U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of providing documents to WikiLeaks and held in isolated confinement in a military brig for over seven months, has been the victim of “alarming abuses of his constitutional rights and his physical health,” according to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH).
Kucinich has released a letter that he sent to defense secretary Robert Gates in which the congressman requests permission to visit with Manning at the military prison in Quantico where he is being held and, according to some, tortured.
The letter raises concerns about “alarming abuses” and notes that it is the job of members of Congress to “conduct effective oversight” of the military.
Dear Secretary Gates:
I write to request that I be able to visit Private First Class Bradley Manning at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.
As you know, I am concerned about reports of his treatment while in custody that describe alarming abuses of his constitutional rights and his physical health. A March 2009 article by surgeon Atul Gawande discusses the effects of solitary confinement on prison inmates and prisoners of war: “Without sustained social interaction, the human brain may become as impaired as one that has incurred a traumatic injury.” Studies highlighted that such prisoners, months after being released, revealed severe brain abnormalities mirroring those who had endured significant physical head trauma[1] .
Private Manning’s guilt or innocence is a question for adjudication and his treatment at Quantico severely undermines the presumption of innocence as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and raises questions as to whether he is truly able to stand trial. His care while in the custody of the Department of Defense is the responsibility of the U.S. Government and as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform it is my duty to conduct effective oversight.
Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress
The Bradley Manning case has become an international embarrassment to the military and a point of contention between progressives and the Obama administration. Manning’s link to WikiLeaks is considered tenuous, as was admitted by anonymous Pentagon officials last month.
There have also been accusations of mistreatment made by Manning’s lawyer and activists that have been able to view the conditions in which Manning is being held.
Bradley Manning, the Army private who has been accused of leaking sensitive government and military documents to WikiLeaks, has been held in solitary confinement in a military brig in Quantico, Va., for about six months, without any charges having been filed or pre-trial hearings begun.
On Wednesday, his lawyer, David Coombs, filed a complaint with the Quantico base commander, accusing the brig commander James Averhart of abusing his “discretion.”
Coombs said that Averhart, against the recommendations of two psychiatrists, chose to place Manning under suicide watch earlier this week, which allows guards to force Manning to “remain in his cell for 24 hours a day,” be “stripped of all clothing with the exception of his underwear,” and have “his prescription eyeglasses taken away.”
One more time: Whistleblowing- not a crime. Murder- crime. Torture- crime.
The stuff Manning is accused of exposing is vastly worse than the crimes he’s accused of committing. This stupid, cruel, punitive treatment needs to stop. If he’s guilty- TRY him, in court. Adjudicate the case, if you have one. Don’t just punish him for something you have not yet determined that he did. Is this still America?
Kucinch always has my default write-in vote for President as both a preference and protest. His utility as such has hardly ended. He’s the only real Democrat in the party IMO.