Andy Worthington Discusses Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks and the Spanish Torture Case Against the Bush Administration with Kevin Gosztola of Op-Ed News
9.3.11
A few days ago I had the pleasure to talk to Kevin Gosztola of Op-Ed News for his regular podcast show, “This Week in WikiLeaks,” which is available below (or on the Op-Ed News page here).
The 24-minute show followed up on the announcement that 22 new charges — including one that potentially carries the death penalty — had just been filed against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the alleged whistleblower responsible for providing WikiLeaks with classified US diplomatic cables, videos and the Afghan and Iraqi war logs, who is imprisoned in a US military brig. I discussed these latest charges in my article, Death Penalty for Bradley Manning, the Alleged WikiLeaks Whistleblower?.
In the interview, I spoke about the disturbing aspects of Bradley Manning’s detention that echo the isolation to which three US “enemy combatants” were subjected under the Bush administration, as I discussed in my article, Is Bradley Manning Being Held as Some Sort of “Enemy Combatant”?, and also about the policy of “learned helplessness” that underpinned the wider detention of prisoners in the “War on Terror,” and especially the “high-value detainees” held in secret CIA prisons. Part of our discussions focused on the very latest news about Pfc. Manning — the disturbing revelation that, apparently in response to a sarcastic comment made by Manning, he is being made to sleep naked, and also to stand naked outside his cell every morning while the cells are inspected.
Kevin and I also spoke about the recent good news from Spain — almost entirely ignored in the US — in which the Spanish National Court approved an ongoing investigation into the torture of a Spanish resident, Lahcen Ikassrien, in Guantánamo, as I described in my article, Spanish Court Gives Go-Ahead for Guantánamo Torture Investigation to Continue.
There was much more in the interview, and I hope you enjoy it if you find the time to listen.
This, by the way, is how Kevin described the show:
Manning’s Forced Nudity at Quantico and Spanish Guantánamo Investigation Continues; Plus, 100 Days Since Cablegate Began
This week’s guest was freelance investigative journalist, author and filmmaker Andy Worthington, who is known for covering Guantánamo Bay prison, torture and the wider “war on terror.”
Worthington discussed the forced nudity that former Pfc. Bradley Manning (the whistleblower alleged to have leaked classified information like the “Collateral Murder” video to WikiLeaks) is being subjected to by the US military at Quantico Brig in Virginia and the 22 additional charges, which the military filed against Manning.
Worthington also talked about an article he recently published on a Spanish investigation into Bush administration officials’ involvement in the torture and abuse of prisoners at Guantánamo. WikiLeaks revelations in the cable that showed US government officials interfered and worked to halt a Spanish investigation have pushed the national court to renew its efforts to bring those involved in torture to justice. Worthington also talked about WikiLeaks’ impact so far in helping detainees at Guantánamo get one step closer to justice and acknowledgment of the torture and abuse they experienced.
Andy Worthington is the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by Macmillan in the US, and available from Amazon — click on the following for the US and the UK) and of two other books: Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and The Battle of the Beanfield. To receive new articles in your inbox, please subscribe to my RSS feed (and I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter). Also see my definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, updated in July 2010, details about the new documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (co-directed by Polly Nash and Andy Worthington, on tour in the UK throughout 2011, and available on DVD here), my definitive Guantánamo habeas list and the chronological list of all my articles, and, if you appreciate my work, feel free to make a donation.
Who's still at Guantánamo?
28 Responses
Andy Worthington says...
On Facebook, Patrick Morcillo wrote:
Shared!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Foj Freud wrote:
ditto
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Andy Worthington says...
George Kenneth Berger wrote:
Sharing this and (I hope) eating dinner.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Imma Caractere wrote:
None of the murderers from the video have been charged, yet Manning might get the death penalty? WTF!!
The 24-minute show followed up on the announcement that 22 new charges — including one that potentially carries the death penalty — had just been filed against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the alleged whistleblower responsible for providing WikiLeaks with classified US diplomatic cables, videos and the Afghan and Iraqi war logs, who is imprisoned in a US military brig.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Andy Worthington says...
John Davis Butz wrote:
Thank you, Andy, you just gave me a reason to not be silent about this.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Gabriele Müller wrote:
sharing and spreading!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Steve Bertrand wrote:
That’s awesome John! shared.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Ciudadano Kane Kane wrote:
Sharing!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Kevin Gosztola wrote:
Thanks for posting, Andy.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Ciudadano Kane Kane wrote:
I think you could also publish this in free wikileaks…I can ask them if you want…
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Yes, please do, Ciudadano. That would be great.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Andy Worthington says...
And thanks everyone for the comments, and for sharing. John, it’s extremely good to hear that you’ve been motivated to act as a result of this. No higher praise for a journalist!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Steve Bertrand wrote:
Well, well worth it, even if it enlightened just a single person. You’ve done a great thing Andy, thanks!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Amanda Menlove wrote:
Thanks Andy!! I’ve seen this one all over the place! Keep people engaged!! Way to go comrade!! (A)
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Amir Khan wrote:
As always, a great piece of work Andy!
Every time I read your articles, 2 questions unrelated to each other come to mind. 1) With over 1.3 billion people in India, why can’t they come up with 11 football players that can compete on the world stage; and 2) with the tens of thousands of the so called journalists in the world, why can’t they grow a pair like you and report the truth for a change?
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Andy Worthington says...
George Kenneth Berger wrote:
Andy— It’s possible that Private Manning’s mistreatment is in part designed to intimidate others, especially potential whistleblowers. One item I read said that his ordeal goes against “the advice of military psychiatrists.” I am not sure this is true, since I have seen the role of psychiatrists in this case described in neutral terms. But would a mentally and/or physically damaged person help the Army win a court case? I have no idea. It might well help the Brass frighten people worldwide.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Steve Bertrand wrote:
George, I have complete faith that with public education and awareness of the situation, there will be more people who will be less intimidated, and more willing to fight back. Insha Allah.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Andy Worthington says...
George Kenneth Berger wrote:
Steve–I hope you are right. I was thinking about McCarthyism in the USA. People I knew were intimidated. This time the publicity is global, so public opinion outside the US might well work against the military. I am less certain of the effect in the States.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Amanda Menlove wrote:
People in the states are way too comfortable in their shackles yet!!!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Christine Casner wrote:
Andy, I just want to say THANK YOU for all your hard work and determination. I know I have been rather quiet, but I DO read all your articles/post and share often. Peace. Thanks again. Chris ♥
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Christine Casner wrote:
PS: To all — I recommend “A QUESTION OF TORTURE: CIA Interrogation, From The Cold War To The Present” by Alfred W. McCoy (The American Empire Project). Horrors!!!!!!!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Thanks, everyone. Lovely words of support, Amanda, Amir and Christine.
And George, I suspect you’re right in thinking that the shameful treatment of Bradley Manning is intended to send a harsh warning to would-be whistleblowers — certainly in the US, although I’m not sure about the global reach of the threat. That may well depend on whether the US government can manage to find some sort of spurious reason for extraditing Julian Assange to the US (and I’m not convinced about that, at present).
...on March 9th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Tashi Farmilo-Marouf wrote:
Very sad. It seems like they are just getting revenge through punishing Manning, setting a precedent, so no other person even considers doing anything remotely similar to him. This is how people in power incite fear – and assert their control. Instead of just doing proper actions from the beginning- wouldn’t that be better! Act well, do good actions and then you don’t have to fear any negative consequences. If you do no wrong – then you have no wrong to fear.
...on March 9th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Christine Casner wrote:
Fear = Shackles & Chains of Minds, Hearts and Souls. I am not afraid. I’m happy to stand naked. Why not?? The Emperor has no clothes!!??
...on March 9th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Tashi Farmilo-Marouf wrote:
LOL!
...on March 9th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Donna Ellison wrote:
Christine – Not just fear, but a hell of a good media propaganda machine the government has going. Take the mindless, meaningless “Support the Troops” campaign. Anyone who questions the military aggression here is inevitably asked, “Well don’t you support the troops?!” And what are you supposed to say? No? Which is, of course, as Noam Chomsky says, just a distraction to keep us from thinking about the real issue –> “Do you support our policies?” To which no one with a conscience or an ounce of concern for our economy could answer “yes.”
...on March 10th, 2011 at 7:57 am
Andy Worthington says...
Suz LeBoeuf wrote:
I think he’s been a victim of DEW nonconsensual human experiments.
...on March 10th, 2011 at 7:57 am
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...on March 10th, 2011 at 12:15 pm