http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Bush-Obama-War-Against-by-Melvin-Goodman-111221-483.html
December 21, 2011
The Bush/Obama War Against Truth
By Melvin Goodman
The harsh treatment of alleged leaker Bradley Manning is part of a broader campaign to silence government whistleblowers, a pattern that began with Vice President Dick Cheney's outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame but has expanded under President Obama.
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Vice President Dick Cheney, poster by Robbie Conal (robbieconal.com)
When Pvt. Bradley Manning appeared in a military courtroom at Fort Meade, Maryland, last week, it was his first public appearance in more than 19 months. Manning has been held without trial for the past year and a half; only now is a hearing being conducted to determine if there is sufficient evidence to refer his case to a general court martial.
During this period, Manning, who is charged with transferring classified information to an unauthorized source, has been treated as an "enemy combatant," subjected to solitary confinement in a maximum-security cell as well as harassment day and night.
Manning's inhuman and degrading treatment clearly is designed as a warning to other individuals who might be considering the unauthorized release of classified information. There were periods in his pre-trial confinement when he was forced to stand naked, which conjures up images of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib -- not U.S. justice.
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