Nobel Laureates salute Bradley Manning
By Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. November 14, 2012. As published by The Nation and The Guardian (UK)
Last week, PFC Bradley Manning offered to accept responsibility for releasing classified documents as an act of conscience – not as charged by the US military. As people who have worked for decades against the increased militarization of societies and for international cooperation to end war, we are deeply dismayed by the treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning. The military under the Obama administration has displayed a desire to over-prosecute whistle-blowing with life-in-prison charges including espionage and “aiding the enemy”, a disturbing decision which is no doubt intended to set an example.
We have dedicated our lives to working for peace because we have seen the many faces of armed conflict and violence, and we understand that no matter the cause of war, civilians always bear the brunt of the cost. With today’s advanced military technology and the continued ability of business and political elites to filter what information is made public, there exists a great barrier to many citizens being fully aware of the realities and consequences of conflicts in which their country is engaged.
Responsible governance requires fully informed citizens who can question their leadership. For those citizens worldwide who do not have direct, intimate knowledge of war, yet are still affected by rising international tensions and failing economies, the WikiLeaks releases attributed to Manning have provided unparalleled access to important facts.
Revealing covert crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, this window into the realities of modern international relations has changed the world for the better. While some of these documents may demonstrate how much work lies ahead in terms of securing international peace and justice, they also highlight the potential of the Internet as a forum for citizens to participate more directly in civic discussion and creative government accountability projects.
Questioning authority, as a soldier, is not easy. But it can at times be honorable. The words attributed to Manning reveal that he went through a profound moral struggle between the time he enlisted and when he became a whistleblower. Through his experience in Iraq, he became disturbed by top-level policy that undervalued human life and caused the suffering of innocent civilians and soldiers. Like other courageous whistleblowers, he was driven foremost by a desire to reveal the truth.
Private Manning said in chat logs that he hoped the releases would bring “discussion, debates and reforms” and condemned the ways the “first world exploits the third.” Much of the world regards him as a hero for these efforts toward peace and transparency, and he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as a result. However, much as when high-ranking officials in the United States and Britain misled the public in 2003 by saying there was an imminent need to invade Iraq to stop it from using weapons of mass destruction, the world’s most powerful elites have again insulted international opinion and the intelligence of many citizens by withholding facts regarding Manning and WikiLeaks.
The military prosecution has not presented evidence that Private Manning injured anyone by releasing secret documents, and it has asserted in court that the charge of “aiding the enemy through indirect means” does not require it to do so. Nor has the prosecution denied that his motivations were conscientious; it has simply argued they are irrelevant. In ignoring this context and recommending a much more severe punishment for Bradley Manning than is given to US soldiers guilty of murdering civilians, military leadership is sending a chilling warning to other soldiers who might feel compelled by conscience to reveal misdeeds. It is our belief that leaders who use fear to govern, rather than sharing wisdom born from facts, cannot be just.
We Nobel Peace Prize laureates condemn the persecution Bradley Manning has suffered, including imprisonment in conditions declared “cruel, inhuman and degrading” by the United Nations, and call upon Americans to stand up in support of this whistleblower who defended their democratic rights. In the conflict in Iraq alone, more than 110,000 people have died since 2003, millions have been displaced and nearly 4,500 American soldiers have been killed. If someone needs to be held accountable for endangering Americans and civilians, let’s first take the time to examine the evidence regarding high-level crimes already committed, and what lessons can be learned. If Bradley Manning released the documents, as the prosecution contends, we should express to him our gratitude for his efforts toward accountability in government, informed democracy and peace.
Bradley Manning’s courage challenges all of us to do more
THIS IS MADDENING!!!!! :’(
Velp November 19, 2012
Dear Mr. Bradley Manning,
You did an great job for more than 7.000.000.000 Humans included the more than 10.000.000 Beekeepers to OPEN the eyes from all Humans! We did become now 100% of Evidence that our own Politcians allow the Poisoning from their own Mothers, Family, Children, Voters and other Humans I can write this as Human & Beekeeper with 100% of Evidence and write that sinds beginning February 2008 and yes dated February 13, 2008 did I become an phonecall from the Speaker Ing. Luc A.J.M. Krekels of the CTGB (Dutch EPA)in name from all CTGB-Humans included their Director CTGB Dr. A.T.C. Bosveld……………please make for the NETHERLANDS ‘GLYPHOSATE’ forbidden because your email dated February 09, 2008 is 100% correct. We can’t dod this because we all will lost our Job.
With other words I can you understand very good and know it cost time, more as we wish bu you will win this battle in interest more than 7.000.000.000 Humans.
Thank you did written Hans van den Broek
If anyone deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, it is Pfc. Bradley Manning. This noble young man has risked im-
prisonment – or worse -for the remainder of his life
in the interests of peace.He has already suffered under prison conditions for several years for his efforts. It is ironic that while in
prison he has been nominated for this year’s peace award. The U.S. government should release him and make reparations to him for the suffering he had
endured.
Yes yes I totally agree with this
I admire Bradley for his courage to stand for peace and justice, Hanna
Bradley Manning’s treatment since he was arrested is a shocking example of what little value America’s leaders place on the truth..
Shame on Obama…
Please free Bradley Manning.
I have followed Bradley Manning’s plight (as Jhonathon
Winter’s used to say) “offshore through heavy lenses.” As many people, I fear to become involved in this frightful and disgusting issue. But the fact is I am involved. Of one thing I am convinced: We may not know with certainty what the Truth is. And we may not with certainty know was is Right. But we all know what WRONG is. For me, that’s a beginning.
Please give this man the Prise. Nothing else could possibly make up for the ridiculous 2009 awarding of the “pease” Prise. No one else has sacrificed more for peace and freedom than PFC Bradley Manning.
I’d give the snivveling little coward a fair trail AND THEN execute him
our government is slowing taking away your rights, and let us see where you the coward will stand, you are excuted when we have no freedom, big taxes, no job, this is where this war has gotten us deeper in dept,and they want our eyes closed. Thank God for Bradley Manning ,he,s opened our eyes big and wide,for us to live in peace.The only thing wrong here is Denise holds all the cards, ask yourself is that right for a justice system to put one person in charge of someone,s life, now how would you like to be in his shoes?We all actually are with a system like this.
Your courage is real courage Bradley Manning. Like Jesus, and many other martyrs and teachers, you are suffering for your bravery, while, in the ultimate of cowardice, military personnel are lauded for sitting behind joysticks depriving poor families in far away countries of their loved ones. You suffer for us all.
If the world had more Bradley Manning’s and a few less two faced politicians we could all sleep safer in our beds at night.
Lets spread courage, stop corruption by starting a new organisation, MISSING VOICES, by a world wide support of actions that makes a change, in a local and global way?
My heart bleeds for Manning, for the Nobel Laureates and for whistleblowers everywhere whose conscience and courage leads them to risk everything for the sake of others, but most of all my heart bleeds for my country which has gone so far astray.
Manning may have broken an “American tribal law”.
However, I know he has sacrificed his young life for the
betterment of mankind. Americans are de-sensitized when it comes
to the killing of foreigners and Bradley brought home some sense of
humanity to us. Senseless and sadistic killing is a crime by any
measure and cannot be condoned by any responsible
and civilized government leave alone the perpetration. If anyone
in the world deserves the Nobel Peace Award it is Bradley Manning.
Landing on the moon didn’t saves lives or bring an iota of benefit
to the human race. Manning saved lives . . . and nations if you
consider the “Arab Spring”. He disclosed the evils of our ways . .
so that our wise get educated and make informed decisions
Everyone should try to pass along this article to as many sources as they can. The word needs to get out, and the world needs to hear.
One is sickened to hear our hypocritical “leaders” espouse our so-called American values when our president “awards” himself the authority to assassinate anyone–including American citizens—he deems our “enemy,” when his administration traffics in covert crime, lies, coverups, and endless propaganda in the name of “democracy,” when his underlings pile secrets upon secrets and then “classify” the documents as something our citizens need not, may not, know.
In the trampling of American values while holding them up as some holy grail, the Obama Administration has been no less perverse than that of George W. Bush.
American values? American values are on trial today in Fort Meade, Maryland, in the person of PFC Bradley Manning, who had the courage and honor to live what he believes.
Kia Ora (More Godly Life To You) Bradley Manning is a native (Maori) greeting from New Zealand. I have only just become aware of this true Soldier of God Sovereign Man.
God Bless courageous Wo/Men such as Bradley Manning. I am 72 years old. Ex NZ Special Forces Veteran and Returned Mormon Missionary. If Bradley Manning is to serve Life Imprisonment I will gladly donate a year of my life to serve in his stead. WE need only 100 other volunteers to cover a hundred years. On the other hand I belong to a group called Avaaz.org which is a 17-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) I believe the greatest crimes ever committed against mankind are committed by (In the Judeo-Christian Assemblies at least)OATH SWORN SO HELP ME GOD PUBLIC SERVANTS who now believe that They are the SOVEREIGN MASTERS and WE THE PEOPLE are now their subject servant. If WE THE PEOPLE ever forget that ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY OF the government ORIGINATES with WE THE PEOPLE and the government are our Public Servants that have sworn a solemn oath to uphold my unlienable Godly Law Rights then we have become SHEEPLES and deserve being devoured by ravening wolves. Let us continue to not allow Wo/Men like Bradley TO STAND ALONE. If someone will organize it. Let each of us send an individual email to every Head of a Political State and every Head of a Church or Societies who accept the existence of a Creator and demand of both Secular Governments and Church Governments that they are respectively “Public Servants and we demand that they stand up and speak out. To hold their respective members of their faith to uphold their oaths. Since Bradley is an American lets hold the American Public Servants to uphold the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution which is simply a codified expression of the declaration. IN GOD WE TRUST God Bless Paumea McKay. Kia Ora Bradley Manning
Yea!!Actually anyone who would take a year upon them selves to serve is a wonderful idea. There are so many of us for Bradley that I think probably 2 wks would be enough for each person to stand in. How can we stop this government from overrunning us persons in Justice like this. Bring a Halt to all transportation, public offices, stores gobaly,send in special forces of our own to capture all congressman, senators, governors, who go along with this Bull to make them sign a petition to Free Bradley Manning, also all police forces and lock up those prosecutors for the rest of their life and the ones who are responsible for keeping him involved for almost 1000 days without trial.We the people need to take action not talk once and for all.
I wish I knew more people like Bradley Manning; People that stood up for the right thing even when it was very difficult and posed great personal risk to themselves. He is a true American hero. I hope we have enough of them to help us become a beacon of freedom for the word once again.
*world
Bradeley appears to be a highly intelligent, highly skilled, and perhaps even highly strung young individual – given his inner struggles. i think this is a modern day story of David and Goliath a truly reflects the sad story of a young persons struggle to find, courage and his patch on this planet. Bradeley has taken on the worlds strongest superpower. …the American Government, who as we can see will stop at nothing. I feel as Bradeley was under the constant pressure of his private life and bullied by his colleagues, perhaps if he wasn’t so fed up with life, he may never have found the strength to leak information about the awful attrocities on file – stress dictates how we deal with things. In other words he may have just kept in line with his military duties. I think he took a big risk, but stood up for right and humanity and found the strength to say NO!!. Imagine having the weight of knowing what he knew. Perhaps his young life was meant for this purpose. However I hope he gets the help that he needs. Best Wishes Bradeley. ENGLAND
The best Christmas present that Bradley could receive is if Archbishop Tutu, Mairead Corrigan and Adolfo Esquivel were to award him their own Nobel Peace Prize medals. Such a gracious act would hit headlines around the world and undoubtedly affect the fate of Bradley – possibly a game changer. If they announced this before Christmas a follow up ceremony could then take place in January or February at which the three laureates could present their medals to Manning via Ellsberg, for example, and with invited guests such as Nash, Moore, Jonsdottir, Loach, Pilger, Stone, Chomsky, etc, as well as Assange via videolink. I am sure the three would give serious consideration to this proposal it just needs putting to them.
Thank you.
Dear Mr. Manning,
I hope you’re getting to see, or at least hear about, all of the support you have from around the world. I know you must be very frightened, and I’m so sorry you’re suffering. I don’t know if you regret telling the world the truth or not–it’s cost you very, very dearly–but … the world needed your honesty. You ended a war that had no business even starting. You’ve saved thousands of lives. You’ve exposed a corrupt government. You’ve had courage no other member of the military or government has shown or possesses. I am deeply proud of you. You are a true hero, a true patriot, and a real man.
I pray that you feel the love, comfort, strength, and peace of our Creator embracing you as you walk this brutal path of nobility and courage. Dearest Bradley, whatever happens, you’re an immortal Soul, and you can be proud to know that you’ve changed the face of the world forever. You’ve inspired many of us to be braver, too. Thank you for being you.
Every blessing,
Valerie
free manning icarcerate bush and blair
Blair and Bush should be in trial while this guy be free. the world works backwards as it should. I’M BRADLEY MANNING TOO.
I agree Bush and Blair should be on trial, while this fine young man should be set free and be treated not only as an American but as a true humanitarian international hero. a grotesque and terrible war based on lies that make the American and British people being hatred around the world and due this a terrible discredit to western democracies. the ones who should be on trial should be the “architects” of this war. FREE BRADLEY MANNING NOW! incarcerate Bush and Blair and his accomplices (the worst war criminals since the Nazis we deserve better than this for a better world.
We deserve better than this for a better world
We the people of the world deserve better than this
Lets keep the protesting momentum going. I will be out there (in Australia) on June 1st while you guys in America are at Fort Meade. What is happening with Bradley & Julian is an insight into what will happen in the future if we don’t protect our rights.
Like an onion, our civil rights are peeled away layer by layer under the banner “Excuses for security since 9/11″ ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!