Bradley Manning Support Network accepts responsibility for all expenses to defend accused Wikileaks whistle-blowerLe Réseau de Support de Bradley Manning accepte de prendre en charge toutes les dépenses pour défendre l’auteur présumé des fuites de Wikileaks.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bradley Manning Support Network accepts responsibility for all expenses to defend accused Wikileaks whistle-blower
Oakland, CA, December 8, 2010 – Since July 2010, the Bradley Manning Support Network, in collaboration with Oakland, CA based Courage to Resist, has solicited and distributed funds in support of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning. Over 1,200 individuals and organizations have responded with contributions totaling over $90,000, either to the defense fund or to Bradley’s legal trust account. Thus far $50,000 has been transferred to Bradley’s lead civilian attorney, David Coombs, half of the total expected legal expense of $100,000.
The Support Network has also made expenditures for printing and international distribution of leaflets, posters and information cards; staging public forums, events and demonstrations; production of banners, t-shirts, stickers and whistles for organizers; travel expenses for Bradley’s visitors at the Quantico brig; communication expenses, including phone and Internet hosting; processing the “Stand with Brad” public declaration and petition (www.standwithbrad.org); accounting; fiscal fees and credit card company fees.
Immediately following Bradley’s arrest in late June 2010, the whistle-blower website Wikileaks publicly solicited donations specifically for Bradley’s legal defense expenses. In July 2010, Wikileaks pledged to contribute a “substantial amount” towards Bradley’s legal defense costs. Since Bradley’s selection of David Coombs as his civilian defense attorney in August 2010, the Bradley Manning Support Network has unsuccessfully attempted to facilitate the pledged Wikileaks contribution.
“We understand the difficult situation Wikileaks currently faces as the world’s governments conspire to extinguish the whistle-blower website,” explained Jeff Paterson, Bradley Manning Support Network steering committee member and project director of Courage to Resist (www.couragetoresist.org). “However, in order to meet Bradley Manning’s legal defense needs, we’re forced to clarify that Wikileaks has not yet made a contribution towards this effort. We certainly welcome any contribution from Wikileaks, but we need to inform our supporters that it may not be forthcoming and that their continued contributions and support are crucial.”
Donations towards Bradley’s defense can be made at bradleymanning.org — to either the Support Network for both public education efforts and legal defense, or directly to Bradley’s legal trust account.
Oakland, Califonie, le 8 décembre 2010. Depuis Juillet 2010, le Réseau de Support de Bradley Manning, en collaboration avec « Courage to resist », une organisaton basée à Oakland en Californie, a levé et distribué des fonds dans le but de venir en aide à l’auteur présumé des fuites de Wikileaks, Bradley Manning. Plus de 1.200 personnes et organisations ont répondu avec des contributions de plus de 90.000 $, soit pour le fonds de défense, soit pour le compte direct de Bradley Manning. Jusqu’à présent, 50.000$ ont été versés à l’avocat principal de Bradley, David Coombs, ce qui représente la moitié de la dépense totale prévue de 100.000 $.
Le Réseau de Soutien a également dépensé une partie de cette somme pour imprimer des livrets d’information, des posters et des tracts et les distribuer au niveau international ; pour organiser des forums publics, des événements et des manifestations : pour produire des bannières, des t-shirts, des stickers et des sifflets ; pour couvrir les dépenses avancées par les visiteurs se rendant à la prison de Quantico ; pour les dépenses de communication, notamment le téléphone et l’hébergement internet ; pour les frais de mise en place de la déclaration publique et de la pétition « Stand with Brad » (www.standwithbrad.org); pour les frais de comptabilité; pour les frais fiscaux et les frais occasionnés par la compagnie de carte de crédit.
Tout de suite après l’arrestation de Bradley en juin 2010, le site web spécialisé dans les fuites Wikileaks appella publiquement aux dons pour couvrir spécifiquement les frais pour la défense légale de Bradley. En Juillet 2010, Wikileaks a déclaré avoir récolté une “somme importante” pour le fonds de défense légale. Mais depuis que Bradley a choisi Davids Coombs comme avocat en aout 2010, le Réseau de Soutien en Faveur de Bradley Manning a essayé, sans succès, de faciliter le transfer des fonds que Wikileaks prétend avoir amassés.
“Nous comprenons la situation difficile dans laquelle Wikileaks se trouve actuellement, alors que tous les gouvernements du monde conspirent afin de faire fermer ce site spécialisé dans les fuites d’informations confidentielles”, explique Jeff Paterson, membre principal du Comité du Réseau de Soutien en faveur de Bradley Manning, et directeur de projet auprès de “Courage to Resist” (www.couragetoresist.org). “Cependant, et ceci afin de couvrir les frais de défense de Bradley Manning, nous sommes forcés de dire que Wikileaks n’a pas encore fait de contribution pour cette cause. Bien sûr, nous serions heureux d’accepter n’importe quelle contribution venant de Wikileaks, mais nous avons besoin d’informer nos partisans que celle-ci ne viendra peut-être pas, et que la continuation de leurs dons et de leur soutien est cruciale. »
Les dons en faveur du fonds de défense peuvent être faits à bradleymanning.org – soit au Réseau de Soutien qui l’utilisera pour l’information du public et pour le fonds de défense, soit directement sur le compte bancaire de Bradley.
Just a little further to this attempt (above) to cause friction by pointing to Mr Assange’s conditions of house arrest and money.
This amount of $15,100 is a very specific amount and is presumably the “solicited” funds. The international financial campaign against Wikileaks has been (unfortunately) very successful and they have stated openly that they are haemorraging money.
So far Assange has been to court 3 times. Bradley’s legal defence has barely begun. This is a long haul fight for everyone concerned and the US government is openly trying to split Manning’s defence campaign to help their attempts to break him to use against Assange – it is further proof of his heroism (if that were necessary) that he hasn’t done so. Nobody else should be doing so either.
Assange is reluctantly writing a book to fund his own defence. When Wikileaks has funds again and when it can be done **without jeopardising Bradley’s defence** !!! I have no doubt they’ll be there.
As for the snide puritanical smear about ‘a nobody with a penchant for playing around’ that’s just buying into one more government dirty tricks campaign and is beneath contempt.
Obama is a Republican in drag!
Everything he stood for, he now bends over to. It’s ‘Business as Usual’(war!), just as if Bush was still in the WH. All this because the ultimate reality is THE MILITARY IS IN CHARGE (has been/always will be!)
The war has been escalated once again (we are being told again and again that, as they are now so close to a final resolution, an additional 10,000 troops will suffice to finish ‘the job’) This charade will last until the invasion of Iran, which is next on the list of threats to their ‘US National Security’.
Guantanamo is frozen. Manning (and so many others) still being detained without a trial (military law!). Bankers are pocketing multi-millions while the economy is tanking through their misdeeds. Not to forget the ever increasing military budget. And half of America is frothing at the mouth wanting to kill Assange – Manning will do in his absence.
In America’s zeal for total control of the world, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as a national credo has been lost forever in favour of the pursuit of money under the guise of Vital National Interests, which is so much more rewarding for the ruling class and the multi-nationals.
America is sicker than ever, and is contaminating the whole world with its godly two-faced pus.
By investing in the future of Assange and Manning I’m hoping their courage and examples will bear the sweet fruits of LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS for everyone all around the globe.