Prior to Chelsea Manning’s Release on Wednesday, Here’s What She Wrote to President Obama

14.5.17

Free Chelsea Manning posters, via torbakhopper on Flickr.Please support my work! I’m currently trying to raise $2500 (£2000) to support my writing and campaigning on Guantánamo and related issues over the next three months of the Trump administration.




 

This Wednesday, May 17, Chelsea Manning — formerly known as Bradley Manning — will be released from prison, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she has been held for the last seven years. Her role as a whistleblower was immense. As a private, she was responsible for the largest ever leak of classified documents, including the “Collateral Murder” video, featuring US personnel indiscriminately killing civilians and two Reuters reporters in Iraq, 500,000 army reports (the Afghan War logs and the Iraq War logs), 250,000 US diplomatic cables, and the Guantánamo files, released by WikiLeaks in April 2011, on which I worked as a media partner. See my archive of articles based on those files here.

By that time, Manning was already in US custody in a military brig in Quantico, Virginia, which I first wrote about in December 2010, in an article entitled, Is Bradley Manning Being Held as Some Sort of “Enemy Combatant”? I continued to follow her story closely into 2011 (see here and here), which included President Obama’s indifference to criticism by the United Nations, and when Manning’s trial finally took place, in 2013, I made a particular point of dealing with those parts of the trial in which the significance of the Guantánamo files was examined.

As I stated just before the trial began, “Bradley’s key statement on the Guantánamo files is when he says, ‘the more I became educated on the topic, it seemed that we found ourselves holding an increasing number of individuals indefinitely that we believed or knew to be innocent, low-level foot soldiers that did not have useful intelligence and would’ve been released if they were held in theater.’”

I added:

This is absolutely the case, and I can only take exception to his belief that they were “not a detailed assessment.” They were indeed only a round-up of the available information from a variety of military sources, but, crucially, they provide the names of the men making the statements about their fellow prisoners, which were not available previously, providing a compelling insight into the full range of unreliable witnesses, to the extent that pages and pages of information that, on the surface, might look acceptable, are revealed under scrutiny to be completely worthless.

Although Manning received a 35-year sentence, President Obama commuted it just before he left office in January, as I wrote about at the time, in an article entitled, Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning’s 35-Year Sentence; Whistleblower Who Leaked Hugely Important Guantánamo Files Will Be Freed in May 2017, Not 2045 (actually, her sentence was due to end in November 2039, because it took into account time already served).

Speaking from her prison cell, Manning said, “I’m looking forward to breathing the warm spring air again. I want that indescribable feeling of connection with people and nature again, without razor wire or a visitation booth. I want to be able to hug my family and friends again. And swimming – I want to go swimming!”

On Facebook, one of her lawyers, Nancy Hollander, wrote, “As we approach our client Chelsea Manning’s release, it is good to remember what she, her lawyers and her supporters wrote to urge President Obama to grant her clemency. Now we will finally be able to hug her, to walk in the sun with her, and to see her smile as a free woman. And we thank everyone who stood by her during these long years.”

Hollander posted a link to that document, and I’m cross-posting it below so we can all remember how Manning argued the case for having her sentence commuted.

Wednesday will be a great day for justice, and I’m pleased that, despite his many failures — including the failure to close Guantánamo and to hold anyone in the Bush administration accountable for implementing torture —  President Obama made amends, at least to some extent, by commuting Manning’s sentence in the dying days of his presidency.

Manning’s petition for clemency was sent to Robert Zauzmer, the Pardon Attorney in the Justice Department, and was prefaced with a letter from Vincent J. Ward, another of Manning’s lawyers, and Nancy Hollander, dated November 10, 2016. I’m delighted to be posting both below. As the lawyers note, the petition also includes letters of support from Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor of Guantánamo’s military commissions, Vietnam whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and the journalist Glenn Greenwald.

Re: Clemency Application for Ms. Chelsea Manning

Dear Mr. Zauzmer,

On behalf of our client, Ms. Chelsea Manning, please find the enclosed application for the commutation of Ms. Manning’s court-martial sentence to time served. Included in the application are letters of support from Daniel Ellsberg, Morris Davis, and Glenn Greenwald, the unclassified portions of her appellate brief to the Army appellate court, and excerpts from the court-martial, including her statement of apology to the military judge. As you will see in the application, Ms. Manning is well into the sixth year of a thirty-five year sentence for disclosing classified information to the media with the intention of raising public awareness about issues she found concerning, including the impact of war on innocent civilians.

We acknowledge that this is Ms. Manning’s second clemency application and that her appeal is still pending, but we urge the President to carefully consider and grant her request. President Obama has taken admirable steps to provide many criminal offenders with a “second chance” through his clemency powers. If approved, Ms. Manning will have a first chance to live a real, meaningful life.

Ms. Manning has never made excuses for disclosing classified materials to the news media. She accepted responsibility at trial by pleading guilty without the benefit ofa plea agreement, an unusual act of courage in a case such as hers. Despite pleading guilty, the military prosecutors sought to characterize Ms. Manning’s behavior as treasonous, an effort that ultimately failed. Unfortunately the trial had become a public spectacle, and with the Army under great scrutiny, the active duty military judge sentenced Ms. Manning to thirty-five years confinement.

Unlike in federal criminal cases, military judges in courts-martial do not have the benefit of sentencing guidelines and do not rely on historical precedent for sentencing decisions. It is a vestige of an outdated military justice system that in most cases is non-prejudicial because the vast majority of courts-martial concern routine offenses or uniquely military misconduct. In a case like Ms. Manning’s, however, a military judge has no way of knowing what constitutes fair and reasonable punishment.

Nor did the military judge appreciate the context in which Ms. Manning committed these offenses. Ms. Manning is transgender. When she entered the military she was, as a young adult, attempting to make sense ofher feelings and place in the world. Ms. Manning’s difficulties were compounded by the reality that the military at the time was not a welcoming place for transgender men and women. This caused Ms. Manning considerable grief because she wanted to serve her country, but to do so she had to suppress her true self and feelings. Also during this time many of Ms. Manning’s fellow soldiers teased and bullied her because she was “different.”

While the military culture has improved since then, these events had a detrimental effect on her mentally and emotionally leading to the disclosures.

Ms. Manning is currently involved in litigation over her access to therapy for gender dysphoria. She merely wants to live openly as a woman, and even though the military has finally opened its doors to transgender men and women, the government has flercely fought Ms. Manning’s efforts. The Army even opposed Ms. Manning’s request to use her legal name, Chelsea, and to refer to her with female pronouns, during the course of the appeal. Thankfully the military appellate court rejected the Army’s draconian position. Even after the Administration’s efforts to diversify and bring tolerance to the military, Ms. Manning still fights daily for her right to be identified as a woman. This fight has taken a great toll on her.

Since Ms. Manning’s arrest she has been subjected to torturous conditions while in military confinement. For nearly a year Ms. Manning was held in solitary confinement while awaiting trial, and since her conviction, has been placed in solitary confinement for an attempted suicide. This conflicts with the President’s mandate to halt the use of solitary confinement for any purpose. The United Nations has taken up the fight against the use of solitary confinement. As the former U.N. special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, explained, “[solitary confinement] was a practice that was banned in the 19th century because it was cruel, but it made a comeback in the last few decades.” This Administration should consider Ms. Manning’s prison conditions, including the significant time she spent in solitary confinement, as a reason for reducing her sentence to time served.

Our military leaders often say that their most important job is to take care of their service members, but no one in the military has ever truly taken care of Ms. Manning. This application presents an opportunity for the President, as Commander in Chief, to take care of one of his soldiers. Ms. Manning’s request is reasonable — she is merely asking for a time served sentence — the result of which would still place her off the charts for an offense of this nature. She will be left with all of the other consequences of the conviction, including a punitive discharge, a reduction in rank, and the loss of veteran’s benefits.

The government has wasted considerable resources on Ms. Manning’s prosecution, including by proceeding in a months long trial that resulted in a not-guilty verdict as to the most serious allegations, and by fighting Ms. Manning’s efforts to obtain treatment and therapy for gender dysphoria. She has spent over six years in confinement for an offense that in any other civilized judicial system would have resulted in at most a few years of prison time.

Therefore, we urge you to grant Ms. Manning’s request for the commutation of her court-martial sentence to time served.

Additional Information in Support of Manning’s Application for Clemency
By Chelsea Manning

Three years ago I requested a pardon related to my conviction for disclosing classified and other sensitive information to the media out of concern for my country, the innocent civilians whose lives were lost as a result of war, and in support of two values that our country holds dear- transparency and public accountability. As I reflect on the prior clemency petition I fear my request was misunderstood.

As I explained to the military judge who presided over my trial, and as I have reiterated in numerous public statements since these offenses occurred, I take full and complete responsibility for my decision to disclose these materials to the public. I have never made any excuses for what I did. I pleaded guilty without the protection of a plea agreement because I believed the military justice system would understand my motivation for the disclosure and sentence me fairly. I was wrong.

The military judge sentenced me to thirty-five years confinement — far more than I could have ever imagined possible, as there was no historical precedent for such an extreme sentence under similar facts. My supporters and legal counsel encouraged me to submit a clemency petition because they believed the conviction itself coupled with the unprecedented sentence was unreasonable, outrageous and out of line with what I had done. In a state of shock, I sought a pardon.

Sitting here today I understand why the petition was not acted on. It was too soon, and the requested relief was too much. I should have waited. I needed time to absorb the conviction, and to reflect on my actions. I also needed time to grow and mature as a person.

I have been confined for over six years — longer than any person accused of similar crimes ever has. I have spent countless hours revisiting those events, pretending as though I did not disclose those materials and therefore was free. This is in part because of the mistreatment I have been subjected to while confined.

The Army kept me in solitary confinement for nearly a year before formal charges were brought against me. It was a humiliating and degrading experience — one that altered my mind, body and spirit. I have since been placed in solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure for an attempted suicide despite a growing effort — led by the President of the United States — to stop the use of solitary confinement for any purpose. These experiences have broken me and made me feel less than human.

I have been fighting for years to be treated respectfully and with dignity; a battle I fear is lost. I do not understand why. This administration has transformed the military through the reversal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the inclusion of transgender men and women in the armed forces. I wonder what I could have been had these policies been implemented before I joined the Army. Would I have joined? Would I still be serving on active duty? I cannot say for sure.

But what I do know is that I am a far different person than I was in 2010. I am not Bradley Manning. I really never was. I am Chelsea Manning, a proud woman who is transgender and who, through this application, is, respectfully requesting a first chance at life. I wish I were strong and mature enough to realize this back then.

This journey has been difficult. You see, I have struggled with my gender identity throughout my entire life. I have — for many years — been overcome with intense feelings of loss, frustration, loneliness, and discomfort with my body and role in society. When I was younger, I did not understand. But from an early age I had a vague sense that I was somehow “different.”

Growing up in the small town of Crescent, Oklahoma, I was often picked on and made fun of at home, at school, and on the school bus for my effeminate mannerisms and speech. I was called “girly-boy,” “faggy,” “bent,” and “crooked” by other kids in town. The adults had veiled phrases that I did not understand at the time, such as being “light in the loafers,” or “special.” It was clear that I was different, especially from what my boy peers expected, and even from what parents and teachers expected.

By middle school, I desperately wanted to fit in. I volunteered for virtually everything that was considered traditionally masculine at school and by my friends. I spent a lot of time focused on fitting in, and presenting myself as a real “boy,” and then a real “dude.” Through all of this, I learned how to suppress a lot of my more feminine features from my personality. I focused on academics, especially the social sciences, history, science, mathematics, and — later — computer science.

After my parents divorced when I was 11 or 12, I moved in with my mother to the United Kingdom. While there, my sense of alienation during my teenage years was further exacerbated. Every single day, I was an American in a British school — and, more than that — I was a “feminine” American guy.

However, during these years, I had a secret. I was cross-dressing on an almost weekly basis at times. After “indulging” myself with looking feminine in the mirror, I would feel ashamed. I would get angry at myself. Then I would purge all of the cosmetics, clothing, and accessories. I would throw them away into a random dumpster in my neighborhood. I would swear to myself that I would never do it again, only to return to it a few weeks later.

By the time I finished school, I accepted that I had an attraction to guys and identified as an openly gay kid. Unfortunately, even after coming out, I still felt unsettled. I started experimenting with looking more androgynous, trying to push the boundaries of what I could get away with through fashion. I dyed my hair black and let it grow longer. I started wearing eyeliner in public. Despite crossing these boundaries, though, I was still trying to fit in as a male.

After I moved back to the United States, I was living with my father and his new wife. While experimenting, friction developed between me — an increasingly flamboyant and showy young adult — and my father’s wife. She was not accepting of me. We had many arguments and fights. Eventually, I was kicked out of the house. I became homeless.

I lived a somewhat nomadic life for the next several months. I roamed through the mid-west. This included Tulsa, Oklahoma; Joplin, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Springfield, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois; and finally Chicago, Illinois. These times were rough. There were many nights that I was afraid of getting robbed of what little I had, or raped, or even worse.

Thankfully, after a few stressful months of surviving on the streets, my paternal aunt in Maryland found me. She called dozens ofpeople, eventually tracking down someone who had my cell phone number that I was using in Chicago. She offered to let me live with her. I accepted her generous offer. But, I did not have enough money to travel. She wired me just enough money to drive to Maryland. She saved me.

After settling in Maryland, I started going to a local community college and working odd-hours jobs in food and sales. I was a barista, a clothing store associate, and a full time student — all at the same time. I worked or studied over 100 hours each week. I tried very hard to get ahead, but I soon burned out.

While going through another phase of experimentation, I started seeing a psychologist to discuss my gender identity. I knew what “transgender” meant, but I had incorrect assumptions about trans women. Terrified, even after seeing her for a few sessions, I avoided the topic entirely. I kept suppressing my restlessness.

By this time, I was seriously contemplating the possibility of a gender transition. I had the rough idea of a plan. I mulled over the idea of living full-time as a woman and starting hormones. I had only a few hundred dollars in my pocket, and virtually no resources readily available to me. After years of harassment growing up, I was socially conditioned to avoid even talking to a psychologist. I knew I needed help. I was afraid to get it. I also worried it might not be available to me. I was terrified. I was afraid I would lose the support of my aunt. I did not recognize unconditional love when it was right in front of me.

This was the summer of the “surge” in Iraq. Major developments in the conflict received blanket coverage on my aunt’s television every night. I began to wonder about joining the military. When things were looking bleak, I thought, “maybe I can help out.” One day, with a little nudging from my father over the phone, who served in the U.S. Navy many years before, I walked into a joint military recruiting center in Rockville, Maryland.

During the recruitment process, I chose the military job of “all-source intelligence analyst” for the U.S. Army. I chose this field because of my interest in international politics, foreign policy, counterterrorism tactics, and counterinsurgency strategy. I was also trying to avoid being pigeonholed into an information technology job, largely a support role. I wanted to be more involved in the actual operations of the conflict.

I officially enlisted in the U.S. Army in secret. I did not tell anyone in my family until after I had enlisted. Over a long, emotional dinner, I told my aunt. She was devastated, but she accepted my decision. After in-processing at Fort Meade, Maryland, I reported for basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

I was woefully unprepared for the military. I was neither physically nor mentally prepared for the training. I developed a neurological issue in my right arm and left foot. I was placed into a medical hold status for several weeks. This extended my basic training by a couple of months. At one point, I was offered the option of being discharged but I balked at this option. I instead waited because I wanted to continue my training, which I eventually returned to and finished.

My intelligence training was at the military intelligence school in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. My interests in geopolitics and statistical mathematics, as well as my familiarity with databases and computer networks, suited the job. I quickly adapted and learned the trade with enthusiasm. After finishing my training, I moved to Fort Drum, New York, for my first active duty assignment.

Even during the basic training process, my military peers knew about my vulnerability. In close quarters, they tried to find out which buttons to push. I often ignored the rumors, the taunts, and the loaded comments. The institution as a whole didn’t help.

This was the era of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and policy. It seemed that even title 10 of the U.S. Code was teasing me. I lived through it all. I did not complain. I rarely fought back. The few times I did fight back, I ended up being the bad guy. Some pointed the finger and said “angry,” “crazy,” “unstable.” The truth is that I was hurt. I did not yet realize just how much, though. I just knew I had to “suck it up” and “drive on.”

I hoped that the military would somehow “cure” me, or “fix” me. Instead, my feelings did not go away. They became much more intense, and much more difficult to act on. I just placed myself into an even more difficult situation. Now I was being cut off from the few resources and treatments that I was merely embarrassed about seeking previously. Now, it had the potential to ruin my career; to ruin my life.

I desperately wanted to succeed. I wanted to do great things. I wanted to finish my time in the military with dignity and respect. But, I just did not fit in anywhere. I was not very great at being a male. I failed to meet the expectations of a male. This came at an enormous cost to my emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.

I trained and prepared for nearly a year for a deployment to one of the combat theaters of the era. First, we were told it was Afghanistan. Suddenly, there was a change in orders for Iraq. This pivot required a rapid shift in our training and preparations.

Throughout these preparations, I had a boyfriend. I essentially lived two separate lives. They did not schedule very well together. There were many moments when I had to leave him on sudden notice from Ithaca, New York, and later Boston, Massachusetts.

On a Global Reaction Force and Homeland Security mission I was supposed to be “on call” at all times. So, I had to juggle to keep my secret. My colleagues were curious. They noticed things. They wanted to know where I was going; who I was seeing. I had to stall. I couldn’t lie — but I couldn’t exactly tell the truth either. It was a difficult balance to keep.

Since that time, though, the world has changed. More people know about trans people. We are more visible and open and active in the world. It was far too early for the world to understand who I am. Now, I feel left out. I feel alone. I feel lost. I wish I had received a fair shot at a better life. I wish I could take part in the changes that are happening now.

Shortly after arriving at the Theater Field Confinement Facility at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, I had trouble. At this point in my life, I knew who I was and that I needed medical and mental health assistance. Yet I was told, this was unavailable. Instead, they worked off the incorrect assumption that I was “gay,” and not transgender. This had the immediate consequence of being moved into solitary confinement in a metal cage, inside a tent.

I was completely cut off from the world. I was unsure what was going on, not even major events, like the status ofthe Deepwater Horizon oil spill, or the World Cup were available to me. I also had no idea what I was facing, or whether anyone knew I was there. I was terrified that I was going to be treated as a male forever. I feared that I could have disappeared.

The Navy personnel that ran the facility did not help matters. Some of them made fun of me. Some of them said nasty things that aren’t worth repeating. Others tried to convince me that I was going to be shipped off to Guantánamo Bay, or inside the brig of a U.S. Navy cruiser.

I left Kuwait for the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. I spent the entire time at the now shut down brig. For over nine months, I was subjected to harsh total surveillance and control, and lived in solitary confinement. Two U.S. Marines watched me from behind a one-way window at all times.

Instead of clothing, I was given a “suicide proof’ smock and blanket, which were incredibly uncomfortable. I had no personal items in my cell. If I wanted to use toilet paper, I had to ask for it from one of the Marines — then I had to return it when I was finished. I had no soap. I had limited access to toothpaste and a toothbrush — my teeth have been permanently damaged by this time period. And I had limited access to legal documents, books, or any other printed material.

I repeatedly asked for help for my gender dysphoria. This was one of the issues that caused me to spiral out of control in Kuwait. Instead, I believe they used my diagnosis as a weapon against me. I feel that they used it as a tool to justify their harsh treatment.

Eventually I was transferred from Quantico to the Joint Regional Correctional Facility in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. There, I was no longer subjected to any conditions remotely like those of Quantico.

After my final sentencing at my court-martial, I publicly came out as a transgender woman, and started using my new name, which I legally changed a few months later. I also again requested treatment for my gender dysphoria.

Initially, the Department of the Army fought my request, but after filing a lawsuit with the assistance ofthe ACLU, the military prison began providing me with some access to treatment- specifically partial access to a “real-life experience” and hormone replacement therapy.

At first I was only given access to female undergarments. This was an awful and embarrassing experience for me. It felt like the prison wanted to have this hidden away. I began to spiral into anxiety shortly afterward. Then I was provided access to cosmetics. This was the first visible improvement of my status at the prison. Though it was a little awkward having short hair, I felt a lot better, but I still needed more. A few months later, I was provided access to hormone therapy in the form of estrogen and testosterone blockers. Having access to hormones was a profound and fundamental change in my life. I finally started to feel like myself.

However, one of the primary issues surrounding my treatment is that I am required to keep my hair at the male standard. Hair is the most important signifier of femininity in American society, and it is especially important to me as a person confined in an all-male environment, so not being given access to this, while receiving other treatment, has been a never-ending nightmare. This has extended the lawsuit by years now.

The USDB has made some vague assurances that I will continue to be given treatment, but I still do not know what this means and it almost certainly will not include the ability to grow my hair to female standards.

The bottom-line is this: I need help and I am still not getting it. I am living through a cycle of anxiety, anger, hopelessness, loss, and depression. I cannot focus. I cannot sleep. I attempted to take my own life. When the USDB placed me in solitary confinement as punishment for the attempted suicide, I tried it again because the feeling of hopelessness was so immense. This has served as a reminder to me that any lack of treatment can kill me, so I must keep fighting a battle that I wish every day would just end.

I have served a sufficiently long sentence. I am not asking for a pardon ofmy conviction. I understand that the various collateral consequences of the court-martial conviction will stay on my record forever. The sole relief I am asking for is to be released from military prison after serving six years of confinement as a person who did not intend to harm the interests ofthe United States or harm any service members.

I am merely asking for a first chance to live my life outside the USDB as the person I was born to be.

Thank you for your consideration of my petition.

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, photographer, film-maker and singer-songwriter (the lead singer and main songwriter for the London-based band The Four Fathers, whose debut album ‘Love and War’ and EP ‘Fighting Injustice’ are available here to download or on CD via Bandcamp). He is the co-founder of the Close Guantánamo campaign (and the Countdown to Close Guantánamo initiative, launched in January 2016), the co-director of We Stand With Shaker, which called for the release from Guantánamo of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison (finally freed on October 30, 2015), and the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by the University of Chicago Press in the US, and available from Amazon, including a Kindle edition — 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. He is also the co-director (with Polly Nash) of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (available on DVD here — or here for the US).

To receive new articles in your inbox, please subscribe to Andy’s RSS feed — and he can also be found on Facebook (and here), Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Also see the six-part definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, and The Complete Guantánamo Files, an ongoing, 70-part, million-word series drawing on files released by WikiLeaks in April 2011. Also see the definitive Guantánamo habeas list, the full military commissions list, and the chronological list of all Andy’s articles.

Please also consider joining the Close Guantánamo campaign, and, if you appreciate Andy’s work, feel free to make a donation.

9 Responses

  1. Andy Worthington says...

    When I posted this on Facebook, I wrote:

    In response to the great news that Chelsea Manning will be freed on Wednesday, after seven years in prison, I recap on the importance of her leaks – and especially the importance for me of the Guantanamo files, on which I worked as a media partner with WikiLeaks in 2011 – and, via one of Manning’s lawyers, Nancy Hollander, I cross-post the petition for clemency she made that helped to encourage President Obama to commute her sentence in his last days in office.

  2. Andy Worthington says...

    After my friend Jan Strain liked this, I wrote:

    Hey, good to hear from you, Jan. So many hoped for this day for so long – but for years it seemed impossible. I recall first writing about Chelsea’s plight way back in December 2010: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2010/12/20/is-bradley-manning-being-held-as-some-sort-of-enemy-combatant/

  3. Andy Worthington says...

    Jan Strain wrote:

    Hey, Andy! I have been embroiled in work of late but always try to track your writing.
    Chelsea being free. What a great thing. A ray of sunshine in the darkness that seems to have crept over this land.

  4. Andy Worthington says...

    How is your work, Jan?
    So yes, Chelsea’s release will definitely be a ray of light in the darkness. So much else is looking so bleak. I’m hoping there’s a sense in the US that Trump’s legitimacy appears to be under threat, but I struggle to see hope here in the UK, as our horrendous Prime Minister attempts to win a General Election without actually discussing anything, and the insane Brexit juggernaut continues undaunted.

  5. Anna says...

    Thanks Andy, I actually opened your blog at this late hour to raise Chelsea’s last two nights before seeing the sun again :-).
    Will read her appeal tomorrow (I’m trying to shift my waking hours to include more daylight ones 🙂 but after counting the days during these last four months – which must have been particularly excruciating for her – this will definitely be the week’s highlight. Although I read today that the army still considers her to be under contract and plans to decide where she will be stationed!
    Unpaid, on ‘extended-leave’ or some other such gibberish but with medical benefits. Wonder whether they expect those to act as some sort of blackmail that will keep her enlisted? I do hope she has the possibility to get demobilised and get medical coverage otherwise. Finally be totally free of that outfit. It will be hard enough to be free from her trauma and nightmares without being still connected to the army by some sort of umbellical cord. And maybe stationed in Alaska? (No disrespect meant for Alaska, it’s an amazingly beautiful state, but rather far from the rest of the country.) We all owe her so much.

  6. Andy Worthington says...

    Thanks for your thoughts regarding Chelsea, Anna.
    I hadn’t read up on the army’s plans. That seems ridiculous, to put it mildly, and I hope to hear that she will, as you say, be able to be “totally free” of the US military once and for all.

  7. Andy Worthington says...

    Chelsea’s free!
    She posted this tweet two hours ago, with a photo of her legs and feet (jeans and trainers) and the message, “First steps of freedom!!”
    https://twitter.com/xychelsea/status/864840675220754436

  8. Andy Worthington says...

    I posted the tweet on Facebook, and wrote:

    Good news is rare, but here’s Chelsea Manning’s first tweet since her freedom! Welcome back to the world, Chelsea, and thank you for exposing secrets the US government preferred to hide – in particular, from my perspective, the classified military files from Guantanamo, which I worked on as a media partner with WikiLeaks in 2011. These are extremely significant, because they name those who made allegations against their fellow prisoners (unlike other documents released by the government through FOIA legislation), and, as a result, it has been possible for researchers to establish the extent to which a handful of individuals are responsible for a significant amount of the so-called evidence against the prisoners, revealing it to be worthless to a genuinely shocking degree.

  9. Andy Worthington says...

    How could I not share this with you? Here’s Chelsea Manning’s first post-release photo, and how self-assured and beautiful does she look? https://twitter.com/xychelsea/status/865250670831702016
    As I replied to her tweet, “Hello, Chelsea. You look amazing! So happy you are free. Thanks for the Guantanamo files!”

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Andy Worthington

Investigative journalist, author, campaigner, commentator and public speaker. Recognized as an authority on Guantánamo and the “war on terror.” Co-founder, Close Guantánamo and We Stand With Shaker. Also, photo-journalist (The State of London), and singer and songwriter (The Four Fathers).
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