Wikileaks - Bradley Manning

[Covenanter]

Bradley Manning and the Case Against Solitary Confinement

Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old U.S. Army Private accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, has been detained in solitary confinement for the last seven months, despite not having been convicted of any crime, having been a model detainee, and having evidenced no signs of violence or even disciplinary misdemeanors. Manning has been kept alone in a cell for 23 hours a day, barred from exercising in that cell, deprived of sleep, and denied even a pillow or sheets for his bed. As Greenwald reports, “the brig’s medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning to prevent his brain from snapping from the effects of this isolation.” A court hearing has not been set.

The message of the U.S. government to its citizens in this activity is clear: blow the whistle and your brain will be mutilated before you even have a trial.

What is the purpose of this treatment? There is no further "anti-terrorist "information to get from him. Why has he not been tried? Is it because he has not committed any legal offence? Is it simple to warn others with access to classified information that they too will be subjected to the torture of solitary confinement without trial or conviction?

Is the state working on legislation in order to invent laws under which he can be found guilty?

Where is Christian compassion?

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Edited January 3, 2011 by Covenanter

[JerryNumbers]

I'm not pointing out what is right or wrong, but isn't this normal treatment for someone who is suspected of being a spy and giving out such information?

[Covenanter]

I'm not pointing out what is right or wrong, but isn't this normal treatment for someone who is suspected of being a spy and giving out such information?

In a civilised country he could expect to be held on remand in a normal prison, or released on strict bail - like Julian Assange.

[HappyChristian]

Actually, Manning isn't just an ordinary citizen. He's a soldier in the Army, and there is military court (hence his being held in the brig). The state has nothing to do with it. A civilized person doesn't leak classified materials. Don't be too quick to believe what comes from Salon...

[JerryNumbers]

In a civilised country he could expect to be held on remand in a normal prison, or released on strict bail - like Julian Assange.

That man is not a citizen of this country, nor is he a soldier in the Military Service of this United States, so your comparing grapes to grapefruit. And it was not the United States that let him out of bond, and he has never been jailed in this country, so once again, grapes and grapefruit.

[Soj]

Why ask "where's the Christian compassion" when it's not Christian's holding him?

I do think this kind of treatment is inhumane, but we shouldn't expect the world to treat traitors kindly.

[1Timothy115]

Manning needs salvation then God can help him forsake his sin of sodomy. He is being held in accordance with military law. He is being held on some fairly grave charges and the following UCMJ may apply (except the death penalty part.). I imagine he is being held in solitary because he is a self proclaimed homosexual and would have shed bad light on the DADT vote in congress last month.

U.S. Code TITLE 10--ARMED FORCES
CHAPTER 47--UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE
Section 809. Art. 9. Imposition of restraint
( An enlisted member may be ordered into
arrest or confinement by any commissioned officer
by an order, oral or written, delivered in person
or through other persons subject to this
chapter. A commanding officer may authorize
warrant officers, petty officers, or noncommissioned
officers to order enlisted members of his
command or subject to his authority into arrest
or confinement.

Section 881. Art. 81. Conspiracy
(a) Any person subject to this chapter who
conspires with any other person to commit an
offense under this chapter shall, if one or more
of the conspirators does an act to effect the object
of the conspiracy, be punished as a courtmartial
may direct.
( Any person subject to this chapter who
conspires with any other person to commit an
offense under the law of war, and who knowingly
does an overt act to effect the object of the conspiracy,
shall be punished, if death results to
one or more of the victims, by death or such
other punishment as a court-martial or military
commission may direct, and, if death does not
result to any of the victims, by such punishment,
other than death, as a court-martial or
military commission may direct.

Section 801. Article 1. Definitions
(16) The term ‘‘national security’’ means the
national defense and foreign relations of the
United States.

Section 906a. Art. 106a. Espionage
(a)(1) Any person subject to this chapter who,
with intent or reason to believe that it is to be
used to the injury of the United States or to the
advantage of a foreign nation, communicates,
delivers, or transmits, or attempts to communicate,
deliver, or transmit, to any entity described
in paragraph (2), either directly or indirectly,
anything described in paragraph (3) shall
be punished as a court-martial may direct, except
that if the accused is found guilty of an offense
that directly concerns (A) nuclear weaponry,
military spacecraft or satellites, early
warning systems, or other means of defense or
retaliation against large scale attack, ( war
plans, © communications intelligence or cryptographic
information, or (D) any other major
weapons system or major element of defense
strategy, the accused shall be punished by death
or such other punishment as a court-martial
may direct.
(2) An entity referred to in paragraph (1) is—
(A) a foreign government;
( a faction or party or military or naval
force within a foreign country, whether recognized
or unrecognized by the United States; or
© a representative, officer, agent, employee,
subject, or citizen of such a government,
faction, party, or force.
(3) A thing referred to in paragraph (1) is a
document, writing, code book, signal book,
sketch, photograph, photographic negative,
blueprint, plan, map, model, note, instrument,
appliance, or information relating to the national
defense.
((1) No person may be sentenced by courtmartial
to suffer death for an offense under this
section (article) unless—
(A) the members of the court-martial unanimously
find at least one of the aggravating
factors set out in subsection ©; and
( the members unanimously determine
that any extenuating or mitigating circumstances
are substantially outweighed by any
aggravating circumstances, including the aggravating
factors set out in subsection ©.
(2) Findings under this subsection may be
based on—
(A) evidence introduced on the issue of guilt
or innocence;
( evidence introduced during the sentencing
proceeding; or
© all such evidence.
(3) The accused shall be given broad latitude
to present matters in extenuation and mitigation.
© A sentence of death may be adjudged by a
court-martial for an offense under this section
(article) only if the members unanimously find,
beyond a reasonable doubt, one or more of the
following aggravating factors:
(1) The accused has been convicted of another
offense involving espionage or treason
for which either a sentence of death or imprisonment
for life was authorized by statute.
(2) In the commission of the offense, the accused
knowingly created a grave risk of substantial
damage to the national security.
(3) In the commission of the offense, the accused
knowingly created a grave risk of death
to another person.
(4) Any other factor that may be prescribed
by the President by regulations under section

Section 502. Enlistment oath: who may administer
(a) ENLISTMENT OATH.—Each person enlisting
in an armed force shall take the following oath:
‘‘I, llllllllll, do solemnly swear
(or affirm) that I will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all
enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear
true faith and allegiance to the same; and that
I will obey the orders of the President of the
United States and the orders of the officers appointed
over me, according to regulations and
the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help
me God.’’

I'm not going back through and fix the errors caused by smiley faces... :blink:

Edited January 3, 2011 by 1Tim115

[Invicta]

That is what seems to happen in "The Land of the Free."

[JerryNumbers]

That is what seems to happen in "The Land of the Free."

The Land of the Free and the Brave that you refer to has laws, when broken in such a manner as he seems to have done its taken seriously. Your mocking is not appreciate, it does no one no good..

[JerryNumbers]

Why ask "where's the Christian compassion" when it's not Christian's holding him?

I do think this kind of treatment is inhumane, but we shouldn't expect the world to treat traitors kindly.

Are you for opening up all the prisons, jails, turning all the murders, thieves, rapist and other such law breakers lose on the streets of America?

Should we just ignore those that have broken the law of this land, letting them go on about what they are doing?

Of course not, there are consequences, and those that break the law must suffer consequences for their actions. God forgives us of our sins, yet we still suffer consequences of those sins in our daily life.

In the case of this man, he has turned on the country he swore to protect, so of course it will be harsher on him than just a normal citizen.

[Soj]

Are you for opening up all the prisons, jails, turning all the murders, thieves, rapist and other such law breakers lose on the streets of America?

Should we just ignore those that have broken the law of this land, letting them go on about what they are doing?

I'm glad you asked! My vote is for the death penalty for ALL murderers and rapists.

Of course not, there are consequences, and those that break the law must suffer consequences for their actions. God forgives us of our sins, yet we still suffer consequences of those sins in our daily life.

In the case of this man, he has turned on the country he swore to protect, so of course it will be harsher on him than just a normal citizen.

I'm all for criminals suffering the consequences, but I am NOT an advocate for torture and inhmane treatment of ANYONE.

[John81]

I'm glad you asked! My vote is for the death penalty for ALL murderers and rapists.



I'm all for criminals suffering the consequences, but I am NOT an advocate for torture and inhmane treatment of ANYONE.

:amen:

[HappyChristian]

Solitary confinement has its uses and purposes, and nowhere falls into the category of inhumane. Folks need to remember that the author of this article published it on Salon - an extremely liberal website that is aimed at presenting an awful lot of misinformation to skew facts. Trust very little of what comes from them.

[Soj]

Solitary confinement has its uses and purposes, and nowhere falls into the category of inhumane. Folks need to remember that the author of this article published it on Salon - an extremely liberal website that is aimed at presenting an awful lot of misinformation to skew facts. Trust very little of what comes from them.

Sister, the reason I said it was inhumane is because the report said they aren't allowing him to exercise, aren't providing him with adequate bedding, and are depriving him of sleep.

If this is a false report then it would be helpful to see the refuting source.

[HappyChristian]

Sister, the reason I said it was inhumane is because the report said they aren't allowing him to exercise, aren't providing him with adequate bedding, and are depriving him of sleep.

If this is a false report then it would be helpful to see the refuting source.

I understand that it's what they supposedly aren't allowing. I haven't seen a refuting source - there isn't always a refutation of salon's misinformation...I would assume that is because to refute it often lends it credence.