Editorials & Other Articles

struggle4progress

(118,308 posts) Wed Nov 28, 2012, 11:42 AM Nov 2012

WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning's jail was not suitable, says commander

Former commander of Quantico marine base tells pre-trial hearing of ignored protests to Pentagon over condition of jail
Ed Pilkington in Fort Meade, Maryland
Wednesday 28 November 2012 10.09 EST

... Daniel Choike told a pre-trial hearing in Fort Meade, Maryland, that when Manning arrived at the brig on 29 July 2010, having been arrested in Iraq on suspicion of being the source of the massive WikiLeaks dump of state secrets, he informed his superior officer in the Pentagon that in his opinion Quantico was not the right place for the soldier should his detention last long ...

After about seven hours of questioning, Choike told the judge presiding over the court martial, Colonel Denise Lind, that he had been concerned from the beginning that the brig at Quantico was unprepared for the long-term detention of such a high-profile case as Manning. He said he was worried about dealing with the media, about co-ordination of command and about medical handling of the detainee ...

Should Manning be called, it is not likely to be on Wednesday. His defence lawyer, David Coombs, is expected to question first Marine Colonel Robert Altman, who was commander of the brig while the soldier was detained there. Then the defence will turn to three forensic psychiatrists who were responsible for Manning's medical care at Quantico: navy captains William Hoctor and Kevin Moore and army colonel Rick Malone ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/28/wikileaks-suspect-bradley-manning-jail

5 replies

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Highlight:

WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning's jail was not suitable, says commander (Original Post) struggle4progress Nov 2012 OP

Bradley Manning lawyer argues soldier's confinement was too harsh struggle4progress Nov 2012 #1

Bradley Manning case heads back to court struggle4progress Nov 2012 #2

He needs to be tortured in the name of democracy, freedom, security, etc. rachel1 Nov 2012 #3

huh? struggle4progress Nov 2012 #4

Did you notice the sarcasm smiley? rachel1 Nov 2012 #5

struggle4progress

(118,308 posts)

1. Bradley Manning lawyer argues soldier's confinement was too harsh

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 11:48 AM

Nov 2012

Bradley Manning lawyer argues soldier's confinement was too harsh

... Pfc. Manning's defense team alleges he was improperly classified as a high security risk and as a risk to himself while confined at Quantico, which resulted in Manning being kept on 23-hour lockdown in a small cell. At one point, his clothes were taken from him at night ...

... before Manning entered the Quantico brig, another prisoner, Marine Captain Michael Webb, committed suicide while being held there. The defense's motion paints a picture of a base overly concerned about another suicide in the facility's brig, particularly with a prisoner as high profile as Manning.

On the witness stand today, the brig's commander maintained that Manning's classifications as a maximum security prisoner and as a risk to himself were both proper, citing erratic behavior such as licking his cell's bars and playing peek-a-boo with brig staff ...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/27/15496946-bradley-manning-lawyer-argues-soldiers-confinement-was-too-harsh?lite

struggle4progress

(118,308 posts)

2. Bradley Manning case heads back to court

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Wed Nov 28, 2012, 11:52 AM

Nov 2012

... At a pre-trial hearing at Fort Meade, Maryland, lawyers for Private first class Bradley Manning and the military judge hearing his court martial addressed procedural issues surrounding the possibility he would plead guilty to minor charges ...

The bigger issue for the week involves a bid by Manning and his attorneys to have serious charges dismissed on grounds that he was mistreated while in military custody. If that fails, they are seeking to have his sentence reduced on grounds that his treatment while he was held at Marine Base Quantico in Virginia was tantamount to punishment ...

Choike testified that he found out about 48 hours in advance that Manning was being transferred from a detainment facility in Kuwait to Quantico. Almost immediately, he realized that the brig at the base was not ready for a detainee like Manning. “No, Quantico was not a place for long-term pretrial confinement,” Choike testified.

One of his concerns was that the base had no medical officer trained in psychiatry who could monitor and treat Manning, who arrived with a warning that he was a suicide risk ...

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/27/bradley-manning-case-heads-back-to-court/