated just like every other detainee in the brig. . . . assertions by liberal bloggers, or network reporters or others that he is being mistreated, or somehow treated differently than others, in isolation, are just not accurate . . . Just as though he is not being treated any worse than any other detainee, he is not being treated any better than any other detainee. . . . He is being treated exactly like everyone else in the brig is being treated. . . . what I come back to time and time again, Chris, is the notion that the manner of his confinement is not in the least different from the manner in which anyone else at the brig is being held. . . . that is consistent with how every other person in the brig is being held.
To describe those statements as “misleading” is to be extremely generous. Morrell’s claims were the opposite of reality: factually and demonstrably false. Manning was the only detainee being held under those conditions, the exact opposite of what Morrell told the public. As Lt. Col. David Coombs, Manning’s counsel, detailed that day:
Morrell stated during today’s Pentagon briefing that PFC Manning’s “confinement is not in the least different from the manner in which anyone else at the brig is being held.” This statement is patently false. . . .
Under the above restrictions, every other detainee is allowed outside of their cell for the majority of the day. The facility is not locked down when they are walking in the brig. They do not wear hand and leg restraints outside of their cell. They are not escorted by guards when outside of their cell. Every other detainee is assigned to work details during the day. These work details allow them move freely within the facility and also outside of the facility whenever within the security perimeter. . . .
Due to the POI watch, [Manning] is held in solitary confinement. For 23 hours per day, he sits in his cell. The guards check on him every five minutes by asking him if he is okay. He is required to respond in some affirmative manner. At night, if the guards can not see him clearly, because he has a blanket over his head or he is curled up towards the wall, they will wake him in order to ensure that he is okay. He receives each of his meals in his cell. He is not allowed to have a pillow or sheets. He is not allowed to have any personal items in his cell. He is only allowed to have one book or one magazine at any given time to read. The book or magazine is taken away from him at the end of the day before he goes to sleep. He is prevented from exercising in his cell. If he attempts to do push-ups, sit-ups, or any other form of exercise he will be forced to stop. He receives one hour of exercise outside of his cell daily. The guards take him to a room and allow him to walk. He usually walks in figure eights around the room. When he goes to sleep, he is required to strip down to his underwear and surrender his clothing to the guards.
Every other detainee is not subjected to constant monitoring or asked if they are okay every five minutes. Every other detainee is allowed to have sheets and a pillow. Every other detainee may have personal items in their cell. Every other detainee may have paper and pens in their cell in order to write to family and friends. Every other detainee may have any combination of 15 books or magazines in their cell at all times. Any other detainee can exercise in their cell during the day. No other detainee has to strip to their underwear at the end of the day and surrender their clothing to the guards.
Is there any way to compare the facts to the multiple statements made to the media by Morrell — e.g., Manning ” is being treated exactly like everyone else in the brig is being treated” — and reach any conclusion other than that Morrell is a completely deceitful and untrustworthy individual?
Yesterday, Morrell went on MSNBC to be interviewed by Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie about a variety of topics, including the conditions of Manning’s detention — and by “interviewed,” I mean: have a series of open-ended questions reverently posed to him without the slightest challenge to a word he uttered. Guthrie touted beforehand her intent to ask Morrell about Manning, but despite being told before the interview about the series of deceitful statements, and despite the fact that she should have been independently aware of that episode as a journalist preparing to interview the Pentagon spokesman, Morrell’s false statements were, needless to say, never brought up.
James M.,
As I stated above, it is not as obvious as electrocution,but ask people who have been subjected to it.
Elaine,
Great links. It seems the more that you torture, the more successful you are in government service!
Lottakatz,
Kucinich needs to turn up the heat and bring the press with him.
OS,
I think torture or mistreatment can be a war crime, except when it is done by Americans! At least that is what Bush and Obama think.