2011-03-11 International Bradley Manning Support Day

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March 20th, 2011 is International Bradley Manning Support Day. It will see coordinated rallies all over the world in support of Manning, the alleged whistleblower incarcerated under cruel and inhumane conditions in a marine brig in Quantico, Virginia.

Since Manning was arrested 10 months ago, and began to endure solitary confinement, international support and advocacy of his cause has grown. This has intensified in the last few months, when the full import of the Wikileaks releases - which Manning is accused of having leaked - began to dawn on the international citizenry.

The official policy towards Manning, however, has not alleviated, but intensified. In the last month, Manning was subjected to even more unusual treatment in Quantico, and an array of new charges opened up the possibility of a death sentence.

The United States government has not been persuaded of the gravity of its transgressions against Manning. It is therefore necessary to escalate the campaign for Manning, globally, and show that our support is unswerving, through articulate, peaceful and resolute demonstration.

Please visit our Bradley Manning Action page, at http://wlcentral.org/bradley-manning, and in particular, consult the Offline Action Calendar, to see if there is already an International Bradley Manning Support Day Rally near you. If there is not, consider organizing one yourself. If you do, make sure to publicize your efforts by contacting WL Central, by contacting the Bradley Manning Support Network, by tweeting @popularch, and on this facebook page.

In the runup to March 20th, and afterwards, please consider carrying out some of the suggested actions under Online Actions. These will not take much of your time, but may make a great deal of difference.

Please be wary of fringe groups attempting to hijack International Bradley Manning Support Day. The key to successful action is widespread popular articulation of a concerted and clear message. If the message is diluted by other groups, it may make Bradley's cause easier to dismiss for the mainstream media, and the authorities. For Bradley's sake, this is to be avoided.

Please do everything within your power to spread the world about International Bradley Manning Support Day. Come out and join us on March the 20th. We will not abandon Bradley Manning, and will not forget about him.

Let's forget for the moment

Let's forget for the moment the alleged reasons for incarcerating Bradley Manning, it beggars belief that the "land of the free and the home of the brave" can treat anyone in such a degrading, cruel and sadistic way. Didn't the events that occurred at Abu Ghraib make anyone ashamed? Didn't the removal of George Bush from office and the Obama presidency usher in a new era of fairness and justice? Is there still no guarantee in the United States (of all places!) that individual human rights and dignity are preserved? I do not live in the U.S, although both my children were born there. They were once proud of their country of birth - not so much now.

It is disconcerting to see

It is disconcerting to see how so many people are quick to demand Bradley be hanged/killed/tortured without due process, which is afforded to every American under the Bill of Rights. How can we as Americans condemn victims of torture and persecution from other countries yet stand idle while one of ours is being treated as such?

Did Bradley break his contract with the U.S. Army when he allegedly passed on information? Yes.

However, what we ALL should be looking at is the complete lack of options military personnel or government officials have to report government wrongdoings.

Had there been proper channels to report to, Bradley might have not had to resort to such a source as Wikileaks.

Bradley should NOT be in jail right now, he should NOT be subjected to methods of torture via humiliation, he SHOULD be allowed a speedy trial amongst his peers with an impartial judge.

Bradley is in my eyes an American hero, he did something no one else could do, and that no one should have had to be in the position of doing, and we ALL need to stand by him, even more so if you are an American. If we do not protect Bradley now, i'm sad to say that we will look back at this moment in history as one of our biggest mistakes. Our own liberties are at stake here.

Bradley Manning

I know most of you will not agree with me, but what Bradley Manning did, as a US servicemen was treason, and he needs to be hung for it. There is no gray area when it comes to this, it was treason. What wikileaks did was just report on information given, they did nothing wrong, that's what news agencies do.

Treason

The fatal consequences of treason provide immunity to the acts of genocide. Just ask the Führer.

Hi brandway, and welcome. I

Hi brandway, and welcome.

I must beg to differ. You seem keen to deny there is any gray area, but that seems more like an attempt to avoid the problem with what you've said. Treason, technically, however you feel about it, has a very particular legal definition, especially in United States law. By absolutely no interpretation of his alleged actions could Manning be alleged to have committed treason.

You'll notice that none of the charges that have been brought against him, disproportionate and unjust though I believe them to be, include treason. That's because the prosecution is aware of the spuriousness of any claim that he could be accused of treason.

Manning's actions, as they are alleged to have happened, were motivated by the desire to inform the public about malpractice and misdeeds carried out under the cloak of official secrecy. It is obvious from a reading of this situation that such a person was acting out of a greater loyalty to the United States of America, and to the principles of democracy. Treason, when it is not on the lips of fools, applies only when someone "owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere." There is nothing in this that properly applies to the actions Manning is alleged to have carried out, or the motivations for which he is said to have done so.

It isn't just careless thinking, passing on the libelous falsehood that Manning committed treason. It is really quite irresponsible, since whether or not Manning sees justice - whatever that means - may well count on whether the public holds the authorities to standards, and that relies on a public that is not misled as to the basic facts of his case.

If I could ask that you take something away from this, let it be that you should inform yourself of the legal definitions of terms before you employ them in this manner. Please consider doing so, on the possibility that you may be wrong. Many thanks.

Bradly Manning V The US Army

If indeed the news reports of Mr. Manning's treatment at the Quantico Detention Center are true, I am gravely concerned for the future of the United States of America.

Not only are the reported treaments disgustingly inhuman, I suspect that the imprisonment has no legal grounds. For Mr. Manning to have aided an enemy there must have been a declaration of war. If the enemy cannot be identified, it would never be possible to determine whether Mr. Manning's actions were helpful to them.

bradley manning

...the only thing this guy is guilty of is giving us the truth...there is no excuse anymore for lack of transperancy so govts and corporations need to get used to it....and the excuse that is used for secrecy in diplomatic negotiations is bullshit...wake up and smell the roses ....you cant lie to us anymore and we know how much you hate it...but get used to it...this is the new emerging world.

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