UK gov 'draws US attention' to Bradley Manning concerns The UK government has formally raised concerns with the USA regarding the treatment of the imprisoned US soldier Bradley Manning, who is charged with various offences under military regulations and the US criminal code. It is widely believed - though not proven - that Manning was the source of much of the classified US …
No trial/court-martial having taken place, no breaking of civilian or military law has been proven. Hence the concern over supposed security and safety measures which a) appear punitive (extrajudicial punishment) and b) would look a lot like cruel and unusual punishment if they were indeed punitive (Eighth Amendment).
Go read 'em. Many of you are clearly grossly ignorant and in need of a bit of eduction on the subject.
Manning willingly and voluntarily raised his right hand and swore, so help him God, to obey those regulations. He's got *zero* kick now, and this BS from the UK amounts to stirring the pot and meddling of a pernicious nature. Time for Parliment to stick its beak back in its own musiness.
Wrong. Under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice), Private Manning has a variety of rights, and they don't "vanish". While military members may not have exactly equal rights as civilians, they have many of the basic ones. Under the UCMJ, defendents have rights to silence, an attorney, be informed of the nature of the charges, be told of their rights, trials by either jury or judge, automatic appeals for certain punishments, etc.
Manning's treatment while being detained is consistent with other suicide watch procedures at civilian prisons, including removal of anything that could be used to cut, hang, or choke himself to death. That means nudity, constant surveillance, and sometimes not even a blanket or mattress to sleep on. If prisoners are deemed likely to self-inflict wounds, they can be restrained as well.
Final words to the UK Parliament: Butt out.
You've got it just backwards - The professionals at managing prisioners have, in their professional judgement, determined that Manning is a suicide risk. A non-professional non-expert on prisoner management has floated an opinon that is contrary.
I wouldn't ask a psychiatrist to tell me how to keep prisioners alive, and I wouldn't ask a guard how to treat a prisoner's neurosis. Why would you trust a non-expert's opnion on a topic outside their expertise?
Only a guess but whoever did this is probably proud of being a US citizen but not proud of what the US is doing. Therefore they are hardly liable to try and get out of it by becoming the citizen of another country. As I say it's only speculation but as an example Solzhenitsyn was very proud of being Russian but did not shirk from drawing attention to what he saw as its wrong doings.
Sleep deprivation was one of the East German Stasi's favourite methods of mentally torturing their suspects, and "prisoner safety" was one of their favourite excuses for waking them up every five minutes in the night.
Sounds like the US government has drifted somewhat from its founding principles... again, a bit like East Germany! It seems that Markus Wolf gave them some handy tips when they hired him in 2004.
Can anyone find any evidence that he actually worked for the US. None of the obituaries I can find mention it (BBC, NY Times, TimesOnline, The Economist or even Wikipedia) The prisonplanet article seems to be the only one and that only claims "On a radio appearance earlier today Martin stated that the admission that Wolf would be hired was made in a BBC radio interview given by the former head of the KGB, General Yevgeni Primakov."
If you take a look at the website you can make an educated guess what its stance is on such things as "flourine in water" and "the truth behind 9-11". The bookshop sells such tomes as "The Resistance Manifesto " , " Bloodlines of the Illuminati" and "Don't Vaccinate Before You Educate!"
Not found the "Turner Diaries" but you can get that from Amazon! Oh update it is there "Results 41 - 41 for Turner Diaries. (0.07 seconds) "
Sorry everyone think this needs a bit more research!
I remember back in the 80's as a kid I looked up to the US as a beacon of progression and sound intent. I think many people did at that time. These days it's nothing more than a decaying toilet of moral perversion on a par with any tinpot African dictatorship. Total political corruption, media nothing more than propaganda, gross erosion of public freedom, concentration camps, regression into religiosity, financial oligarchy, competitiveness and callousness as virtue, the list goes on. It's a real shame. The "land of the free" has become a vile showcase for the very worst aspects of human nature.
haha, The American way has nothing to do with Truth or Justice and more the attitude of do as I say not as I do or else.
Manning is clearly being punished before he has even had the courtesy of a trial, I know little of the American way or their constitution, but even if only half the reports about Manning's treatment are true I do know that in any "Civilised" country this treatment would be just plain wrong.
Rest of the world, "You can't treat Manning this way" - US* Gov "Yes we can"
*US = Military abbreviation for Unserviceable
Being ex UK Military I have taken part in Suicide watch during my career, the prisoner was not stripped naked, denied proper bedding nor was he woken during the night every 5 minutes.
He was kept under constant close observation and afforded his basic human rights, something to which it would seem manning has so far been denied.
As I said in my post I know little of the American way but to me Manning's treatment sounds a little too close to torture methods employed by uncivilised despot countries.
He wasn't suicidal before this started and according to Quantico's in house psychiatric staff, isn't currently. Which is moderately impressive. He's also not on Suicide Watch since that requires medical advice that doesn't exist in this case. He's on POI.
Most other suicidal prisoners are not simultaneously subjected to the stresses of Maximum security and POI despite being considered a model prisoner with no intention of suicide.
So, no, he isn't being treated the same really.
You might want to look at this
http://www.armycourtmartialdefense.info/2011/03/truth-behind-quantico-brigs-decision-to.html
Nothing in the UCMJ authorizes what is being done.
On the contrary,
"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."
For those unfamiliar with US legal terms, "insure his presence" means "can't break out of the jail."
Source: an official US military site, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm
...claims Manning did a very terrible thing indeed.
Because the State is always right and to challenge it is heresy. And we still burn witches for that these days.
US lapdogs - people who love to be seen to be doing the right thing, even when they're doing anything but.
So, I don't have to respond to their usual bull... good...
Americans, is it right that someone should be permitted to question orders, or even disobey them if they go against their conscience? Once an oath is taken, does that supercede *any* personal obligation, free will or choice thereafter?
If you say 'Hell, no, of course they have to have their own recognisance!" then you must, by extension, have at least some sympathy for Bradley Manning. He, like others before him, may well see himself as a true patriot, and you should be proud of him for at least considering his nations action in the light of personal freedom, and you should be proud of your nation for maintaining laws that allow him such freedom. THAT is what America should be. Don't get me wrong, Manning *may* have committed a crime and a trial should be held to determine that; it's the extra-judicial punishment (and TORTURE as defined by Amnesty International who have utterly condemmed the treatment of Manning) that is the issue here, folks.
If you say "Hell, yes, he took an oath and now has to stick by it and obey whatever order he is given!", then I would point you to a famous oath taken by some of your own slightly worrying 'hardcore patriots' - "My Country, Right or Wrong". Hell, you may as well say "My Father, Drunk or Sober.". Acceptance of orders without question, obedience beyond reason and without personal reflection has a name, folks; *fundamentalism*. You might as well be yelling "All Glory To God" as you send him to the gallows for wearing denim on a sunday.
It's becoming a signature sign-off for my posts these days; "America? Fuck, no!"
....Maybe I'll get it printed on a t-shirt. Anyone want one?
The nonsense that passes for factual info. is a joke. Manning is not being tortured or treated any different than any other suicidal prisoner. The court will decide if he is a traitor or not. The spinners are entitled to their baseless opinions but the law is what applies in court. They make prisons for people who violate law.
So all these reports are lies, Manning is not woken during the night every 5 minutes, he does in fact have a bed to sleep on along with some blankets, he is also fully clothed.
"The nonsense that passes for factual info. is a joke. Manning is not being tortured or treated any different than any other suicidal prisoner."
And this is based on first hand experience?
Been in to visit Manning to check on his conditions?
Perhaps you have first hand knowledge of guarding prisoners?
I suspect like the majority of us on this forum you have to go by the media reports as to Manning current predicament, if so which comic have you been reading?
This post has been deleted by its author
"Manning is not being tortured or treated any different than any other suicidal prisoner..."
Oh, really? Let me see now....
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/fresh-call-end-harsh-detention-wikileaks-soldier-2011-03-24
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/mar/04/bradley-manning-us-wikileaks-hypocrisy
http://www.lawthink.co.uk/2011/03/does-bradley-mannings-treatment-constitute-torture/
So, that's Amnesty International who think is 'inhumane treatment' (Which, under US Law, is the same as saying 'torture', despite Bush redefining the word in Patriot 1&2).
Thats the Guardian (A major UK newspaper, very influential and representative of European attitudes) calling it torture outright.
And, an article from a legal forum mentioning that the UN is concerned enough that it might be torture that they intend to investigate.
If you'd like more 'baseless opinons' feel free to run a quick google for "torture bradley manning" and see how many sites are in favour of his incarceration under these conditions and how many are not. I would submit that the law of one nation should be prepared to change in the face of international opinion, in the same manner that the US has often expected of others.
America? Fuck no. Here's your coat....
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