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Bradley Manning Support Network Condemns Unjust Detainment of Activist

2010-11-10 29 comments


Washington, DC, November 10, 2010 – Last week, David House, a developer working with the Bradley Manning Support Network, was detained and had his computer seized by the FBI when returning from a vacation in Mexico. He committed no crime, nor was he ever alleged to have committed a crime.  He was questioned extensively about his support for alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning, who has been imprisoned at Quantico for over 160 days.

This invasive search is of great concern to all Americans who value the Constitutionally-protected rights to free speech and free assembly.  The campaign to free Bradley Manning – which has garnered the support of tens of thousands of individuals from across the United States and the world – is rooted in a belief that government transparency is key to a healthy democracy.  Our network stands firm in support of alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning and has raised over $80,000 for his defense.  If he is a source for documents published by WikiLeaks illuminating the campaign of disinformation about US foreign wars, then Manning deserves the gratitude of the entire nation.

House sent an email to the Network describing his detainment, saying that, “My computer, video camera, and flash drive were confiscated, leaving me in a tough spot in terms of research obligations; the reason for the seizure, said the officials, was ‘border search.’”

The FBI denied House’s requests to have a copy of his research data.  This seems to be part of a disturbing trend of intimidation and property seizure being carried out against activists critical of US policies, including the detainment and laptop seizure of activist Jacob Applebaum in July and the September 24th FBI raids against antiwar and social justice activists.

House has not been charged with a crime.

“I try to be as even-handed as possible, but based on the subject of the search I can’t help but feel that this constitutes a form of intimidation,” wrote House in an email to the Network, “I feel as though the DHS has turned to harassing the friends and supporters of Bradley Manning in a potential attempt to disrupt our abilities to run a legal defense network.”

The Bradley Manning Support Network denounces this recent attempt by the FBI to intimidate its supporters.  Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime, and neither is standing up for Bradley Manning.

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29 comments »

  • John Hilker

    This young man must be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. His shameful detention by this government must be stopped and restitution must be made to him and his family.

    2010-11-10 11:06
  • Mike Gogulski « Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton and Charles Goyette

    [...] Manning Support Network, discusses Bradley Manning friend and website supporter David House’s detainment and questioning by FBI and DHS officials who also confiscated his laptop, nearly complete fundraising efforts for [...]

    2010-11-11 03:28
  • Craig Schwanke

    The ACLU has had several articles about events like this over the past few months. I urge David House to contact the ACLU about this violation of his civil rights so they can keep track of what the government is doing and include him in any possible legal actions. See my blog post of 10 SEP 10 for more information
    http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6156607164032733669&postID=33234081660805307

    2010-11-11 08:00
  • James Cerveny

    This is absolutely, mind-numbingly outrageous. We call ourselves a free society?

    2010-11-11 09:40
  • Mohammed AL-Saedi

    Bradly manning is truthful freedom hero who did expose the wars criminals who committed genocides and war crimes.

    Bradly manning represents the dignity, credibility, honesty the truthfulness and the honore of the mankind. Its the obligation of all people who are capable and are qualified to stand robustly, with invincible withstand, for Bradly manning and to stand, with invincible withstand, for his freedom at all cost.

    May Allah bless him, help his release and protect him.

    2010-11-11 09:48
  • President Obama: Prosecuting Whistleblowers, Intimidating Their Supporters | Pursuances

    [...] flash drive were confiscated, leaving me in a tough spot in terms of research obligations,” House recounts in an e-mail to the Bradley Manning Support Network. “[T]he reason for the seizure, said the officials, [...]

    2010-11-11 11:55
  • Moni

    This young man need to be protected, he obviously knew it was wrong and brought it to public attention

    The truth will set him free, now that we know what the Americans have been subjecting the Iraqis people to such inhumane treatment. What good will it do by detaining this young couragous man?

    2010-11-20 03:34
  • Vince

    You won’t like it but here goes,
    Democracy at work? freedom of speech? The constitution? or is this what we heard about Russia in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s? Do it but hide it, imprison anyone who objects or tries to defend the imprisoned, anyone who tries to speak out! remember Solzhenitsyn! People stand up for what is right, they do it all the time and they get trampled on, lives ruined, careers ruined.

    Truth is quite simple, if you got to hide it, don’t do it!

    Now I know that seems very simplistic, but it is true, and I don’t know why Governments around the world find it so hard to be honest.

    2010-11-26 21:22
  • jeandelarue

    viva Bradley Manning!! this action is necesary for a worl more just!!!

    2010-11-28 16:56
  • Lizy

    Hej Bradely, hope you are ok. It`s sad that your government is locking you in. I believe you are innocent and if you leaked those documents i consider you as a hero and thank God you did it. I pray for you. Coward USA release him!.

    2010-11-28 17:10
  • Bob Crichton

    Whistleblowers are overwhelmingly the least appreciated people in society, yet they have to take risks – sometime very great ones – and experience very little support from the general public. Bradley Manning is clearly a person who followed his conscience and did the right thing, for which the USA wants to punish him beyond everything that is fair, just and even legal (considering the Constitution). I am sure that countless people agree with this, but – unfortunately – the overwhelming majority of people want a quiet life, which means they do not take up support of people against whom massive threats are raised. It is a kind of cowardice…
    So, all congratulations to this serious and unassuming young man. May he be protected from the witch-hunting politicians and double-talkers his leaking of such already widely-disseminated and badly secured information has shown them up for what they really are.

    2010-12-01 07:28
  • Ivan

    In the movies when the truth comes out, the real heroes are vindicated and the bad guys go down…. Sadly, real life ain’t Hollywood! No amount of truth, it seems, will bring justice to this New World Order. Bradley Manning and Julian Assange are just two of many who will give up their liberty for the freedom of information.

    2010-12-01 08:24
  • Judith

    I am very concerned that we have heard little about Bradley Manning in months. The last report I heard was brief and said that he is suffering from depression and is being medicated. That may be true, but I am not readily accepting that he needs medication.
    That is what they do to whistleblowers. They discredit them and medicate them. He is an American citizen. The public is getting no information as to his well being, and he has not been shown on television since his arrest. (Actually I don’t know that they showed his arrest.)
    Is he being subjected to torture? I would say that given our governments predilection to torture that he is, and I protest an American citizen being tortured. The government should show the people the condition that Bradley is in so that we have some assurance that he is being treated with dignity and care. He has had no trial, and there is no ruling that he has violated any laws. He is innocent until proven guilty. Who is his attorney? Why cannot the public be told who that is? Perhaps I missed that.
    Please, stand with me by insisting that Bradley Manning be shown to the public and that he be allowed to make a statement to the public that he is alright and that his needs are being met.
    Is this still America, or has everything changed but the name?

    2010-12-01 14:24
  • Angst

    This is no longer the America you knew and loved.

    Everything has not changed, but rather many things that existed all along have simply been revealed.

    There is no privacy, no civil rights, and no recourse.

    2010-12-01 19:29
  • Steve

    America, land of the free.

    The world thanks you for McCarthy, Kissinger, Nixon, Bush (x2), Rumsfeld,
    Haliburton, Blackwater and all of your other paragons of virtue, a shining beacon of Democracy in s cesspool of deceit.

    No wonder they are upset with Wikileaks, clearly their version of truth is far away from the American way.

    All power to Bradley Manning.

    2010-12-01 20:28
  • Nate

    The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly!

    I respect our servicemen and women. To shoot or not to shoot… that is the question. The video only reveals how trigger happy some soldiers are… It did seem the major was trying to say no however just gave up when pressed and pressured and said go ahead.

    Its wrong that we don’t know the true reason we even went to Iraq. (It wasn’t 911/Al Quadi or weapons of mass destruction)

    So Bradley is in trouble for blowing the whistle. That is not good as far as the military is concerned. We all make mistakes… Bradley didn’t kill anyone…. He did rat out his fellow comrades… It’s too bad that they don’t have the same values Bradley did in attempting to right a wrong… Step up to the plate and accept the blame for what you did, If you don’t, You are no better than those we went to displace from Iraq in the first place….

    2010-12-01 22:36
  • Brian Hite

    Not only does the rest of the world view the US goverment as liars, thieves and murderers but there is now solid proof that they are. The damage they have caused makes the US public look as if they condone such behavior while the US govt does all in its totalitarian power to shut up any negative publicity of or about the US military. They have damaged the integrity and honor of being a just and fair govt and have ruined any positive image that America once had to the free world. People used to love the image of what the USA represented to the world, now it is justly so feared as an agent of satan, an extension of Nazism and just plain damn dumb and mean.

    2010-12-02 06:19
  • RH CLARK

    Is it any wonder why people in this part of the world hate Anericans. It’s the responsibly of the Commander and Chief to right these wrongs. The real question is, if these tapes are secert how many othere tapers are there that show the same thing?

    2010-12-02 10:21
  • Carson

    This man is a hero. We can’t let his bravery and sacrifice be for nothing. We have to do everything we possibly can with what he’s given us and finally, finally make some sort of change.

    My whole heart goes out to you Manning.

    2010-12-02 13:08
  • UNF

    @ Brian Hite,

    there has been solid proof since Hiroshima at the latest that US goverment is the most pathologically unhinged band of murderers in the world. That they were congenital liars and thieves was previously established during the carefree days of ‘Indian’-slaughtering. During all that time, the US public has, to probably a greater degree than the German public ever did Hitler, certainly condoned such behavior if not gleefully participated in it directly. The U$ military is, since Kennedy at latest, for all practical purposes the real government [Pentagovernment], with a succession of corrupt and weak puppet Presidents pushed forward to front a token civilian administration for the sake of keeping up appearance – however, an unhealthily significant proportion of the U$ population actually supports making the covert coup official, so enamored are they of the only branch which seems to work efficiently, if only at destroying other people’s countries. “They have damaged the integrity and honor of being a just and fair govt.” — this is black humor, right? Their vaunted ‘integrity and honor’ never existed, save in the minds of the terminally politically naive. “… the free world” — another fiction from the fevered dreams of Pentagonal agitprop-peddlers. “People used to love the image of what the USA represented to the world” — not the people of Korea, Vietnam or Nicaragua, i.e. those on the receiving end of reality, to give just a few examples from the many. “An extension of Nazism” — you got that right, U$A indeed inherited much from the Reich, and has improved on it since. But painful as these realisations are, living under induced delusions is much worse.

    The next question is what to do about it all. My answer: educate, organise and act for JUSTICE. Deflate the Empire – Vive la Résistance!!

    2010-12-03 00:26
  • Fred

    Having heard terrible things about Wikileaks, I decided to check it out for myself. Now I discover amazing evidence of American war crimes. Shame on the US government, shame on established news media for denouncing Wikileaks, and shame on the governments of the world for trying to shut it down. Bravo to Bradley Manning, who has shown more bravery than his commanders could ever know how to show.

    2010-12-04 04:31
  • Steve

    SCORES ON THE DOORS

    Subject Courage

    Bradley Manning 1 obama 0 ( you gave into bush senior to quick )

    Subject Integrity

    Bradley the Man Manning 1 America 0

    to be honest your constitution and bill of right mean jack shit any more
    your vote is worthless honestly it is

    when you vote them in the lobbyist bribe then with money and power

    both sides of the house are owned by ROTHCHILD`S ROCKEFELLER`S AND WARBURG`S

    JFK WAS ASSASSINATED BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BY PASS THESE PARASITICS

    AND AMERICA TO PRINT ITS OWN MONEY

    2010-12-04 14:03
  • Matt

    Too late to give Obama’s Nobel to the man who really deserves it – Bradley?

    2010-12-05 09:59
  • Steveinusa

    Pgp disk
    How simple and secure.

    2010-12-06 12:39
  • Alan Taylor

    Note: See Jeff Paterson’s answer to our email concerning Wikileaks failure to fund Pfc Manning’s Defence Fund.

    Return-path:
    Envelope-to: alan.taylor[at]pgpboard.com
    Delivery-date: Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:06:01 +0000
    Received: from oproxy3-pub.bluehost.com ([69.89.21.8])
    by eta.wiserhosting.co.uk with smtp (Exim 4.69)
    (envelope-from )
    id 1PQmkZ-0003eZ-Hx
    for alan.taylor[at]pgpboard.com; Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:06:01 +0000
    Received: (qmail 2740 invoked by uid 0); 9 Dec 2010 20:05:52 -0000

    We had no desire to make a statement regarding the Wikileaks pledged
    contribution, and it was unfortunate timing that it was released on the same
    day of Mr. Assange’s arrest. We were compelled to do so by recent statements
    by Wikileaks regarding this issue, by media interest in the issue, and the
    need for our Support Network to move forward in defense of Bradley Manning.

    We have no idea what funds were received by Wikileaks in response to their
    appeal on Bradley’s behalf. If I had to guess, I’d say a few grand–$10k
    max.

    I believe that we may yet receive a contribution from Wikileaks, and we’ll
    make that public when it happens. I got a message from the Wau Holland
    Foundation this morning asking for our non-profit paperwork and an
    accounting of funds used so far, which I provided to them. That is something
    we do regularly in applying for grants, or to receive unsolicited grants. I
    believe it is a positive development.

    Jeff

    —–Original Message—–
    From: alan taylor [mailto:alan.taylor[at]pgpboard.com]
    Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 2:37 AM
    To: jeff[at]bradleymanning.org
    Subject: Wikileaks Contribution to Manning Defence Fund

    Hi Jeff,

    Well it’s official at last, this is something we have known for the last
    several weeks. The press release sounds as though you were dragged to the party to
    announce the Wikileaks default. Or is this a false impression?

    Have you determined just how much Wikileaks received on behalf of Pfc
    Manning? Our input suggests that they themselves do not, since the donor receipt
    infrastructure at the Wau Holland Foundation is a shambles. All donor funding ends up in the
    same pot irrespective of the intended recipient. For example Assange has his
    begging bowl out at present for his defence fund. etc.. etc..

    Any further information you can provide would be welcome.

    Regards
    Alan Taylor
    PGPBOARD Administrator
    London, England

    2010-12-10 05:26
  • Olayiwola Dauda

    World Police,as being called America,are now parading freedom of speech as paper dog.
    If Manning has done nothing to be proscuted by Osama-sorry by Obama,he should be released without any delay.Unless if democracy is no more in existence,then Manning should be remained in detention by Obama governmeht.

    2010-12-11 06:23
  • Olayiwola Dauda

    The Democracts know the meaning of democracy not in America alone but Worldwide.
    Obama adviced Gbagbo to back down in Ivory Coast.Obama also should respect democracy and rule of law,and release Bradley Manning.

    2010-12-11 06:42
  • Kelly James

    ?????????????

    wow. just wow. there are no other words.

    KJ

    2010-12-22 18:40
  • Don Belanger

    Its about time our government started actiing like the Republic/democracy it was intended to be by the Country’s Founders, rather than the police state its becoming since 9/11 and the inception of such stupidities like the Patriot Act and the Department of Homeland Security9 both of which has the distinct smell of someone saying “The Fatherland”)

    2010-12-23 21:48

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