( - promoted by Clem Guttata)
For Immediate Release
December 21, 2010
WEST VIRGINIANS UNITE BEHIND ACCUSED WIKILEAKS
WHISTLEBLOWER AT STATE CAPITOL RALLY THURSDAY
CHARLESTON, W.Va.-West Virginians will gather in support of accused WikiLeaks whistle blower Pfc. Bradley Manning Thursday, December 23rd at 2PM at the Veterans Memorial at the State Capitol in Charleston. The rally aims to bring attention to the detained former U.S. Intelligence Analyst charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including eight criminal offenses and four non-criminal violations of Army regulations, involving the release of a classified video of a military operation filmed in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007, known on the web as "Collateral Murder," a classified PowerPoint presentation, and over 150,000 diplomatic cables from the U.S. Department of State. The event also calls upon the need for Congress to craft legislation for a more open, transparent and accountable government, a pledge made by President Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.
The rally will feature a few speakers and a petition will be in circulation.
Since September of this year, more than twenty cities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia have held rallies for Bradley Manning. In California, Berkeley City Council introduced a resolution that would have named Manning a hero. It was tabled due to the city council's inability to determine whether or not Manning is a hero or traitor.
"Bradley Manning had evidence of corruption and criminality within our government. Rather than keep his mouth shut, Manning showed tremendous courage and made this evidence public," said event organizer Brad Wood.
"Public workers in West Virginia have learned the hard way the importance of whistle blowing to governmental accountability and transparency," said Gordon Simmons, field organizer for West Virginia Public Workers Union, who will be speaking at the event.
"Workers from agencies as diverse as Environmental Protection to the Office of Technology to county health departments have been either told to keep silent on important matters of public policy or face retaliation, including being fired.
The penalty may be less than that faced by Bradley Manning, but the principle is the same. Corruption requires secrecy. Censorship is the enemy of democracy."
In an article published on "Wired.com" on June 10, 2010, featuring edited pieces of an online chat log from May 2010 between former hacker and convicted felon Adrian Lamo, and Manning, Manning stated he saw fifteen detainees taken by the Iraqi Federal Police for printing "anti-Iraqi literature."
Manning said he was instructed to investigate and find out who the bad guys were, and found out after having the literature read to him by an interpreter that it was a harmless scholarly critique against then Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, following the corruption trail within al-Maliki's cabinet.
Manning, according to the chat log, told the officer requesting the information the situation and the officer "didn't want to hear any of it" and told him to "shut up and explain how we could assist the FPs in finding more detainees."
Manning stated that he found the video ["Collateral Murder"] of a United States Apache helicopter firing on civilians in New Baghdad from 2007, stored in a JAG officer's directory, which he found to be odd.
"It was just a bunch of guys getting shot up by a helicopter... no big deal... about two dozen more where that came from right... but something struck me as odd with the van thing."
Manning investigated what went on in the video from within, then read an article in the New York Times about the events that allegedly transpired the day the video was shot. Manning forwarded the video to WikiLeaks.
A total of 11 adults were killed, including two Reuters' employees, including 22 year old Reuters' photojournalist Namir Noor-Eldeen and his driver, 40 year old Saeed Chmagh. Two children, passengers in the van that arrived on the scene after the first bout of gunfire had ceased, were seriously injured when the Apache helicopter opened fire on their van.
Manning stated in the chat log that he hopes his actions will bring about "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms."
Lamo later turned Manning in to the Army.
Wood doesn't think people should look at Manning as a traitor to his country.
"Read the cables [on WikiLeaks] for yourselves. Government bureaucrats and their allies in the media are treating Bradley as a scapegoat," said Wood.
"Manning did not reveal defense secrets or troop positions. He exposed crimes and corruption."
Manning's 20-year-old friend Tyler Watkins told "Wired.com" on June 6, 2010, "He wanted to do the right thing."
"That was something I think he was struggling with."
Manning was arrested in late May of 2010.
If convicted, Manning faces up to 52 years in prison, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and benefits and unspecified fines.
Manning is currently being held at the Marine Corps Brig in Quantico, Virginia.
The event is scheduled to last for a little over an hour. People are encouraged to bring signs, take pictures, Tweet and blog about the event.
For more information on Bradley Manning, please visit www.bradleymanning.org.
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The official army report on the Iraqi air-strike can be found here: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2... |
