We are all Bradley Manning! A call to action.
act
US Military threatens Bradley Manning with death penalty, then forces him to remain naked in his call
By the Bradley Manning Support Network. March 10, 2011
The U.S. Military is seeking to make an example of Bradley Manning, who is accused of releasing classified information about war crimes and government corruption to the WikiLeaks website.
We are here to say: We believe in truth and government accountability. We want real democracy. We are tired of perpetual wars and perpetual lies. We are Bradley Manning!
After suffering through nine months of solitary confinement, physical and psychological abuse, 23 year-old Pfc. Bradley Manning was slapped by the Army this week with an additional 22 criminal charges, including “aiding the enemy,” which is punishable by death.
The military has not said who the enemy is, or how they were aided. Apparently, they believe that the enemy is the truth, and they are desperate to keep it from infecting U.S. public opinion.
Last May, Bradley was accused of releasing to WikiLeaks the infamous Collateral Murder video showing U.S. soldiers killing wounded civilians and journalists from an Apache helicopter in Baghdad, Iraq. The new charges include the so-called Afghan War Diaries, the Iraq War Logs, and additional U.S. diplomatic cables that have also been released by WikiLeaks.
These documents have added significantly to public knowledge of war crimes, civilian casualties, and government corruption. Some of the released cables have even contributed to recent democratic uprisings, in particular the revolution in Tunisia, which has sparked popular rebellions throughout the Arab world. WikiLeaks’ director Julian Assange has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for the presentation of this information. Meanwhile, Bradley Manning is being held in inhumane conditions in the Marine Brig at Quantico, Virginia
Since being informed that he will be charged with a capital offense, Bradley has been forced to be naked for seven hours during the night and to stand at attention completely naked in the morning. Military spokespersons acknowledge that this is happening, but refuse to offer an explanation. Is the military afraid Bradley will use his underwear to hang himself before they get the chance to do so? Or is this really just another way for the military to show Bradley that he has been stripped of all rights and protections – that he remains totally at their mercy?
“This type of degrading treatment is inexcusable and without justification. It is an embarrassment to our military justice system and should not be tolerated,” declared Bradley’s civilian attorney David Coombs.
Reportedly, the Army has not been able to establish any connection between Bradley Manning and Assange or WikiLeaks, and Bradley has not cooperated with the prosecution. It’s likely that the military has little evidence to convict Bradley. They may feel the need to “break him” in order to extract a confession, and to gain his cooperation in the case against WikiLeaks. Perhaps they are also worried that he might be acquitted at trial, and want to punish him severely during pre-trial confinement.
The U.S. government and military are also sending an ominous message to those who would dare expose the dirty underbelly of U.S. foreign policy: you will be our enemy and we reserve the right to kill you. Illegal U.S. wars against other nations are morphing into wars against U.S. soldiers and civilians, anyone who might follow their conscience and obey international law.
Tonight Bradley Manning may be forced once again to stand at attention, totally naked before his accusers. But it is the U.S. government and military who are being stripped of all pretense and credibility. Their crimes against civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen are being exposed. They have been caught torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and now in Quantico, Virginia, where they are torturing Bradley Manning.
But the military brass are only digging themselves into a deeper hole. Bradley Manning is not going away and neither are we. We will fight even harder now for his freedom. We will work even harder now to expose the truth about U.S. wars and occupations. We Are ALL Bradley Manning!
What you can do to support Bradley Manning
1. Sign the petitions to support Bradley and encourage others to sign as well:
- Stand With Brad petition
- Fire Dog Lake petition to drop the “aiding the enemy” charge
- Code Pink petition to drop “aiding the enemy” charge and for humane treatment
2. Tell Major General Karl R. Horst to drop all charges against Bradley Manning, especially the capital charge of “aiding the enemy,” to end his inhumane treatment, and to allow him to go free.
You can write him at:
MG Karl R. Horst
Commander, US Army Military Dist. of Washington
1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1400
3. Join or organize a collective action to draw attention to Bradley’s case.
For assistance in organizing an event, please contact us at [email protected].
Upcoming events:
March 19, Antiwar marches are being organized for Washington, DC and 30 U.S. cities.
This is a great opportunity to educate more potential allies about Bradley Manning!
March 20, Bradley Manning support rally at Quantico, Virginia
April 4 – 11, April Days of Action in Washington, DC
April 9 & 10, Antiwar marches in New York and San Francisco
March 21 – April 8, Spring Bicycle Tour for Bradley Manning
Early May, Estimated date of Bradley’s pre-trial hearing
October-November, Estimated date of Bradley’s court martial
4. Write letters:
To your local newspapers, to educate other community members
To your government representatives, expressing your support for Bradley
5. Send donations for the legal and political defense of Bradley Manning
6. Other ideas for creative actions:
- Blow the whistle on war crimes (with real whistles) at your local Army recruiting office
- Use Social Media to spread the word about our efforts by linking to the Bradley Manning Support Network website and our SaveBradley Facebook page. Share your ideas and your reports.
- Order Bradley Manning t-shirts, posters, banners, whistles and handouts.
- Don’t ever give up. Keep telling the truth.
BRADLEY MANNING SUPPORT NETWORK
bradleymanning.org
I am disgusted by the actions of whoever is now in charge of what used to be my country. Thank you, Bradley Manning, for exposing the despicable acts of the U.S. military.
I grew up in the UK during the 1950s and was a young adult in the Sixties. The USA influence was everywhere; in great films, amazing music and wonderful literature. And Americans were portrayed as the Good Guys, the ‘honest Joes’ who stood against the forces of repression and hate.
Well, Bradley Manning is an American ‘honest Joe’ for our time. Not a ‘terrorist’ or ‘traitor’. And whatever he may or may not have done, he should be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
True Americans are being badly let down by the minority who are subjecting Bradley to this sickening, abusive treatment. Please add your voices to this campaign to bring it to a stop.
Im from scotland and i only just found out about this bradley guy, and i think its sick that they’re doing that to him to be honest.
<3
i dont think theres alot i can do to help seeing as im in a different country, but i just want to say that i support him and everyone who supports him. its not right to treat a human being like that under his circumstances.
I hope they don’t kill him
those bastards are going to kill him and they’re setting it up to make us all believe suicide occurred. they’re portraying him as to be mentally deviant, “fully capable” of self destruction; when he isn’t. in fact, their portrayal couldn’t be further from truth. he is mentally healthy, by every count of his own father, and who better does know Bradley Manning? we mustn’t allow this murder to happen to our beautiful brother! unless we speak up, our gay brother will be dead!
Along with a much broader network of groups and indviduals (good crew shaping up to travel from Wales!) London/Oxford/Farmhouse Catholic Workes will head to the U.S. embassy, Grosvenor Square, London, England (see Rolling Stones song “Street Fighting Man written after Mick protested their during the Vietnam War at same place…ours will be more chilled, but more significant!…Mick are ya istening? come one down!) on March 20!
Ben Griffin SAS combat veteran and and then refusenik refusing to return to Iraq for 2nd tour, presently under a M.O.D. gag order enforced by the HIgh Court, will be there.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Griffin
Bruce Kent has also confirmed to speak.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Kent
It’s building well.
Good luck whereever you are
wehereever ya heading for Brad on March 20
I just sent the following e-mail to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee at [email protected]:
Subject: I Nominate Bradley Manning
Dear Nobel Peace Prize People,
As an American citizen, I would like to nominate Pfc. Bradley Manning for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I have to admit I don’t know exactly what the proper procedure is, and the dismal possibility exists that I’m not even qualified to nominate him. But I nominate him nonetheless.
Giving Mr. Manning the prize would accomplish several worthwhile goals. It would make it harder for the American government to torture him. It would honor his role for helping to spark the freedom uprisings that are occurring throughout North Africa and the Middle East. And it would erase the stain on your reputation flowing from your well-intentioned but regrettable decision to award the prize to Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.
Although some people mocked you for that award, I was not one of them. You made the reasonable wager that receipt of the award might shame Mr. Obama into responsible behavior on the international stage. Your wager failed, but it was worth making — it was like a Kierkegaardian leap of faith. What makes such leaps awe-inspiring is that one never knows whether one is going to soar or wind up picking cactus spines off one’s bruised and bleeding body at the bottom of a ravine. We all know how your leap of faith turned out, but it was worth trying, and I commend you for it.
Having said that, Bradley Manning is a true man of peace, not a high-powered eloquent fraud. I would be grateful if you would consider him for your next award.
Sincerely yours,
Jon Krampner
Hi Amy, Hi Martin,
There is actually quite a lot you can do. Bradley Manning is UK/US dual citizen so the UK does have a responsibility to intervene here. As of yet, Bradley has not even been offered consular assistance (basic oversight of his conditions and a prison visit etc), which is scandalous and something the UK Government needs to be pulled up on, bigtime.
This is a situation in which a letter to your MP can make a very big difference. For more information on what you should write, and what we’re doing in the UK to help Bradley, please visit us at one of the following locations:
http://www.ukfriendsofbradleymanning.org
facebook.com/ukfriendsofbradleymanning
@ukfriendsofbm
We’ll also be demonstrating outside the US embassy on 20th March.
All the best,
Naomi
There are “common people”, and then there are heroes–who, when given the choice take a stand for truth, liberty and the pursuit of happiness instead of personal profit; take a stand for making this world a better place instead of following the beaten path of “trampling on the weak for personal profit”; take a stand for the belief that truth is worth living for; take a stand for the rest of “human-kind” even in spite of the grave possibility that greed-led “human-kind” trapped in a self destructive rat-race will reward their actions with ridicule, false accusations and even martyrdom; expecting nothing in return–take a stand for you and me.
Will we watch in silence while the inertia of our society destroys those who dare to think differently?
Will we be a cog in the gear of the machine we call society that makes martyrs out of those who dare to believe that there could be a better way to do things?
Take a stand for truth,
David G. Mayo (Germany)
(Another letter sent to the President today.)
Mr. President,
Please properly investigate the possible/probable inhumane treatment of PFC Bradley E. Manning, being detained in the United States Marine Corps Quantico Brig in Virginia.
Common sense tells the conscience that possible/probable inhumane treatment must be fully investigated.
Facts of the case, as reported by David Coombs, PFC Manning’s defense lawyer, indicate that:
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrel has stated that PFC Manning has been a model detainee.
Brig forensic psychiatrists have continually stated that there’s no mental health justifications for the extreme conditions of PFC Manning’s detainment.
Quantico Commander Colonel Daniel Choike has denied a fair request by PFC Manning to be removed from the medically unnecessary extreme current conditions of his detainment.
Chief Warrant Officer Denise Barnes used a sarcastic remark made by PFC Manning, (referring to the waistband in his shorts), as a unfair convenient excuse to unjustifiably further increase the extreme conditions of PFC Manning’s detainment, with no contact of, nor recommendations from, the mental health staff to do so.
The Brig (excluding mental health staff as they don’t recommend the extreme current conditions) is using loopholes in policies to unfairly increase the extreme conditions of PFC Manning’s detainment.
These extreme conditions, inconsistencies between policies, and possible/probable abuse of authority, must be investigated.
The communication and exercise and sleep of PFC Manning is being severely restricted to the viable concern of inhumaneness.
Hence, to now rely on the sole assurance of those allegedly behind this alleged mistreatment, does nothing to justly bring the truth to light.
Our country’s principles of conscientiousness, deserve to have a serious matter such as this be fully investigated by unbiased independent third parties.
Again, please properly investigate the possible/probable inhumane treatment of PFC Bradley Manning.
Anything less falls short of truth and justness, and hence the American way, as your words so often convey.
Sincerely,
Sally Kline
Question: Mr. Manning’s father said in his interview that Bradley is NOT being tortured. Bradley’s lawyer has stated that Bradley is NOT forced to stand at attention naked but rahter is allowed to wrap himself in a blanket when standing to collect/turn in his clothing. So WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS CRAP??? You have NOTHING to back up your position so you are making this stuff up just to advance your sick cause. I dont mind you printing the TRUTH and if it was the TRUTH I would be not only donating money to help this kid out but would join you on your public protest at the gates at Quantico. Problem is 75% of everything you print is a LIE. You are making yourself look stupid and making Bradley look like a weak cry baby. Let him be a man, support his with your money to his lawyer if you believe in his cause. Stop your lies! Demand ONLY that he be removed from his POI status and that he be put in a larger cell rather than the small cage he is in now. Do this right and it will help the kid out. Right now your just pissing people off. And tell Bradley to continue to be the model inmate his lawyer says he is. That is his BEST case to get his status changed! May justice win.
hello im portuguese one more revolted whit the arrestment of this kid in my poor Understanding that boy is one REAL HERO he show to the world the real meanning of BRAVERY ….. THE FREEDOM OF SPEACH AS WELL THE PIDE AND HONNOR (that american goverment sell to the world)… why is he in jail?
us goverment should be shame to do that to his one son . that only proves what are the real intentions of us goverment to the world… why does the
US politicians dont send they one BLOOD sons to war ??
because they know the kind of bullshit they sell to the the american people … FREE THAT BOY. he is in jail because speeks the true …. IPOCRITS
(PS) I was in bosnia in 1993
http://www.facebook.com/profile.html?id=100000113958056
It seems that Mr. Latwaitis here didn’t care 4 the Note I posted earlier on fb w/my letter 2 Sec. Gates about Bradley. He sent this private msg 2 my inbox:
“When you break the law, there are consequences. This man leaked classified military info to the public. That’s a serious crime under UCMJ (look it up). They don’t receive personal constitutional rights that you and I have. Educate yourself before going on looking like a dummy.”
Hmm…what do YOU guys think? I encourage u to contact him directly, as he did with me, and share your views.
To Fellow Citizens who love the America we had when justice was the law of the land: The Bradley Manning case is just another black mark against our being considered among the list of civilized countries in the world. First the photos from Abu Ghraib, the treatment of suspected criminals when transferred to black holes of detention in foreign contries where torture is commonnly practiced so their human rights can be denied, and now the unbelievable daily humiliation and degredation of Bradley Manning. Obviously this inhuman treatment of isolation and refusal to allow him clothing are designed to break his spirit and health, all crimes against the Geneva Convention of prisoner of war rights. Bill Mahr exposed these infringements on his HBO program last week with great support from the audience for his statements. Please call your Senators and Representatives by the thousands! Please march to take a stand! Please pressure ACLU to come forward, also MoveOn and any other progressive movement you are aware of. A few scattered voices are not enough to rectify a military wrong doing. Every week that goes by is a public disgrace to America and the rights we so proudly stand for.
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Great post kim,I am just getting my new blog up and running and I have been thinking about all the things I could write about. You have just increased that list 10 fold with your very clear advice.I owe you a Starbucks coffee for that block post. LOL. Thanks a million.
good share!!keep go on!!!nice post!!