Bradley Manning's Treatment

Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Protests Grow of Bradley Manning's Treatment in Detention

Activists protest the conditions of Bradley Manning's detention in front of the US State Department in Washington on Monday.

03/15/2011 - The conditions under which presumed WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning are being held have been tightened again. Even US politicians believe they're illegal. In the latest development, a key State Department official has resigned over critical remarks he made about Manning's detainment.

When 23-year-old IT specialist David House visits his friend, he can hear him before he sees him. The shackles on his feet make a clanging and dragging noise across the prison floor as the young man is brought to the glass-enclosed room where he sees visitors.

The prisoner House visits regularly at the military prison in Quantico, Virginia has probably divided public opinion in the United States more than any other inmate. For some, presumed WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning, also 23, is a hero who deserves medals and honors. For others, he has committed a breach of secrecy that deserves the most severe punishment.

Even before an indictment has been filed against Manning, the dispute over the prisoner is coming to a head. At issue are the conditions of his detention. Manning has now written an 11-page complaint that raises significant questions about the way he and his case are being handled -- questions addressed to the military and to its commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama. {continued}