Craig Murray supports Bradley Manning

Former UK ambassador and whistle-blower Craig Murray gives talk supporting Bradley Manning. Wise Up for Bradley Manning reports on Murray’s talk, in which he speaks about Bradley Manning before recounting his own whistle-blowing experience:

Craig began his talk by saying that he was humbled to speak at an event for Bradley Manning: “I lost my job but I didn’t lose my liberty.” He commented on Bradley Manning’s mistreatment at the hands of the US and the way this was aimed at isolating him from any support, for example the restriction on correspondence while he was in Quantico as well as the harassment of those publicly supporting him, such as Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who was arrested at a demo for Bradley Manning.

Guy Smallman, a photojournalist who’s been to Afghanistan several times, introduced Murray. (Read more…)

Assange lawyer Jen Robinson put on “inhibited fly list.” Robinson, a legal advisor to Julian Assange who attended Bradley Manning’s pretrial hearing on Assange’s behalf, was temporarily prevented from flying to her native Australia yesterday. She was put on a list that required official permission to fly, and tweeted about it at the time:

Just delayed from checking in at LHR because I’m apparently “inhibited” – requiring approval from Australia House @dfat to travel…

— Jen Robinson (@suigenerisjen) April 18, 2012

Robinson was in Ft. Meade in December for Bradley’s pretrial hearing. This flight prevention continues a pattern of supporters of WikiLeaks and Bradley Manning being harassed or otherwise held up at airports internationally. WikiLeaks’ Jacob Appelbaum has been repeatedly detained and interrogated at airports, and the Support Network’s David House had his electronics seized and searched without his permission due to his advocacy for Bradley.

RT’s story on the incident quotes an Australian lawyer:

The news provoked the ire of Ms Robinson’s compatriots in the legal community. President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance Greg Barns called the existence of such a list “extraordinary” and stressed that the Australian government be held accountable for its actions.

“Right through this issue it has obfuscated, refused to provide assistance to Mr. Assange, and now the Australian government, working with the UK, has put his lawyer on an inhibited persons list,” he said.

Robinson was eventually allowed to fly, and it’s yet to be seen whether she’ll be on a similar list for future flight attempts. (Read more…)

John Iacovelli reviews new book on Bradley Manning. For OpEdNews.com, Iacovelli praises the new Greg Mitchell and Kevin Gosztola book on Bradley, encompassing the WikiLeaks releases and Bradley’s pretrial proceedings thus far:

As the “bread and butter” of the book, Gosztola’s account excels. From the very start, noting the decision to try in Ft. Meade, vs. Manning’s original post, Ft. Drum, the book connects every small detail to the larger national issue. In the Meade vs. Drum issue, the book notes that Meade is part of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, as well as containing the headquarters of the U.S. Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service.

The book makes a strong case for undue Executive branch influence upon the army hearings, noting, for example, that the presiding officer in the December pre-trial hearings had left the Department of Justice only two weeks before the trial. The denied witnesses and pre-judgments are covered thoroughly, and the 20,000 foot view was explained.

He goes on to list the various ways in which the military and government have inhibited Bradley’s rights already, precluding the concept of a “fair trial.” (Read more…)

I Am Bradley Manning submission: “My name is Amelia Andersotter, and I’m from Sweden. I am a Member of the European Parliament after being elected on the Pirate Party list. The process of “justice” that Bradley Manning being is exposed to is something I thought we had left behind, and that our societies were already past. But maybe it’s good, on some level, that we are reminded of what the country – especially one that goes to war a lot – does, even to its own citizens.” Submit your photo here!