Pentagon Torture Of Manning Recalls Soviets Under Stalin

[babsbunny]

http://www.countercurrents.org/ross100311.htm

By Sherwood Ross

10 March, 2011
Countercurrents.org

The United States of America is in the process of slowly and deliberately destroying a human being before the eyes of the world. All of President Obama's posturing about the conduct of dictator Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya will not expunge his own calculated cruelty in allowing his Pentagon to continue the degrading and dehumanizing punishments being inflicted on PFC Bradley Manning, the 23-year-old Army intelligence specialist accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of files to WikiLeaks. AP reports Manning has now been charged with “aiding the enemy,” a crime that can bring the death penalty or life in prison.

Whatever Manning has done, if anything, the Pentagon has no right to reduce him to a vegetative state. Yet that is what it is doing, using methods similar to those for punishing dissidents under Stalin. As military commander-in-chief, Obama could put the kibosh on the Pentagon's sadism, which Manning has endured these past seven months locked in maximum security solitary in the Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Va. Yet Obama shows no inclination to honor the Constitution's 8th Amendment that forbids “cruel and unusual punishments.” And “bizarre” is the only word for the latest Pentagon humiliation that requires Manning to stand to attention for inspection outside his 6 by 12-ft. cell each morning stark naked.

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. THANK YOU ! WTF is going on?

>>>As military commander-in-chief, Obama could put the kibosh on the Pentagon's sadism, >>>

Where..... in the name of jesus fucking christ.... IS he?

[sabrina 1]

2. We should be ashamed. Our president should stop this.

I am heartbroken over what this country has become.

[_ed_]

3. Where is the outcry among Democratic politicians?

If Bush did this, it's all you'd be hearing about. Obama does it...silence. Kudos to Kucinich (as usual).

[DirkGently]

4. The world just laughs grimly now when when the U.S. condemns human rights abuses.

[GeorgiaPeach]

5. Why is President Obama allowing this? Anybody?

[jwirr]

6. Both this and the rethug revisionism are old USSR tools. So much

for being against communism.

[sabrina 1]

7. "Bradley Manning Now Catatonic"

Bradley Manning Now "Catatonic"; Obama ENOUGH!

As Obama's crime of the destruction of Bradley Manning continues to unfold before our very eyes, Manning friend David House now tells us that over 8 months in isolation with movement and sleep restrictions placed on him have been having their intended effect. House has told MSNBC that by the end of January Manning appeared "catatonic" and that he had "severe problems communicating," with it having taken House nearly 45 minutes on a recent visit to engage in any meaningful way (video below.) House said Manning's demeanor was as "if he had just woken up and didn't know what was going on around him." Manning was "utterly exhausted physically and mentally...it was difficult to have any kind of social engagement."

Also, a full month after Congressman Dennis Kucinich formally requested a visit, the Army has stalled on the request.

All for the crime of reporting war crimes and criminal behavior even among the highest-ranking military officials in Iraq.

In 2005, General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member , if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to try to stop it.”

Manning saw inhumane treatment of Iraqis and he reported it. Poor guy, he probably was under the illusion that the U.S. were the good guys and would actually stop war crimes in action once they knew about it.

I hope his attorneys subpoena Pace and in fact, the CIC, as witnesses in Manning's trial. I'd love to hear their explanation of what a good soldier who follows the rules should do when the chain of command themselves, are involved in the crimes.

Far as I know, the only recourse left legally, is the one Manning took, become a whistle-blower.

The treatment of Manning is intended to silence Whistle-blowers and it is criminal and some day, if we ever restore the rule of law in this country, everyone involved in this crime, should be prosecuted.