On the Humiliating Treatment of PFC Bradley Manning

[steve2470]

http://www.counterpunch.org/soldz03092011.html

By STEPHEN SOLDZ and TRUDY BOND


The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary
100 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) remains deeply concerned about the solitary confinement conditions under which PFC Bradley Manning is being held at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. When we wrote you on January 3, 2011, we warned of the severely deleterious effects on the psychological wellbeing of those subjected to solitary confinement. We also expressed alarm over PFC Manning's subjection to cruel and potentially harmful treatment during this lengthy pre-trial period when he has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent by our Constitution and justice system.

We write you again today because news reports, including those in the New York Times, indicate that PFC Manning's conditions of confinement have recently become even more severe. According to these reports, which quote officials in charge of PFC Manning's care, PFC Manning is now being deprived of his clothes at night and is forced to stand naked for inspection in the morning. This is apparently being justified as a "precautionary measure" to prevent PFC Manning from injuring himself.

[leveymg]

1. Overkill. But, what do you expect from a military brig?

This is really getting beyond ridiculous with Manning.

[no limit]

2. They say its for his own safety yet they have absolutely nothing to suggest he would hurt himself

how this is tolerated (even by a number of people here) is beyond me.

[ThomCat]

5. This says a hell of a lot, all bad, about Obama

and his entire administration, and those who whole-heartedly support everything they do. :(

Torturing someone, and doing it in a deliberate campaign to break someone's mind, makes everyone who allows this to go on the worst sort of person. All the way up to the top they are the worst of people.

To do this to an American citizen, and one one who has not yet been put on trial or found guilty of any crime makes this reflect even worse upon all of those officials who supposedly serve us. Clearly they are not serving us, and are not serving our laws, or the needs of our nation. They are serving their own egos and their own desire for power and revenge against a helpless man.

This makes them evil. Truly evil. and evil in positions of authority in which they supposedly represent all of us! :(

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. He's too crazy to wear clothes but not crazy enough for hospitalization.

So, the military will keep him naked until he is crazy enough for the hospital where he can wear his clothes.

Joe Heller wrote a book about this kind of thing.

[USBlues]

4. For Obama to let this go on

is so disappointing...so beyond anything I expected from him. The corporate buy outs dont surprise me...but this and his continuing to keep people detained indefinitely...I just dont know where this nation will be in 5 years. Its becoming a very dark and scary place.