Exposing war crimes is not a crime!
(English) On March 19-20, 2011, activist organizations and individuals will take to the streets to protest the U.S. government’s treatment of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Army Private First Class Bradley Manning. Manning, 23, has been held in isolation for nearly 300 days, charged with releasing classified documents, including a video that shows American troops shooting and killing 11 people, including two Reuters employees, in 2007.
Organizers are calling on supporters around the world to take public action to protest Manning’s inhumane treatment at the Quantico brig, which P.J. Crowley, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s former assistant for public affairs, declaimed last week as “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”
Lesen Sie den kompletten Artikel »(English) Many activist groups are planning vigils, marches and rallies in support of Bradley Manning – but there are other ways to get involved. Some ideas:
* Consider throwing a Whistleblower Party – with whistles as party favors and a donation bucket for Bradley Manning’s defense fund
* Work with a restaurant or club in your area to organize a fundraising event
* Host a lecture with a local college and sympathetic professors or anti-war activists to talk about the importance of transparency in government
* Organize a public screening of Collateral Murder
(English) Brian Manning, Bradley Manning’s father, spoke out about his son’s treatment to PBS Frontline. A portion of that interview was aired today.
(English) In an MSNBC interview, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) suggested Bradley Manning’s treatment raises serious questions about Secretary Gates.
(English) Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is today releasing letters from the Secretaries of the Defense and the Army that respond to repeated requests to visit with Private First Class (Pfc.) Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking confidential materials to Wikileaks. Kucinich is releasing the letters after new allegations emerged of Manning being stripped naked and left in his cell for seven hours.
“After initial allegations of mistreatment, I requested a visit with Private Manning to see for myself the conditions of his treatment. Despite the fact that Manning has not been found guilty of any crime, his lawyer reports that he is in isolation 23 out 24 hours every day, conditions which may violate his 8th Amendment protection from ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment. This treatment is in stark contrast to a presumption of innocence and raises questions of whether Pfc. Manning can be fit for trial.” said Kucinich.
(English) Private First Class Bradley Manning, in detention at United States Marine Corps Base Quantico Brig in Virginia, was forced to strip naked on the evening of March 2nd, 2011, left naked in his cell all night and forced to stand at attention for the facility’s five a.m. wake-up call, according to his legal representative attorney David Coombs.
Coombs posted a report earlier today on his website announcing the humiliating and degrading treatment his client was forced to endure. Coombs added that Manning has been warned that he will endure the same treatment again this evening. He noted, “This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification. It is an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated.”
(English) After seven months of additional investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) and other investigative agencies, the U.S. Army charged Pvt. 1st Class Bradley E. Manning with 22 additional charges on March 2, 2011. Most significantly, the capital offense charge of aiding the enemy under UCMJ Article 104 was added. The Army claims that the prosecution will not recommend the death penalty; however, the Army’s Convening Authority, Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst (Commanding General, U.S. Army Military District of Washington) will have the final say in the matter.
(English) Apparently reacting to enormous backlash from supporters and criticism from the media, PayPal has reinstated the account of Courage to Resist, an organization which has partnered with the Bradley Manning Support Network to raise funds for the defense of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. The change in account status came only hours after the nonprofit organization published a press release drawing attention to the matter. Over 10,000 people signed the petition hosted by Firedoglake today urging PayPal to reinstate the charitable account, while many more supporters called PayPal directly to voice their criticisms.
Within hours, PayPal responded — reinstating the account so that Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network can continue their work.
(English) Update: PayPal Backs Down, Reinstates Account for Supporters of Bradley Manning
The online payment provider PayPal has frozen the account of Courage to Resist, which in collaboration with the Bradley Manning Support Network is currently raising funds in support of U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning. PayPal was one way people–especially international residents–were able to contribute to the grassroots effort supporting the accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower.
