Attorney: Manning Abuse Worsens; Two Visitors Detained at Base

The attorney for alleged army whistleblower Bradley Manning is accusing the military of intensifying their harsh treatment of Manning as he remains behind bars. The lawyer, David Coombs, says Manning was placed on a stricter suicide watch last week despite psychiatric reviews showing he is not a suicide risk and should even be taken off a less restrictive "prevention of injury watch." According to Coombs, the military revoked Manning's lone hour of exercise and stripped him of all his clothing except for his underwear. Manning was ultimately returned to "prevention of injury" status after Coombs complained. The military is also cracking down on Manning's visitors. On Sunday, Manning's friend David House and progressive blogger Jane Hamsher were detained and prevented from visiting him at the Quantico military base in Virginia. They had brought with them a 42,000-signature petition protesting Manning's prison conditions. House has publicly alleged that Manning's mental and physical health has declined under 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement. The pair were detained for two hours and released only after Manning's allotted visitation period had expired.

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