Kucinich compares Bradley Manning detention to Abu Ghraib

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning

/ AP/Grpahics Bank

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) charged today that the miilitary's treatment of Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking confidential materials to Wikileaks, is comparable to the abuse carried out at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Manning was forced Wednesday night to sleep naked in his cell at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va., the Marines confirmed Friday. First Lt. Brian Villiard called it a "situationally driven" event, but would not elaborate on what led to the stripping of Manning, the Associated Press reports. The actions were described as "not punitive."

"Is this Quantico or Abu Ghraib?" Kucinich said in a statement today. "Officials have confirmed the 'non-punitive' stripping of an American soldier who has not been found guilty of any crime. This 'non-punitive' action would be considered a violation of the Army Field Manual if used in an interrogation overseas. The justification for and purpose of this action certainly raises questions of 'cruel and unusual punishment,' and could constitute a potential violation of international law."

The congressman cited the Army Field Manuel, which states: "If used in conjunction with intelligence interrogations, prohibited actions include, but are not limited to- Forcing the detainee to be naked, perform sexual acts or pose in a sexual manner."

Kucinich said he has repeatedly requested to visit Manning, in order to observe the conditions of his detainment. Manning has been held in restrictive conditions at Quantico since July 2010, and some have questioned why the legal proceedings against him have taken so long.

This week, the Army filed 22 additional charges against him and for the first time formally accused Manning of aiding the enemy, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported.

"My request to visit with Pfc. Manning must not be delayed further," Kucinich said today.

Secretary of the United States Army John McHugh said in a letter to Kucinich that Manning's "pretrial confinement is in compliance with United States law and Department of Defense and Department of Navy policy and regulations, which are consistent with U.S. constitutional requirements."

However, Manning's attorney David Coombs said in his blog, "There can be no conceivable justification for requiring a soldier to surrender all his clothing, remain naked in his cell for seven hours, and then stand at attention the subsequent morning."

Coombs writes in his blog that Manning is the only detainee at Quantico that is being held both in maximum custody and under Prevention of Injury (POI) watch -- over the recommendation of mental health professionals who have indicated that Manning is not a risk to himself or to others.

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[sallysense]

(latest incident and status of bradley manning... as of later march 5 2011)...

pfc bradley manning will now be naked 7 hours every day ongoing...

according to david coombs blog (pfc manning's defense lawyer)... the lawyer said that he learned about the circumstances from both manning and the brig forensic psychiatrist...

(pentagon press secretary geoff morrell has said that pfc manning has been a model detainee)...

(the brig forensic psychiatrists have continually said that there's no mental health justification for a poi order for pfc manning)...

pfc manning had requested to be removed from maximum custody and poi...

pfc manning had been told that his request to be removed from maximum custody and poi (prevention of injury) had been denied by quantico commander col. daniel choike...

pvt manning then asked the brig operations officer...what he (manning) needed to do to be downgraded from maximum custody and poi (prevention of injury) orders...

he was told that there was nothing he could do to be downgraded... that the brig considers him a risk of self-harm...

he then said that was absurd... and then he sarcastically remarked that if he wanted to harm himself... he could conceivably do it with the elastic waistband in his shorts or his flip flops...

and then without consulting any brig mental health staff... chief warrent officer denise barnes used his sarcastic remark as a reason to increase the restrictions on him... under the pretense of concern that he's a suicide risk...

but pvt manning was not put on the suicide watch list because it would have needed a mental health staff recommendation which the brig commander did not have...

(but... the brig commander does not need a mental health staff recommendation in order to increase the poi)...

the brig psychiatrist assessed pvt manning for this incident and said he was low-risk... and only needed out-patient follow-up...

the brig psychiatrist said that pfc manning's remark about the waistband was not caused by a psychiatric condition...

but as stated earlier... the brig commander doesn't need a recommendation in order to increase the poi (prevention of injury)... which is just what the commander did...

it's a punishing act by the commander... as there's no mental health justification for it...

[sjc_1]

This guy even looks like the women involved in the prison scandal.

[documemts]

Manning will get more punishment for copying electronic records then Calley did for machine gunning women, old men, and infants to death in a ditch.

[injuntrouble]

Kucinich is right. The Pentagon is full of sick perverts - Abu Ghraib was no aberration.

[MistressLiberty]

It is really great to see so many people defending this guy here. In the same way it is really great to see people burning the flag or protesting soldiers funerals - which is not great at all.

This is CBS News and not a court of law and all I have read and seen make this guy a prime target for incarceration. So, no, I don't feel bad that he mouthed off in a "sarcastic" manner and now he has to sleep naked. Nor do I feel bad that he doesn't have soft blankets or a pillow or whatever his last complaint was. I do feel bad that people that are in combat situations now are lucky for a few hours of sleep in the dirt before they have to report for duty. I feel bad for the families that are missing a member of it because they are on deployment and that family member could have been put in harm's way because Manning wanted to stick it to the U.S.

Many of my friends live happy and rich lives as openly gay men or transgender women. He didn't need to endanger our soldiers because he was trying to stick it to the man because he couldn't openly serve or whatever his misguided motivation was. There are better ways to protest.

[bootcut]

I'm sorry but what the heck does your openly gay and transgender women friends have to do with the topic?

[freedom71]

So Bootcut Thank you for correcting my mistake....show me where this guy was defending the constitution by stealing thousands of classified documents from the US government? (and please don't use Freedom of Speech...) Maybe you could defend him in court given your obvious extensive experience and handle on constitutional law...he might only be buried 5 feet under... instead of 6.

[freedom71]

Whether you agree with the involvement or policies of the U.S. Military in the middle east or anywhere else, surely you can understand the laws of our nation. Manning signed up for the military, not "MoveOn.Org". He signed up to defend our nation from enemies both foreign and domestic. If he did not agree with the policies of the military or U.S. Govenerment that he choose to represent, he should have taken another form of protest. (Or understand he is committing treason and accept the consequences of his actions.)

[bootcut]

A little mistake there guy. You swear a oath to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. You swear a oath to defend a concept, not a particular piece of land or any particular person or persons. But a way of life. I would not rise up to defend my State, if it was in violation of the Constitution. Our nation is nothing without the Constitution.

[documemts]

"...enemies foreign and domestic" That includes those subverting the constitution in the military.

[bspotts57]

Just to be clear on this subject I think he shoudl be allowed to keep his clothes and be given a short length of rope to p[lay with - just in case. He may do the honorable thing and kill himself saving the taxpayers a bit of money.

[bootcut]

What you think is relevant to no one but yourself. What is right is following the military code of justice. Witch the military is bending the rules to the extreme which in itself is against the rules. The guy did nothing more then the person who released the pentagon papers did and the Supreme Court ruled it Constitutional.

[bspotts57]

When a person admits guilt and gets caught with hand in coolie jar one can be assuemd guilty before the trial. No?

[82ndairbornediv]

Oh, no, Kucinich. Not Abu Graib... I would compare Manning having to sleep naked to: (a) accomodations on board slave ships; (b) the Soviet Gulag; (c) Dachau; (d) Ruanda... oh, the humanity!

The poor baby could actually catch a cold.

[bobthecats]

You obviously lack compassion and common decency.

[bootcut]

So it comes down to we are not quite as bad as Whipping them, beating them, gassing, starving, cutting off their limbs. But give us time and will get there. We already accepted water boarding.

[sgreco1970]

So how long do we allow our government to continue as a sick dictatorship??

[bootcut]

Probably a long time. It would take something so egregious, like take away our video games, cellphones, reality TV, and our ability to super size our meals.