Kucinich Seeks Meeting With Bradley Manning

We've noted on this blog before the U.S. military's questionable treatment of Private Bradley Manning and the military's apparent lack of success in connecting Manning to documents released by Wilileaks - not that it has made any difference in Manning's treatment. Indeed, the Obama administration appears to be continuing some of the outrageous conduct launched by Chimperator Bush in its failure to stand behind the judicial process and the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. One can even wonder at times whether the military doesn't want to push Manning over the edge because he may further elaborate on military war crimes if and when his trial comes about. Now, Congressman Dennis Kucinich is seeking to meet with Manning and inspect first hand the military's actions and Manning's condemnation to solitary confinement. Personally, I find it troubling that the military brass are more focused on punishing Manning than they are in punishing those who committed atrocities and murdered innocent civilians. Here are highlights from Gay City News on the development:
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Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, . . . . has written to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting a meeting with Private First Class Bradley Manning, who is being held as a criminal suspect in the leaking of classified documents to WikiLeaks at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.
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Late last year, Glenn Greenwald, writing on Salon.com, reported that the gay soldier is forced to endure solitary confinement 23 out of 24 hours each day, and is given “regular doses of anti-depressants… to prevent his brain from snapping from the effects of this isolation.” The Pentagon denounced the Greenwald piece, but the author maintains that the government failed to challenge specific factual assertions it contained.
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Kucinich had earlier written to Gates raising questions as to whether Manning’s confinement violated his Eighth Amendment protections from “cruel and unusual” punishment.
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The Democratic congressman charged that Manning’s “treatment at Quantico severely undermines the presumption of innocence as enshrined in the US Constitution and raises questions as to whether he is truly able to stand trial.”