About Bradley


“If you had free reign over classified networks… and you saw incredible things, awful things… things that belonged in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington DC… what would you do?”

“God knows what happens now.  Hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms… I want people to see the truth… because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”

-Quotes from an online chat attributed to Bradley Manning

Nobel Peace Prize nominee PFC Bradley Manning, a 25-year-old Army intelligence analyst, who released the Collateral Murder video, that shows the killing of unarmed civilians and two Reuters journalists, by a US Apache helicopter crew in Iraq. Manning also shared documents known as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and series of embarrassing US diplomatic cables. These documents were published by the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, and they have illuminated such issues as the true number and cause of civilian casualties in Iraq, along with a number of human rights abuses by U.S.-funded contractors and foreign militaries, and the role that spying and bribes play in international diplomacy. Given the war crimes exposed by these documents,  PFC Bradley Manning should be given a medal of honor.

Not a single person has been harmed by the release of this information.  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called the effect of WikiLeaks’ releases on U.S. foreign relations “fairly modest.” Yet the Obama administration has chosen to persecute the whistle-blower rather than prosecute the war criminals who were exposed. While the prosecution has declared it does not intend to seek the death penalty, they do seek to lock PFC Bradley Manning away for life, with the most ridiculous charge of ‘aiding the enemy,’ even though chat logs attributed to Bradley by the FBI clearly show intent only to inform the public and promote “discussion, debates, and reforms.”

Soldiers are promised fair treatment and a speedy trial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). However, the soldiers responsible for PFC Manning’s care took it upon themselves to abuse him by keeping him locked up in solitary confinement for the first 10 months of his incarceration. During this time, Bradley was denied meaningful exercise, social interaction, sunlight, and on a number of occasions he was forced to stay completely naked. These conditions were unique to Bradley and are illegal even under US military law, as they amount to extreme pre-trial punishment. In March 2011, chief US State Department spokesperson PJ Crowley called PFC Manning’s treatment at the Quantico, Virginia, Marine Corps brig “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” He was forced to resign shortly after admitting this. Since resigning, he has stated that the prosecution’s heavy-handed persecution of PFC Manning has undermined the government’s credibility.

Bradley’s treatment sparked a probe by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez. Mr. Mendez stated that he has been “frustrated by the prevarication of the US government with regard to my attempts to visit Mr. Manning.” After having his requests to visit Bradley repeatedly blocked, and after completing a fourteen month investigation, Mr. Mendez issued a statement saying that PFC Bradley Manning’s treatment has been “cruel and inhuman.”

It only took one week in April 2011 to have over a half million people sign a petition calling on President Obama to end the isolation and torture of Bradley Manning. The Obama administration’s ongoing persecution of Bradley Manning has served as “a chilling deterrent to other potential whistleblowers committed to public integrity,” and over 300 top legal scholars have declared that Bradley’s treatment was a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment,  as well as a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee against punishment without trial.  Among the signatories is professor Laurence Tribe, a Harvard professor who taught President Obama. Professor Tribe was, until recently, a senior advisor to the US Justice Department.

Partially in response to public outcry, on April 21, 2011, Bradley was moved from Quantico to Fort Leavenworth, KS, where his conditions greatly improved.  The very day he was moved, President Obama was surprised at a breakfast fundraiser by a group of protesters.  At the end of the fundraiser, a member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, Logan Price, questioned him about Bradley’s situation.  The President stated that “He [Bradley Manning] broke the law.” This pretrial declaration of guilt that has caused concern among legal experts, who argue it is clearly a case of ‘undue command influence’. President Obama is the highest ranking military commander, and soldiers follow his orders and his direction. By declaring PFC Bradley Manning guilty, he set the tone and direction of the subordinate military prosecution. It is now difficult for soldiers to express support for PFC Bradley Manning, who like many soldiers who follow the lead of their commander-in-chief, assume PFC Bradley Manning is guilty. Finally, reinforcing the assumption of Manning’s guilt, no charges were filed against any of the soldiers who took it upon themselves to abuse Bradley while he was under their supervision.

Bradley Manning has a growing list of supporters who want all the charges against him dropped. Among the supporters is the famous whistle-blower, Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Recognizing the valor required to tell the truth, Ellsberg calls PFC Bradley Manning a hero and a patriot. We agree. Drop all the charges, and free PFC Bradley Manning.

We hope that you will join us as well. See what you can do to support justice in this historic time.

Here are some recommended articles with more information:

Read the Wikipedia article on Bradley Manning.
* Download Bradley’s full charge sheet: charge sheet

 

28 thoughts on “About Bradley”

  4. Bradley Manning is a hero! We need more people like him who’s not afraid to tell the truth.The American people need to know what’s actually going on in Iraq and protest.That some American soldiers seem to be over there just for “the fun” of killing civilians…
    And what is the real reason American soldiers are there anyway?

  6. The military talks about strength, honor, and courage. Yet when someone exercises all those aspects to the fullest, he is dubbed a criminal against the country. Bradley is a true representation of what an American should be. FREE BRADLEY

  7. HE is a Hero (as noted by most everyone here) and Wikileaks is scaring the hell out of the govt!It IS a real News outlet (if Fox can call itself one!) He is to be thanked this holiday! His Bravery in this situation is AMAZING!

  8. You have seen the documentation “Fahrenheit 9/11″ from Michael Moore? A must have! There you can recognize the truly criminals of the american “citizens”: Mission accomplished…

  9. Great work Bradly. the president of the united states and his army general’s are the criminals and not soldiers like brad

  10. Absolute Mister Bradley Manning is a real HERO!

    Oh i like to donate with paypal please and dont find your paypal account.
    Greets and thanks

  11. This man is a true hero. You should not be punished for telling the truth, the people that murdered all those civilians and reporters and injured the children should be where Bradly is right now not the other way around….God Bless America…Land of the not so free

  12. Bradley I read with horror & tears the way you are being treated. Please remember you have friends across the world who will fight with you emotionally & practicallly all the way. John(Liverpool UK)

  14. Bradley,

    You did a great thing. You are on the right side of history. You have millions of people thinking about you, appreciating and supporting you from around the world. Hang in there my friend. The stressfull times will pass. Have you tried yoga? – Eli

  15. Pingback: Kucinich Requests to See Bradley Manning, Soldier in Solitary Confinement for Alleged Leaks The 2012 Scenario | The 2012 Scenario

  16. We Support Bradley From México !!!!!!!!, Free Bradley ! Free Bradley ! Free Bradley ! Free Bradley !, He’s a hero.

  17. The deepest thank to the parents of Bradly for their son,and all our love to them in this hard time.It is a shame for all peaple,who not protesting against this brutal war against all of us-the war against humanity,the right of peaple to know,that somebody is gilty on the death of innocent people.In God we trust?wich God trusting men,who claiming against Bradly?The God of Stalin?the God of Hitler?What shows the US Goverment with this act?In 40-ies in Germany Bradly would go to a conzentration camp,in all time of existence of USSR he would go to GULAG.Such a young Men,and such a Great Heart.He knew,what was his risk.Let us push from all directions!
    Sergey,Medical assistant,born in the USSR,from Berlin with Love to Manning Family-you are always welcome at our hous!
    If would be the possibility to transfer with pay-pal,please,let us know-not everybody from us have credit cards

  18. I just read the Helicopter pilots comments to the “job“ they done…
    So weak professionals,and the same way weak hearts…
    So long as a man does`t accept such a “job“ as a tragical mistake becourse of his low professional qualification,nobody is allowed to speak about the `´collateral damages`´,but-ABOUT A WAR CRIME ONLY

  19. this man is true hero.
    his heart is in the right place and i bow my head for his courage.
    it takes real courage, to take a step like he did.
    war crimes are crimes, nothing less and would the internet have been arround at times of all the other wars, there would have been leaks after leaks to show waht was really going on.
    german tv news magazin released a new video a few days ago:
    http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/archiv/2011/manning101.html.
    here they found a new eye witness, a ground soldier who was ordered to the scene.
    the video is mainly in german, but has parts of the interview in english.
    have a look.
    and keep the protest running high!!!!

  20. Obama is an empty suit of armor, yet we must continue to pressure him and the leadership in Congress odf the Democratic Party to end the torture of Bradley and all political prisoners. Persuade Rachel Maddow to weigh in.

  21. Bradley Manning – if responsible for the leak – is maybe the most inportant western hero of many decades. We proud ourselves of democracy, but still accept our leaders filling us with lies. It is a tragedy that Manning is prosecuted instead of being celebrated as the hero it seems he is.

    Everyone in the western world should be much more critical of their goverments. If they are allowed to mislead us, do we really have democracy?

  22. The uprisings that are happening all across the middle east are happening because of Wikileaks, which happened because of people like Bradley Manning. I am a first world citizen (Irish) and admit that I am too accustomed (self-righteous?) to my “luxurious” lifestyle that I could not even contemplate risking it to spend days, weeks or even months in solitary confinement. But that is EXACTLY what Bradley has done and he did it to protect OUR freedoms. He has sacrificed his well-being, which you can be damn sure he knew was going to happen, because he knew that the world needed to know what was being done in the name of “democracy”. He stood up for himself and what he believed in when all he had was hope, hope that people would listen. Now it’s time to prove that we have listened…

  24. bradley manning is my hero why america has to put him in prison oh I forgot that the USA army only just allowed openly gay pelople in its army. and ameriacn think barrack obama is a muslim also there right wing news channel fox who want to execute him just free him!!!!!

  25. One thing I don’t understand, and please help me understand if you do…
    There are routes to take with any business that allow you to question an action, especially one of this magnitude. Did he try to bring up the problem that he saw, prior to blowing the whistle?
    Or was it just he felt that no one would care anyway?

  26. Hi!

    As a whistleblower I appreciate the support you have showed Bradley Manning for his devoted courage. I wish there were many more like him and supporters out there! feel deeply about doing what I can to support him. However I have limited resources due to many retaliations throughout the years. Therefore I would like to dedicate a page on my site to his name with links to your site. This way any visits to my site can attract more people to your site for more support to Bradley Manning.
    Truly hope Manning will be released soon!

    Best regards,

    Thomas Hawk Hellstrom

  27. Thank you sir , you are a hell of a human .
    you will be free
    we are in the proses of planing a mass protest on the USA embassy London .

  28. Bradley Manning has more courage, honor and integrity in his pinky finger than all those guys in that helicopter and their CO’s combined!
    Sandy from Corpus Christ Texas