London Supports Bradley Manning

Members of British parliament show their solidarity with a “whistleblower” imprisoned in the United States.

British members of parliament are siding with accused and imprisoned whistleblower and suspected WikiLeaks informant PFC Bradley Manning. The chairperson of the House of Commons Human Rights Committee, Welsh Labour MP Ann Clwyd, submitted a motion signed by 37 parliamentarians requesting that the British government protest the U.S. government’s treatment of Manning while he is in pre-trial confinement. Clwyd asserts that his treatment amounts to near-torture, basing her claim on statements made by U.S. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley, who was forced to leave his post because he disagreed with Pentagon actions, calling them “ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid.” She also announced the committee’s desire to visit Manning in the military prison in Quantico, Virginia.

Preliminary reaction to the request came from London’s Foreign Minister, Henry Bellingham, who said the British ambassador to the United States would bring the matter to the attention of the U.S. State Department. The soldier was born in Oklahoma, but his mother is Welsh. Bellingham, therefore, made the members of parliament aware that Manning was automatically considered a citizen of the United Kingdom.

The Pentagon has accused Manning of “aiding the enemy,” a charge that comes close to high treason. He is said to have provided WikiLeaks with classified video material showing an American combat helicopter attacking in Iraq. The internet portal broadcast the video worldwide last year with the title “collateral murder.” The video shows how nine Iraqi civilians and two journalists working for the Reuters News Agency were mercilessly gunned down by the American helicopter crew.

The British initiative was welcomed by the San Francisco-based Bradley Manning Support Network. Network spokesman Jeff Paterson stated that the Amnesty International human rights organization and activists globally were calling for an immediate end to the inhuman detention conditions in which Manning was being held. His colleague, Mike Gogulski, reiterated the hope that twice as many American members of Congress would follow the example set by their British counterparts.

Emboldened by their successful protests held on Mar. 19 and 20, the solidarity movement intends to increase pressure on the U.S. administration and the Pentagon in the run-up to Bradley’s trial, scheduled to begin in May or June. To this end, they are encouraging artists and activists to contribute to Manning’s support next weekend by having concerts, art displays, street theater and by publicizing their paintings and videos on the internet.