Why can't Congress or a human rights organization visit Manning and confirm his treatment?

[ProSense]

Why is this possible: Guantanamo visit on tap for some Congress members

Tea Party Rep. Allen West, a retired Army officer with detainee experience of his own, travels to Guantánamo on Monday with five other members of Congress on an inspection tour.

<...>

On Monday’s trip to the U.S. Navy base in southeast Cuba, West will “tour the military prison there, investigate detainee treatment and review the process by which suspected terrorists are tried through the military court system,’’ said West spokeswoman Angela Sachitano.

<...>

Manning is in Virginia.

[rhett o rick]

1. First Rec. Bet you never thought you'd see that. So what is preventing Congress members from

visiting Manning? Cant the WH intervene?

[midnight]

2. However Dennis Kuchinich is being blocked....

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has been unable to visit with Private Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier accused of leaking State Department cables to WikiLeaks, despite being a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.http://cameraobscura.newsvine.com/_news/2011/03/13/6263450-rep-dennis-kucinich-blocked-by-us-military-from-visiting-pfc-bradley-manning-audio

[vaberella]

30. But his father saw him 8-9 times. n/t

[Tesha]

3. What fun would a junket to Virginia be? (NT)

[ReggieVeggie]

4. Because Obama said his treatment was appropriate

Mybe Obama could check it out, if he was so inclined

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rug]

5. Why can't the President send someone to Quantico to confirm his treatment violates no law?

Here's an idea! :think:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oa/divisions/ogc

[ProSense]

10. What good would that do?

Isn't the point to get independent confirmation?

Now, there is a brilliant idea.

[rug]

12. Are you saying the OGC is occupied by stooges?

[ProSense]

13. Are you really trying to claim

that those who dimissed the President's statement would accept a statement by anyone in his administration?

[rug]

15. An OGC memorandum is more persuasive than an unattributed Pentagon source.

As to others, I have no idea. Unlike you, I speak for no one else.

[Forkboy]

18. It's worth a shot.

[MNBrewer]

6. Maybe because someone in power doesn't want it to happen?

[Imajika]

7. This issue really highlights the disconnect between...

...average working class Democratic voters and forum activists.

People on DU are literally obsessing over Bradley Manning's uncomfortable life in jail. I swear there seems to be a new Manning whinefest post every few minutes. I think it is safe to say the vast majority of working class folks would consider his actions traitorous and spend their time focusing on serious issues like jobs being lost/outsourced, unions being broken, etc.

The cause of Bradley Manning will have about as much support amongst working class folks as "The Free Mumia" and "Free the Cuban 5" stuff. Which means exactly none.

[ReggieVeggie]

9. some average working class voters vote Republican

even Democratic ones

So, ethics are situational for you? If there's no support, then human rights violations just aren't that important?

[Imajika]

11. I'm saying the Manning hysteria here is all out of proportion...

..to the actual attention it warrants. The issues that actually effect elections are jobs, gas prices, union busting, etc - NOT the comfort level of Bradley Manning's time in jail. In fact, I'd go one step further, the more the Democratic party is associated with Manning, the FEWER working class voters we'll have come 2012.

[ReggieVeggie]

14. The comfort level?

His treatment is akin to torture. We're discussing Manning and his situation because this is a discussion forum and current events tend to dominate discussions. Because some are not discussing someone elses treatment doesn't mean they don't think it's not worth discussion. To many, Manning's treatment seems to coincide with the embarrassment the government felt because of the release of the information, and we're trying to understand how these actions are consistent with the value we usually espouses and strategically condemn when not followed by others

[Imajika]

17. I've read about his conditions in jail...

..they sound significantly better than many people have it in many maximum security prisons.

Do you know how brutal and awful life is in prisons throughout the world? Hell, Manning is on a picnic compared to many places.

[Clio the Leo]

24. thank you.....

.... one white dude has to sleep in the nude and some of us cannot contain our outrage. Meanwhile, thousands of nameless young ethnic men are rounded up each day and herded to prisons with little to no ability to adequately defend themselves and we could care less.

but I do feel sorry for that one attractive white guy .... sleeping .... the same way millions of people do every night.

[Lucinda]

27. Haven't they had the benefit of a trial and conviction? n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

29. From what I've read his conditions seem harsher than those in solitary in civilian prisons

Death row inmates get to exercise in their cells and sleep when they want to. It's not torture but it's also unnecessary. I'm a firm believer that this country punishes people far too harshly, hence our giant prison population.

[boppers]

19. "His treatment is akin to torture."

Way to dismiss and insult people who have had their bones broken, their skin burned off, power tools ripped through their muscles, their fingers or toes or lips or tongues or ears or noses removed...

Yeah. Being chilly and lonely is *totally* the same.

:sarcasm:

[ReggieVeggie]

21. "chilly and lonely"

Way to dismiss people who don't agree with your assessment of his treatment

[boppers]

23. I've been in jail. It's not fun.

I also have life-long PTSD from actual abuse and torture.

The two simply don't compare on any honest level.

[Clio the Leo]

25. I'm glad you dont think it's torture. nt

[lordsummerisle]

16. I disagree

What's being done to Manning is clearly wrong. He's NOT being treated like the other prisoners he's essentially being tortured.
This is all being done to get every scrap of intelligence on WikiLeaks because the US has nothing right now to indict them with.
Manning is being "squeezed" so he'll eventually admit that Julian Assange put him up to this, it's all his doing and Manning is just a victim.
I'm not so sure we'll get "fewer working class voters" voters because of this issue. Even if we did they would be on the wrong side of this issue.

When/if Manning finally breaks it will a huge defeat to those of us who want a more transparent government...

[Imajika]

20. Ahh, I see...

"When/if Manning finally breaks it will a huge defeat to those of us who want a more transparent government..."

Much as I suspected. The concern over Manning's comfort level in jail is mostly just about a fear he might "break" and implicate Assange. The more comfortable he is, the less likely he is to spill the beans.

[lordsummerisle]

22. Um, no

He's been charged with leaking the documents. If he did it on his own then there's nothing "to spill".

People under torture have been known to say anything to make it stop. And "WikiLeaks made me do it" might be something they want to hear.

[Mimosa]

28. Whether or not people like Assange's method he counts as a reporter.

Therefore Assange is a reporter, not a spy. Reporters are not subject to the anti-espionage laws are they? Not unless the anti-espionage laws start including members of the press.

[boppers]

26. He can't implicate Assange....

If the US government wants to use the Lamo chats as evidence (and they must, to have a case), it will blow a hole in the whole Assange conspiracy theory.