Treatment of Bradley Manning 'Should Shock the Conscience' of the Court

[SHRED]

Published on Thursday, July 19, 2012 by Common Dreams
Lawyer: Treatment of Bradley Manning 'Should Shock the Conscience' of the Court
- Common Dreams staff

The mistreatment Bradley Manning experienced at the US Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia "should shock the conscience of this court," Manning's lawyer said Thursday at a pre-trial hearing.


(photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
24-year-old Manning, who faces 22 charges, was held in solitary confinement from July 2010 to April 2011.

David Coombs, Manning's lawyer, said Manning's treatment was "unlawful," and that the blanket he had there was basically "a large piece of sand paper."

On Thursday the judge also denied a request from the defense to have United Nations torture investigator Juan Mendez testify, saying it was irrelevant as Mendez had not visited Manning at Quantico. Mendez had, in fact, attempted to but was refused an unmonitored visit. In a 14-month investigation into the Manning, Mendez accused the U.S. government of harsh treatment of Bradley Manning that may amount to torture.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/07/19-3

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I expected more from this administration and the Commander in Chief.

--

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. Your statement, "I expected more from this administration and the Commander in Chief," makes exactly

the point that should be made.

Very pithy.

Well said.

Whether others are going to follow your lead and borrow you words, I cannot say. I am, however.

[woo me with science]

2. DU Rec. nt

[1-Old-Man]

3. A kick because this should not be lost in the wake of another senseless shooting

[struggle4progress]

4. Manning's lawyer can claim what he likes; we'll see what he actually proves

[GarroHorus]

5. Manning is ill served by his attorney

He should probably have an attorney actually familiar with the UCMJ. He might get a lighter sentence if he did.

As is, he'll probably get the maximum. There's no parole in military prisons.

[struggle4progress]

10. um ... Coombs specializes in court martials

[GarroHorus]

11. He sure doens't act like it.

Of course, I don't mind. Justice, in my mind, would be Manning spending the rest of his life behind bars.

[ceile]

6. K&R n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. But..but..Manning (GASP!) embarrassed our transparent government!

And, even worse our Glorious Military!

[Mimosa]

8. Break Manning into testifying v Assange accomplished?

I believe what Manning did was basically wrong. I suppose he could have gone through proper channels if he thought he knew of 'war crimes'.

But IMO Assange was practising internet journalism. And he is not a citizen of the United States.

[struggle4progress]

9. Manning was held in Quantico's "Special Quarters 1," a routine stop for new prisoners at Quantico

and a standard detention location for persons facing long sentences (before the pretrial detention facility at Quantico was closed)

... Every prisoner spends the first two weeks in Special Quarters 1 ... Special Quarters 1 is not used for punishment. After all, there is a TV room with videos where prisoners are allowed several hours a week, cafeteria food, offerings from a vault-sized library that range from Bill Gates' "The Road Ahead" to Low Rider magazine to a variety of self-help publications. Punishment is next door in Special Quarters 2, a grim corridor of cinder block and stainless steel cells with the decor of a prison movie: Low light. Two barred doors on each cell. A toilet and a bunk. A 2,100-calorie daily diet of bread and water (for no more than 15 days) ...

Model of Marine punishment Discipline: For Quantico brig prisoners who may never wear a uniform again, the irony of their prison is the military regimen they live under.
July 22, 1997
Scott Wilson,SUN STAFF
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-07-22/news/1997203052_1_prisoners-brig-cells

... Marine Corps Brig, Quantico .... is used primarily as a place to temporarily harbor inmates awaiting transfer to longer term facilities, such as the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas .... Pretrial Confinement Facility at MCB Quantico was permanently closed on 31 December 2011 ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Brig,_Quantico

... counsel acknowledged that he periodically inquired into the appellant’s custody classification during his pretrial confinement and was told by brig personnel that the appellant “was being held in Special Quarters 1 solely because he was facing more than 5 years confinement” ...
UNITED STATES v. John JOURDEN
http://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2006/JOURDEN%20J.%20200500086%20UNPUB.pdf