...brig officials now confirm to The New York Times that Manning will be forced to be nude every night from now on for the indefinite future -- not only when he sleeps, but also when he stands outside his cell for morning inspection along with the other brig detainees. They claim that it is being done "as a 'precautionary measure' to prevent him from injuring himself."And it's important to remember that Manning has not been convicted of any crime.
... And if this is truly such a threat, why isn't he on "suicide watch" (the NYT article confirms he's not)? And why is this restriction confined to the night; can't he also off himself using his briefs during the day?
Let's review Manning's detention over the last nine straight months: 23-hour/day solitary confinement; barred even from exercising in his cell; one hour total outside his cell per day where he's allowed to walk around in circles in a room alone while shackled, and is returned to his cell the minute he stops walking; forced to respond to guards' inquiries literally every 5 minutes, all day, everyday; and awakened at night each time he is curled up in the corner of his bed or otherwise outside the guards' full view. Is there anyone who doubts that these measures -- and especially this prolonged forced nudity -- are punitive and designed to further erode his mental health, physical health and will? As The Guardian reported last year, forced nudity is almost certainly a breach of the Geneva Conventions; the Conventions do not technically apply to Manning, as he is not a prisoner of war...
It's being carried out by the military of which Barack Obama is the Commander-in-Chief. Yes, the Greatest Moral Leader of Our Lifetime and Nobel Peace Prize winner is well aware of what's being done and obviously has been for quite some time...
And I'll say this again: just fathom the contrived, shrieking uproar from opportunistic Democratic politicians and their loyalists if it had been George Bush and Dick Cheney -- on U.S. soil -- subjecting a whistle-blowing member of the U.S. military to these repressive conditions...
07 March 2011
Re Bradley Manning's forced nudity
Here's Glenn Greenwald's take on the situation:
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That's how the military rolls. They literally have a separate criminal system, and he knew that while enlisting. I'm not suggesting this is good or even ok, but he should've been smarter about it all.
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteDon't you agree with me what happened was only casualty? Manning wasn't high profiled on the military; the information he was dealing with wasn't even secret - the informed population knew about most of what has been already.
But as we know from the history of revolutions, most of the time heroes are born from undistinguished folks.
It's also important to remember that Manning is active duty military and therefore subject to the UCMJ, as Paul has mentioned. The UCMJ works quite a bit differently from a civilian justice system.
ReplyDeleteHe's lucky. I would have had him hanged, sloppily and painfully.
ReplyDelete@Farmer Deerfield: So, you're suggesting that he should be executed without trial? Hitler and Stalin would be proud.
ReplyDeleteHe is a hero for what he has done. Farmer deerfield, you disgust me to the core. Sentiment like that will see you rot in whatever hell you believe in.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter what system of justice provides the excuse for the way Mr. Manning is being treated. It's wrong.
ReplyDeletePeople have got more excuses for doing the wrong thing than Carter has little pills.
I guess I just don't understand the reasoning for treating him in this manner. Even the worst, most despicable criminals aren't treated this way. Why would anyone treat a nonviolent prisoner in this manner? I could understand (though not condone it) if he had been planning something while huddled and it involved using his clothing to make parachute to escape with (or something equally ludicrous). But as it stands, it simply seems ugly and punitive. Come on, U.S. You're better than this. Or you should be.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteI think is pretty obvious that Manning is being treated like that as an exemple for possible future leakers. It's the end of democracy.
I'm conflicted over Wikileaks because some of what they did was good, but hate the way they did it. (Not redacting names. Trying to censor the pubs whose coverage they didn't like after the first round of leaks.) Even so, is what they did criminal? Manning, on the other hand, betrayed his government. YES, governments are allowed to have diplomatic secrets and he just released random stuff (after the collateral damage video). Frankly, I hope he rots in jail. However, this is barbaric and Obama must stop it.
ReplyDeleteThis treatment is meant to break Bradley Manning mentally, emotionally, psychologically. Most people equate torture with physical abuse, but prolonged and multifaceted sensory deprivation is how to reduce a human being into a vegetable without any tell tale physical manifestation or blemish. This is not the wanton, indiscriminate actions of a sadist, this is a finely orchestrated science (with an already proven track record) that effectively obliterates the personality and humanity of who and what that person once was...
ReplyDeleteManning is a traitor. There are no degrees allowed; a traitor is a traitor, whether he sold nuclear secrets to the enemy or next week's chow hall menu. Whether it was a closely guarded secret or not, his job was to be trustworthy. He wasn't. He was bottom rung on the ladder and would have eventually made his way up to bigger and more secretive info. Should he be allowed to go back and climb the ladder a bit more so he can sell out his country to an even bigger degree? This is not the end of democracy; it is punishment for a crime. He swore an oath and was found wanting; lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. He is not a hero. He's a pathetic person wanting his 15 minutes and willing to sell out his fellow soldiers as well as his country to get them.
ReplyDeletemiddleagedhousewife
Which US general said in a press conference that anyone who had information about illegalities being committed in Iraq by US forces was duty bound to make them public?
ReplyDeleteCheney, Rummy and Bush all purposely derailed the Geneva conventions, sent innocent people to jails worldwide to be tortured and killed, and made a profit on an illegal war based on their purposely trumped up evidence. You want to talk criminals and traitors of the highest order- start from the top down.
what stan b. said.
ReplyDeletemiddleagehousewife - If Manning's punishment is fitting for a traitor, why is Nidal Malik Hasan not being treated in a similar fashion?!? Wrong is wrong, and Manning's treatment is WRONG in every sense of the word. Either try and punish him, or release him. The reason (I believe) they haven't brought him to military trial is that he would get sentenced, serve the sentence, and be released.
ReplyDeleteOh, and by the way, whenever there is punishment without a trial, there is no democracy.
ReplyDeletelol at the American "democracy" you do all realize that the rest of the world is looking at you and shaking their heads (and i'm referring to those who are unjust and/or narrow minded, ignorant)
ReplyDeletethe way you treat your own people is a shame, and what's sadder is the way you treat the rest of the world.
Get with it, it's peace-time
get over your grudges and grow up.
don't get me wrong, I don't hate the US, this is the opinion of the rest of the population of the earth ( that's 95% by the way )
out
If only I knew where the latest Anonymous commenter directly above was from. I could find plenty to show that they're country is criticized as well in failing in many ways.
ReplyDeletestonemaven - simple. Hasan is a Muslim. Mustn't bruise a Muslim, the President won't like that.
ReplyDeletemiddle.....