High School Senior “Comes Out” in Assembly
[H/t digby.]
January 25th, 2011
Archive for January 25th, 2011
Concern about Bradley Manning’s conditions of detention spreading
Anti-war groups, a psychologist group as well as filmmaker Michael Moore and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg have called for Bradley to be released from detention.
There are many new developments in the case of Bradley Manning, the alleged Wikileaks source. NBC News is reporting that the government has so far failed to find a direct connection between Manning and Wikileaks’ Julian Assange:
U.S. military officials tell NBC News that investigators have been unable to make any direct connection between a jailed army private suspected with leaking secret documents and Julian Assange, founder of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.
The officials say that while investigators have determined that Manning had allegedly unlawfully downloaded tens of thousands of documents onto his own computer and passed them to an unauthorized person, there is apparently no evidence he passed the files directly to Assange, or had any direct contact with the controversial WikiLeaks figure.
The NBC article also demonstrates that the military is feeling intense pressure over its brutal treatment of Manning through months of solitary confinement. They actually admit that Manning was put on “suicide watch,” over the opinions of three brig psychiatrists, by an official without authority to do so, as a punishment:
Military officials said Brig Commander James Averhart did not have the authority to place Manning on suicide watch for two days last week, and that only medical personnel are allowed to make that call.
The official said that after Manning had allegedly failed to follow orders from his Marine guards. Averhart declared Manning a “suicide risk.” Manning was then placed on suicide watch, which meant he was confined to his cell, stripped of most of his clothing and deprived of his reading glasses — anything that Manning could use to harm himself. At the urging of U.S. Army lawyers, Averhart lifted the suicide watch.
I’m proud that they indirectly refer to a Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) Open Letter on the issue:
Anti-war groups, a psychologist group as well as filmmaker Michael Moore and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg have called for Bradley to be released from detention.
Though, actually, we only called for him to be released from solitary confinement.
Meanwhile, the issue of Manning’s treatment by the military has reached the White House as ABC‘s Jake Trapper asked spokesman Robert Gibbs about it:
TAPPER: A quick question about Bradley Manning, the — suspected of leaking information. Is the administration satisfied that he’s being kept in conditions that are appropriate for his accused crime and that visitors to Bradley Manning are treated as any visitors to any prison are treated?
GIBBS: I haven’t — I — you know, truthfully, Jake, have not heard a lot of discussion on that inside of here. I’m happy to take a look at something. In terms of a specific question about that, I think that I would direct you to the authorities that are holding him.
Meanwhile, Juan Cole compares the US treatment of Manning to the protests of Mohamed Bouazizi, which began the end of the Tunisian dictatorship. Cole points out that, among the criticisms of the dictatorship Tunisians, and others around the world pointed to were cruel conditions of detention, including solitary confinement and sleep deprivation, that were imposed upon dissidents:
Ironically, Among Amnesy International’s charges against the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia was this:
‘ Prison conditions: Many political prisoners reportedly suffered discrimination and harsh treatment. Some went on hunger strike to protest against ill-treatment by prison guards, denial of medical care, interruption of family visits and harsh conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement.’
And, yes, among the techniques used against prisoners was “sleep deprivation.”
Meanwhile, as Cole points lout, President Obama has hailed the brave Tunisians fighting for their freedom:
President Obama belatedly praised “the courage and dignity of the Tunisian people” and said,
“The United States stands with the entire international community in bearing witness to this brave and determined struggle for the universal rights that we must all uphold, and we will long remember the images of the Tunisian people seeking to make their voices heard.”
So one of the universal human rights the Tunisians wanted was freedom from harsh conditions of detention when charged with thought crimes.
Perhaps now that the issue has reached the White House, President Obama will similarly recognize those who protest US government abuses.
Here are two videos. Manning’s friend David House discusses his psychological state:
And Firedoglake’s Jane Hamsher discusses how the military treated David during last weekend’s attempted visit:
Finally, Firedoglake has initiated a Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund.
The Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund is a new public advocacy effort for Bradley Manning that will organize events, issue press releases, recruit spokespeople to speak out on Bradley’s behalf, and assemble researchers and witnesses to help with Bradley’s case.
Donate here.
January 25th, 2011
Tunisia spreads, Egyp erupts
Aljazeera reports on the day of protest in Egypt:
And here is raw footage of the streetfights:
After Tunisia, the Middle East may never be the same again.
January 25th, 2011