Ukraine Buys Huge Amounts of Russian Fue... Fri Jan 20, 2023 08:34 | Antonia Kotseva
Turkey Has Sent Ukraine Cluster Munition... Thu Jan 12, 2023 00:26 | Jack Detsch
New Israeli Government Promises to Talk ... Tue Jan 10, 2023 21:13 | Al Majadeen
Russia Training Iranian Pilots Ahead of ... Tue Jan 10, 2023 15:19 | The Times of Israel
Lukashenko Abolishes Copyright Protectio... Tue Jan 10, 2023 15:05 | Nikki Main Anti-Empire >>
A Blog About Human Rights
UN human rights chief calls for priority action ahead of climate summit Sat Oct 30, 2021 17:18 | Human Rights
5 Year Anniversary Of Kem Ley?s Death Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:34 | Human Rights
Poor Living Conditions for Migrants in Southern Italy Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:14 | Human Rights
Right to Water Mon Aug 03, 2020 19:13 | Human Rights
Human Rights Fri Mar 20, 2020 16:33 | Human Rights Human Rights in Ireland >>
The WHO?s Plot to Seize Power Over Nation States in Future Pandemics Must Be Stopped Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:12 | Will Jones The World Health Organisation is gearing up to persuade the world's governments to sign a new pandemic treaty that would allow the unelected body to seize power over nation states in future pandemics, warns Matt Ridley.
The post The WHO’s Plot to Seize Power Over Nation States in Future Pandemics Must Be Stopped appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Easter Quiz: Why Are White Things So White? Thu Mar 28, 2024 09:00 | Steven Tucker It's hard to tell the difference these days between genuine news stories relating to 'anti-racist' ? or, more realistically, anti-white ? ideas and the spoofs and fakes. Pit your wits against our Easter quiz.
The post Easter Quiz: Why Are White Things So White? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Record Ozone ?Holes? Reported Despite 35-Year CFC Ban Thu Mar 28, 2024 07:00 | Chris Morrison The ozone hole scare of the 1980s and the banning of CFCs was the template for the subsequent alarm promoting Net Zero. Yet the ozone hole is now back as large as ever, even after a 35-year CFC ban.
The post Record Ozone “Holes” Reported Despite 35-Year CFC Ban appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
News Round-Up Thu Mar 28, 2024 00:50 | Richard Eldred A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the virus and the vaccines, the ?climate emergency? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Heart Scarring Detected Over One Year After COVID-19 Vaccination, Two New Studies Find Wed Mar 27, 2024 19:30 | Will Jones Heart scarring was detected more than one year after COVID-19 vaccination in some people who suffered myocarditis following receipt of a shot, researchers reported in new studies.
The post Heart Scarring Detected Over One Year After COVID-19 Vaccination, Two New Studies Find appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Moscow attack reminds us of the links between Islamists and Kiev's fundamentalis... Tue Mar 26, 2024 06:57 | en
Failure to assist a people in danger of genocide, by Hassan Hamadé Tue Mar 26, 2024 06:32 | en
Yugoslavia March 24, 1999 The Founding War of the New Nato, by Manlio Dinucci Sun Mar 24, 2024 05:15 | en
France opposes Russian Korean-style peace project in Ukraine Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:11 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°79 Fri Mar 22, 2024 11:40 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Pre-sentence letter to Barack Obama
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report
Thursday August 22, 2013 09:47 by Justin Morahan
sent by e-mail to US Embassy
Below is a letter to President Barack Obama on the occasion of a protest by Colm Roddy and me outside the US Embassy in Dublin, Wednesday 21 July before Whistleblower Bradley Manning was given a horrendous sentence for telling the truth. Dear President Barack Obama
I write to you, through your Ambassador in Ireland, as the sentencing of a whistleblower, Bradley Manning is imminent. Bradley is a member of the United States Forces of which you, President Obama, are the Commander-in-Chief. What happens in the US Armed Forces is your responsibility.
When there is heinous wrongdoing happening within your army, you bear the ultimate responsibility for that wrongdoing. If a whistleblower reveals the heinous wrongdoing, it is your duty to protect the whistleblower, to shield her or him from harm and, if possible, honour her or him in order to encourage other whistleblowers and to protect the truth.
What happened in the Baghdad "air strikes" of July 12 2007 was heinous in the extreme. I have seen and perused the video at length but even your own official account is chilling to read.
"When the cameraman on the ground aimed his camera in the direction of Bravo Company 2–16, a pilot remarked "He's getting ready to fire". An Apache maneuvered around a building to get a clear field of fire and shot all nine men, killing eight. " (US Central Command release)
We know that subsequently when a van pulled up to take on board an injured civilian, the Apache opened fire on van and helpers and injured civilian, killing three and wounding two children inside the van. The footage of these events and the accompanying dialogue resembles what one might expect from a seriously deranged horror movie. Bradley revealed the truth of these events. Admittedly he did not report them to his superior officer and later regretted that. But why should that make any difference to you, Mr President? The truth was out. You would be glad that you would be able to stop similar outrages by your forces in the future. You would take the necessary steps to prevent any repetition of the evil-doing of July 12 2007. And you would credit Bradley Manning for helping you to take these steps. Because, as Commander-in-Chief, you do not stand over such atrocities.
Or am I wrong? What did you do?
You allowed (or maybe even ordered) Bradley Manning to be arrested and charged with, among other thing, "aiding the enemy" - an offence that could have draw down the barbarous execution of the accused person. You prejudiced his trial by telling a reporter "He broke the law" at a time when he was not declared guilty of breaking any law. In four words you denied him any chance of a fair trial. Yet, you allowed a trial to proceed.
Meanwhile Bradley Manning was kept under lock and key in chains, subjected to nudity, isolation, harassment, sleep-deprivation - all inhuman punishments bordering on torture. Only international protest ended this inhuman treatment of a prisoner not yet tried in any court.
Now he has been found by a military court to be guilty of lesser charges and today the prosecutors are requesting a sixty year sentence! It is another day of infamy for you and the United States.
Unless, that is, you salvage some credibility by pardoning him, after sentence.
That is my request to you today.
With best personal wishes
Justin Morahan, human rights activist, pacifist.
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Colm Roddy protested about Bradley at the US Embassy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I joined him there on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Irish Ant-War Movement are holding a protest there this evening starting at 7.30p.m.
"Notable legal experts and scholars from both the left and the right, to include former Democrat US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former Republican Deputy US Attorney General Bruce Fein, and Professor of Law Francis Boyle, have publicly offered their services to assist in carrying out impeachment proceedings against President Obama over his unconstitutional and otherwise illegal war on Libya to any member of Congress willing to step forward and introduce Articles of Impeachment."
The above excerpt is from the following www location:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/NationalSecurityAgenc...PEACH
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION IT HEADS?
The United States Government and legal profession is even more corrupt than our own in certain respects: which takes some doing!!
Related Google List #1:
"The Judicial Branch of US Government is an oligarchy, Human Rights Ireland ..."
http://tinyurl.com/khzbla7
Related Google List #2:
"President Barack Obama, Fascist Totalitarianism, Human Rights Ireland, Republican Constitutionalism ..."
http://tinyurl.com/kdjtvf9
Colm Roddy and Justin Morahan
Obama is worse than Bush ever was. His silver tongue just covered it up. There is no way in hell he'll pardon Bradley Manning. He probably wanted a longer sentence to put a chill in the hearts of other potential whistleblowers. Bradley is a hero but he is going to pay a terrible price for this. At best, he'll get parole after 10 years. But 10 years in a US prison will be hell.
There was a lively presence at the Embassy from 5.30 yesterday evening. The speeches were short and to the point. IT was nice to welcome Egyptian friends who joined after their own protest was finished
Lorna Bogue with new CHELSEA poster
Chelsea Mannig supporters
Great to see well-known anti-war activists at last night's protest
Tommy Donnelan doing what he does best
Well done Justin on this and for all your efforts on behalf of suffering humanity.
Keep up the sterling and the generally thankless work, there-again we know you are not doing it for the go raibh maith agait.
W P and M K