What are you hiding? The truth?
3/11/11 – President Obama - "They assured me that they are." That was your response today about the Pentagon's treatment of Bradley Manning. "I have actually asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards," you said at today's news conference. Then you said, "I can't go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Pvt. Manning's safety as well."
Why can't you go into some (or more properly all) of the details about our concerns? What are your basic standards? What are you afraid of? What are you hiding? The truth?
You were supposed to be the anti-torture President, opposing Bush-era policies of indefinite detainment and inhumane treatment.
While you were defending torture today, Assistant Secretary Of State For Public Affairs P.J. Crowley, speaking at an MIT seminar in Boston said Manning is being "mistreated" in the military brig at Quantico, Virginia. "What is being done to Bradley Manning is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid on the part of the Department of Defense," he said. I don't know where Crowley got his information, but it is much closer to the truth than the pablum the Department of Defense is feeding you.
Before America invaded Iraq, the same Pentagon officials “assured” your predecessor that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. THEY LIED! And, they are lying again. As sure as there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the military is now torturing Bradley Manning and you, sir, are culpable.
What is it about truth that the American Government fears? If Manning is responsible for the release of documents, you should be rewarding him with some sort of medal. In fact, if you had any courage, you would give Manning your richly undeserved Nobel Peace Prize.
American intelligence lied about Iraq. American intelligence lied about Afghanistan. American intelligence was completely asleep when the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions swept across the Middle East. And the Pentagon was right there helping to foster the lies and lack of real information.
Instead of believing these lying bastards, I suggest that you actually visit Bradley Manning and see with your own eyes that the treatment of this American hero has nothing to do with HIS safety.
Thomas Daly
Retired California Newspaper Publisher
www.tomasdaly.com