Julian Assange: Bradley Manning is a Political Prisoner

[Better Believe It]

Julian Assange: Bradley Manning is a Political Prisoner
By: Michael Whitney
December 23, 2010

In an excellent interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on MSNBC yesterday, host Cenk Uygur probed Assange on the relationship between Wikileaks and alleged leaker Bradley Manning. Assange clearly stated that no one in Wikileaks knew of Manning, who has not been convicted of any crime, before the media reported about Manning.

Assange stated that no matter what, Manning has been held in solitary confinement in worse and worse conditions, and that human rights organizations should investigate. As for the specific allegations against Manning, Julian Assange says that if they are true, “Manning is being held as a political prisoner in the United States.”

http://my.firedoglake.com/michaelwhitney/2010/12/23/julian-assange-bradley-manning-is-a-political-prisoner-video/


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From The Interview

ASSANGE: We don’t know whether this young man is our source or not. Our technology is set up so we don’t know that. That is the best way to protect people.

But let’s look at the allegations. Regardless of whether he was the whistleblower behind some of these res — revelations or not, he is a young man that has been caught up in this, kept in solitary confinement for some six months — some 5,000 hours now — in conditions that were even worse than the ones that I was in, held in a — he’s now held in a military brig. His visits are very limited, only once a week. And his lawyer has said that they have been getting worse and that his psychological health has been getting worse.

If we are to believe the allegations, then this man acted for political reasons. He is a political prisoner in the United States. He has not gone to trial. He’s been a political prisoner without trial in the United States for some six or seven months. That’s a serious business. Human rights organizations should be investigating the conditions under which he is held and is there really due process there?

Now, we’ve recently heard calls to try and set up a plea deal with Brad — Bradley Manning to testify against me, personally, to say that we engaged in some kind of conspiracy to commit espionage — absolute nonsense. Absolute nonsense. That’s not how our technology works.

http://my.firedoglake.com/cenkuygur/2010/12/22/my-exclusive-interview-with-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange/

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. So are all of us.

[Autumn]

2. From what I understand he gave them a video

of a fucking massacre. Good on him for having the humanity to reveal that.

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. +1. It appears he MAY have give them the video. We saw it on DU.

It *was* a "fucking massacre" of non-combatants by US military personnel. And it had been kept secret from the US public by the US gov't.

This is what we know thus far.

[Pavulon]

14. no he dumped 250,000 unredacted cables with no leak to "war crimes"

and you can read them online. For breaking the law 250,000 times he will die in prison.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/33963588/Charge-Sheet-Pvt-Bradley-Manning

[Autumn]

16. So all of the cables came from him? I don't fucking think so,

from what I have read there are 251,287 cables on Wiki Leaks so if that is what they are charging him with that is fucking BS. There are other whistle blowers who have leaked documents. So did he leak the Military's documents on the Banks? If so why does the Military have documents from Ambassadors and banks .What a crock of shit. They are after him because he leaked a video of a fucking massacre against unarmed civilians. Spin it any way you fucking want, that is why they are holding him.

[Pavulon]

17. Well thankfully siprnet requires a user id

so every document he stole and bragged about online as bradass87 can be tied to a videotape of him sitting there robbing the system.

Spin it how you want it he committed espionage and will die in florence prison.

[Autumn]

19. So you say, an anonymous poster on a message board,

and from your other posts you seem to relish the thought of him dying in prison, and he hasn't even had a trial, while giving the military, covering up a massacre, a pass.

[Pavulon]

20. So, I say, having logged onto secure network with a user id

i can indeed tell you that one is required. So what about the 249,998 cables that have nothing to do with "war crimes"?

punch myanmar into cablesearch.

[Autumn]

21. As I asked, what is the military doing with

cables from banks and Ambassadors or their aides?

[Pavulon]

22. Diplomatic cables were shared as part of post 911 efforts to open

access to information. In retrospect a bad idea. Just google bradass87, he admits he did it. The lamo chat logs are enough to bury him.

His user id will be all over that. At some point reality will break through.

[Autumn]

23. Well to me, any one who blows the cover

of the military covering up a massacre of innocent civilians is a good person.

[Pavulon]

24. That incident was covered and settled before the video leaked..

and guess what, reuters still does not claim their people were killed in a "war crime"

hey what about the other 259,998 cables that dont even mention war crimes?

Hey how about a link to that incident, war crime?

Again manning stole random shit, potentially with help from assange, and dumped it online. He will die in prison.

[Autumn]

25. I don't mind finding out how "our" government

operates.( transparency, change and all that other BS) If it embarrasses them, too bad, my heart isn't breaking over it. If they get in trouble, well hey, maybe they should try being decent and honest. That would be a novel idea.

[Pavulon]

26. Reuters position has not changed

and fucking the US government over is not my life goal.

[Autumn]

27. Not mine either, Biden himself said

nothing important was leaked.

[Pavulon]

33. Reprehensable was the POTUS position, or should he resign..

like new jesus assange says.

[Autumn]

42. Reprehensible , a word that describes many things

in our "government". Never heard him called jesus, but what the hell, jesus was a good guy. A nice forgiving, truthful, loving person.

[RetroLounge]

34. He will die in prison.

Ooooh, maybe a snuff film for your blood-porn

:puke:

RL

[RetroLounge]

32. will die in florence prison

Blood lust!!!!!!!!

:puke:

RL

[Pavulon]

35. DB Kansas would do the trick. Hanssen needs friends, so does ames

dont forget about the other heroes..

[RetroLounge]

30. Are you paid by the anti-Assange posts?

:puke:

RL

[Pavulon]

36. Yeaaah Baaaby..

$550 dollars a post. I riich bia*ch.

[RetroLounge]

38. You got one word correct

RL

[Pavulon]

39. makin it rain..

[SpartanDem]

3. Political prisoner?

He's been charge with crime and very serious one a that it's not exactly usual to be put in jail when you're facing a felony. As for being locked up six months, in Metro Detroit someone got killed over a facebook spat over the summer the killer has been locked since awaiting trial. Again not usual in a serious case like this, the only point I could agree with is the conditions, if true, are overly harsh.

[Better Believe It]

5. The idea that Manning has engaged in criminal or some kind of espionage activity is total bull shit!

The government routinely classifies documents that have nothing to do with defending us from terrorists or any other "enemies" determined to do us harm.

The government classifies millions of documents, not because they reveal true secrets that threaten our security if they are revealed, but because those documents reveal illegal activities, government lies and gross government incompetence that have to be hidden from the people. Those big "secrets" must not see the light of day!

And many of those "sensitive" documents are being classified in clear violation of the Freedom of Information Act!

So Manning has done absolutely nothing that in any way threatens this nation and its population.

The idea that he has somehow hurt us and that he is engaged in espionage or some other terrible criminal activity is total bull shit and we all understand that!

Do you also think that Eugene Debs was guilty of "espionage" in 1917 when he gave an anti-war speech.

During that right-wing "anti-subversive" witch-hunt Debs was falsely convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Manning is an American hero.

He's not a spy.

He's not a terrorist.

He's not trying to overthrow the government violently nor any other way for that matter.

He's just a courageous American whistle blower trying to get out the truth about government policies to the people.

And for that the government will punish him as a warning to other potential whistle blowers.

If anything, Manning deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom for especially meritorious contribution to the national interests of the people of the United States, not solitary confinement!

[whistler162]

7. Right ON - Free Aldrige Ames also!!!!

[Pavulon]

13. Bobby hanssen jr will die in florence ADX,

just like the scum he is. He will take that plea, testify against assange, or he will die in terre haute Indiana from lethal injection. Bet on it.

He will never pick a phone up again, never touch a computer or cell phone. He will die only speaking to his attorney.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/33963588/Charge-Sheet-Pvt-Bradley-Manning

These will be ammended shortly.

[msanthrope]

37. I think Assange gave him the software listed in Charge I, Specification 4.

I have written of this previously.

That will be the charge underlying other conspiracy charges.

[BzaDem]

28. Just because you don't LIKE that something is classified doesn't mean it is at all legal to release

them.

Your personal opinion on our classification policy is basically irrelevant to the legal question.

[cali]

43. you so miss the point

whether the U.S. classifies documents that have nothing to do with protecting us from terrorists, has nothing to do with the fact that he stole classified documents and released them. That is against the law. Now, I support the release of this info, but that doesn't change that Manning broke the law. And he knew it at the time.

[Smarmie Doofus]

46. Also true of Ellsberg?

>>>he stole classified documents and released them. That is against the law. Now, I support the release of this info, but that doesn't change that Manning broke the law. And he knew it at the time.>>>>

[coalition_unwilling]

"Overly harsh?" - Try 'torture' - n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

9. "Overly harsh?" - Try 'torture' - n/t

[treestar]

4. Fail

Political prisoners are in prison for no charge but opposing the government - like Aung San Suu Kyi, for example. Manning is charged with a crime.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Yep.

Charges prove you're guilty (of something).

[sudopod]

8. Unintentional irony detected. nt

[Rex]

10. So if you oppose the govt (any govt) it ain't a crime?

Fail indeed.

[treestar]

11. Depends on the government

some governments lock people up for just being the political opposition

this one does not. There is at least a charge of violation of the law.

[originalpckelly]

15. Just ask yourself one thing: Who did Bradley Manning rape?

And they shut Wikileaks down too. Wikileaks might have been headed by Assange, but it is not one person. All that's left is the mirrors. That's wrong.

[Pavulon]

18. He raped himself. He signed a document before being granted access to classified info

then he stole it anyway. SO he should at least know exactly what is coming his way. A lifetime in prison like robert hannsen , filth just like him.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33963588/Charge-Sheet-Pvt-Bradley-Manning

[Smarmie Doofus]

41. Just curious, but gotta ask: does Manning's homosexuality bother you?

I've been following your ... ahem, analysis.... from the beginning, when the suppressed video was.... ehrrr... *released*. ("The massacred civilian non-combatants were really on a mission from Al Qaeda and you can tell this in frame #21921 'cause ... blah, blah, blah.")

There is an interesting psychology suggested by the way you express yourself.

Let's put it this way: how do you ... *personally*... feel about Manning's homosexuality?





>>>>>He raped himself. He signed a document before being granted access to classified info


then he stole it anyway. SO he should at least know exactly what is coming his way. A lifetime in prison like robert hannsen , filth just like him.>>>>>

[Pavulon]

44. Could give a shit what he does with his junk

the fact he stole 250,000 documents is the only factor. I served with guys who were for sure gay, and ironically they were in my face calling me a fag all day for weeks during boot. Completely irrelevant to his crime or other gay service members who do not disclose information.

[msanthrope]

29. Did Wikileaks cough up the payment to the Manning defense fund, as promised?

It's very precious of Julian to advocate for him. But has he paid up the cash?

[BzaDem]

31. What a joke. With Assange's logic, any murderer would be merely a political prisoner if they

committed the murder for political reasons.

[cali]

40. no, he's not.

That doesn't excuse his treatment, but he is not a political prisoner.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

45. Yep. A political prisoner in Amurka's very own Gulag for those that embarrass the bosses. K&R