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LemonAndLime
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The US treatment of the man accused of leaking secret cables to Wikileaks is “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid”, US state department spokesman PJ Crowley has said.
Mr Crowley made the remarks about Bradley Manning to an audience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Nonetheless Bradley Manning is in the right place,” Mr Crowley said.
Private Manning is being held in solitary confinement at a maximum security US military jail.
He is shackled at all times and has been on suicide watch at the Quantico marine base in Virginia.
Mr Crowley was asked whether his comments were on the record and replied: “Sure.”
He could not immediately be reached by the BBC, but he told Foreign Policy website that his remarks were his own.
“What I said was my personal opinion. It does not reflect an official USG policy position. I defer to the Department of Defense regarding the treatment of Bradley Manning.”
President Barack Obama was questioned about whether he agreed with Mr Crowley’s comments at a news conference on Friday.
He responded by saying he had asked the Pentagon directly if the terms of Pte Manning’s confinement were “appropriate” and received assurances that they were.
Mr Obama added that some aspects of Pte Manning’s treatment “has to do with his safety as well”.
…
Amnesty International has described the treatment of Pte Manning, whose mother is Welsh, as “unnecessarily harsh and punitive” and has called on the British government to intervene.
In a letter released by his lawyers, Pte Manning claims he is routinely stripped each night and his prescription glasses are confiscated, leaving him with limited vision.
Military officials have said this is standard procedure for people deemed a suicide risk.
David House, a spokesman with the Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund, said it was clear there was “no justification for Bradley’s inhumane treatment”.
He went on: “I agree with Mr Crowley that it’s just stupid and unproductive.”
Pte Manning has been charged on 34 counts, including illegally obtaining 250,000 secret US government cables and 380,000 records related to the Iraq war from a military database.
He has also been charged with aiding the enemy, a capital offence, but prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty.
bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12717275
Mr Crowley made the remarks about Bradley Manning to an audience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Nonetheless Bradley Manning is in the right place,” Mr Crowley said.
Private Manning is being held in solitary confinement at a maximum security US military jail.
He is shackled at all times and has been on suicide watch at the Quantico marine base in Virginia.
Mr Crowley was asked whether his comments were on the record and replied: “Sure.”
He could not immediately be reached by the BBC, but he told Foreign Policy website that his remarks were his own.
“What I said was my personal opinion. It does not reflect an official USG policy position. I defer to the Department of Defense regarding the treatment of Bradley Manning.”
President Barack Obama was questioned about whether he agreed with Mr Crowley’s comments at a news conference on Friday.
He responded by saying he had asked the Pentagon directly if the terms of Pte Manning’s confinement were “appropriate” and received assurances that they were.
Mr Obama added that some aspects of Pte Manning’s treatment “has to do with his safety as well”.
…
Amnesty International has described the treatment of Pte Manning, whose mother is Welsh, as “unnecessarily harsh and punitive” and has called on the British government to intervene.
In a letter released by his lawyers, Pte Manning claims he is routinely stripped each night and his prescription glasses are confiscated, leaving him with limited vision.
Military officials have said this is standard procedure for people deemed a suicide risk.
David House, a spokesman with the Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund, said it was clear there was “no justification for Bradley’s inhumane treatment”.
He went on: “I agree with Mr Crowley that it’s just stupid and unproductive.”
Pte Manning has been charged on 34 counts, including illegally obtaining 250,000 secret US government cables and 380,000 records related to the Iraq war from a military database.
He has also been charged with aiding the enemy, a capital offence, but prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty.
bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12717275
