Pentagon denies mistreating WikiLeaks suspect

[sabra]

Source: WP/AP

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is denying reports that the Army private suspected of passing classified information to WikiLeaks is being mistreated at the Marine brig at Quantico, Va., while awaiting possible court martial.

Jeff Paterson, director of the Oakland-based Courage to Resist project, said Friday that visitors report that Pfc. Bradley Manning generally spends at least 23 hours a day alone in a cell no larger than about 64 square feet. Paterson said his group considers this treatment a form of punishment prior to conviction.

Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Friday that Manning has the same privileges as all other prisoners held in what the military calls "maximum custody." He said Manning is in a standard single-person cell and gets exercise, recreation, access to newspapers and visitors.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121704607.html

[habitual]

1. well, i'm just happy they set the record straight so we don't have to

worry about it.

:sarcasm:

"...dealing with a superpower that does not appear to be following the rule of law is a serious business." - Assange

[EFerrari]

2. Pentagon denied worldwide torture program, too. nt

[pacalo]

3. The friend who visited Bradley said that his physical & mental conditions have deteriorated.

It's the military's idea of "recreation" & "exercise" that worries me. And "newspapers" (the rolled-up variety).

[glinda]

8. Republican papers.

[Historic NY]

34. Don't you think being in jail would do that anyway? ...

He is getting his meds.

[markpkessinger]

37. Solitary Confinement is known to be particularly damaging

To be sure, being in jail is probably not conducive to great mental health for anyone. But solitary confinement has been shown to be particularly psychologically damaging and cruel.

[ChumbawambaFan]

45. And wasn't he in kinda bad condition to begin with? nt

[myrna minx]

4. Well that settles it then. n/t

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

5. STOP THE TORTURE ... Isolation is torture --

[Pavulon]

7. Yep, put him in genpop. that will solve the problem

he will get dahlmered real quick. Manning will die in solitary decades from now. That is how this story ends for him.

[Ellipsis]

11. They can just put him in his own squad bay and post a guard at the door.

I don't believe Quantico is not running at capacity and it only only hold minor offense prisoners in GP for typically a year or less.

[Pavulon]

12. no he earned a cell. They could put him up in the Waldorf Astoria

they are not gonna. he should get used to suck, he has a lifetime of it ahead of him.

[Ellipsis]

14. When he's convicted sure... just not before. If he's put into isolation for his own protection

and the effects of isolation are considered to be inhumane or toruture... and it was determined he was not suicidal (and it was), and yet they take away his pillow and blanket so he can't supposedly hang himself or choke on it. (Thats the supposed justification to do so from my understanding) It will potentially be prejudicial to the case. It strikes me that that if the intent is to motivate Manning to "roll over" on Assange by the conditions imposed, now that it has international attention where a spokesman needs to come out and saying nothings unusual, that strategy will no longer bear fruit... and to get what you desire, a long prison sentence whether it be in isolation or not... could be jeopardized.

Just sayin'

[Pavulon]

15. He is active duty, not civ.

his treatment is inline with the crime he is accused of.

[Ellipsis]

16. Actually no, not according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice 813. ART. 13

813. ART. 13 PUNISHMENT PROHIBITED BEFORE TRIAL

No person, while being held for trial, may be subjected to punishment or penalty other than arrest or confinement upon the charges pending against him, nor shall the arrest or confinement imposed upon him be any more rigorous than the circumstances required to insure his presence, but he may be subjected to minor punishment during that period for infractions of discipline.

http://www.constitution.org/mil/ucmj19970615.htm#II

Nice try though.


edited add: but you can give me a Nice Kitty Giff if you like.

[Pavulon]

17. He can be held in solitary. that is not punishment it is a security

measure. he can be denied means to kill himself as well.

Will have to wait until later for kitty gifs.. they correlate with wine or beer consumption.

[Ellipsis]

18. Debatable, as you well know, and it appears at least by the state of Maine begins to change.

http://solitarywatch.com/2010/04/07/maine-legislature-votes-to-study-solitary-confinement-practices-but-not-to-change-them/



.

Not something to risk for trial.









.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Matariki]

35. Don't be so sure. You're not writing this story

As much as you'd like to be or think you are.

[Pavulon]

39. bet on it. manning confessed, and his user id ties him to his work

as for assange, evidence will or will not support the charge.

[EFerrari]

6. Pentagon denied targetting journalists, too.

Gee, who to believe?

[Miss_Underestimated]

9. how can we help him?

[EFerrari]

10. Here is an article about his supporters statements.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x28925

I suggested contacting Amnesty International and the ICRC about his case. They try to intervene in prisoner abuses cases.

[Miss_Underestimated]

19. Thanks for this. I called SF branch of Amnesty Int. They made a note and also

suggested calling NY branch on Monday. I gave link to this art. posted on DU as backup to what I was saying.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/16/bradley-manning-health-deteriorating

They also suggested contacting ACLU.

Contact for Amnesty Int. (link you posted had British ph. nos.)
spacer

Find an Amnesty
Chapter near you.

Contact Amnesty International USA
http://www.amnestyusa.org/contact-us/page.do?id=1031005

Amnesty International USA
5 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
phone: [phone]
fax: [phone]

ACLU Contact info;


ACLU at 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York NY 10004. Or call: 212-549-2500
http://www.aclu.org/contact-us

[EFerrari]

20. Thank you very much.

:)

[irislake]

13. We all know the Pentagon has never "mistreated" anyone.

[treestar]

21. The whole thing is a ruse to create sympathy for him

So as to excuse whatever crimes he might be accused of somehow.

Same goes for all the wailing about poor Julian.

[Violet_Crumble]

44. This 'ruse' is actually torture...

As I've told you in a recent thread, I think that if Manning is found guilty of stealing classified information, then he deserves to be punished. I'm in no way excusing him if he's found guilty, but that doesn't mean I have to support the treatment he's getting, and being put in solitary confinement for the periods of time he has been is torture every bit as much as it was when it was done to US POWs in Vietnam...

[fascisthunter]

23. The Pentagon Exudes Honor

like a pimple leaks puss

[Rex]

24. Look, if he is or is not being tortured will never be known because

the Pentagon gets to investigate their own people and pass judgement without a jury. Just the way the military works; laws are far more restrictive on soldiers then the average citizen. They have two sets of rules to follow and the militaries set says right up front, in bold 'we own you'.

[EFerrari]

25. Punishing someone before their trial is a violation of the UCMJ.

let alone, Geneva and our UN updates of Geneva. :shrug:

[Rex]

27. But they don't consider what they are doing torture.

And you and I don't have their influence no matter how many phone calls we make.

[EFerrari]

29. Agreed. But there's no harm in catapulting the propaganda

Glenn Greenwald, afaik, was able to get the abuse story to go viral. So emailing, tweeting or twitting, lol, facebook signing, it adds up. It's not agency but it's something.

[Pavulon]

40. Viral or not it is still horseshit.

solitary is not torture, its just not the ritz. your boy will make it to trial to bite his master.

[Rex]

41. I have a feeling he will be held as a pariah for generations to come.

The magnitude of his actions mark him as an enemy of the state for life. Won't be surprised if they do kill him.

[Ellipsis]

43. Thump, thump, thump.

[truth2power]

26. "Pentagon denies..."??

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :mad: :banghead:

As Judge Judy says, "I wouldn't believe your <their> tongue if it came notarized."

Buncha worthless bastards! How many innocent people have they killed today?? :nuke:

[Marnie]

28. Does the mlitary have the power to try an American

they drove insane. What's the point, if they are basically a different human being than the one charged?

Seems to me they are jeopardizing their own case.

[Zywiec]

30. All tortured prisoners are free to have visitors? n/t

[EFerrari]

31. If the torture leaves no marks except on your brain

where's the harm?

[ProudDad]

32. From the folks who brought you Bay of Pigs

Gulf of Tonkin...

and Gitmo...

Yeah, right :puke:

[Ellipsis]

33. kick

[markpkessinger]

36. Solitary Confinement IS Torture

Solitary confinement has been shown, over and over again, to cause severe, long-lasting psychological damage. The ONLY even remotely plausible justification for it is when an inmate is extremely violent (and it remains suspect even in those case, except as a short-term remedy). Bradley Manning is not violent and is not a threat to anyone. In fact, what the government is doing here is to assure that he will be so psychological damaged by the time he is tried that he will be unable to assist in his own defense. For my money, this constitutes yet another war crime by our government.

[midnight]

38. Glad this marine is getting some press. Now there needs to be

some legal representation for him.

[snot]

42. Get the feeling a lot here haven't read the sources on Manning's conditions.

Worth reading: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/14/manning/

[EFerrari]

47. I tried to read around independently before reading Greenwald's article.

And the two best sources I found just happened to be two that he quotes in his article. :thumbsup:

[conspirator]

46. Ok pentagon. You deny and I believe you. NOT n/t

[FlyByNight]

48. Don't believe a report/story it until it's been officially denied

Once again, the Pentagon has come through.

[buckrogers1965]

49. Told you so.

I said years ago that if we let them torture foreigners then eventually they would be torturing American citizens.

Manning is a true patriot.

[w4rma]

50. They are torturing the guy in hopes of making him maliable and desperate. (nt)

[killbotfactory]

51. Oh, okay.

That settles it, then.