December, 19 2011, 08:46am EDT
Statement by Bradley Manning Support Network on Closed Hearing Decision
FORT MEADE, MD
Shortly before 6:00 PM on the third day of Bradley Manning's Article 32 pre-trial hearing, Lt. Colonel Paul Almanza, the investigating officer presiding over the hearing, permitted the government's request to remove journalists and the public from hearings set for today. An objection by PFC Manning's lead attorney, David Coombs, was noted in the record without any further action.
The Bradley Manning Support Network is deeply troubled by the imposition of an unexplained media blackout without any avenue for redress. The investigating officer has already prevented Manning's defense from considering internal administration assessments that found these materials did not pose a threat to national security. Now he is seeking to prevent journalists and the public from reporting on testimony related to materials that are already in the public domain. Notably, even members of the public who hold relevant security clearances are expected to be removed from viewing the proceedings. Amy Jacobsen of the Center for Constitutional Rights and cooperating counsel for WikiLeaks -- who holds the highest level of Top Secret security clearance -- is also expected to be denied entrance. We are concerned that representatives of unnamed "relevant government agencies" will be permitted to remain in the room. Lt. Col. Almanza should at a minimum be transparent about which government agencies he has deemed relevant to this matter. In particular, he needs to disclose whether he will permit representatives of the Department of Justice to remain in the room during the blackout. The Department of Justice is the investigating officer's permanent employer and is also conducting an ongoing investigation into WikiLeaks.
For more information on the appeal by the Center for Constitutional Rights to guarantee access to WikiLeaks attorneys:
https://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/ccr-appeals-denial-of-guaranteed-access-manning-hearing-wikileaks-attorneys
LATEST NEWS
'No More Money' for Israel, Says Sanders as Biden Official Privately Warns of Imminent Famine Declaration
"The U.S. cannot partner with a country that is starving children," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Apr 04, 2024
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to the news Wednesday that a top Biden administration official warned Israel of an imminent famine declaration in Gaza with one demand.
"No more money for Netanyahu," said the Vermont Independent senator, referring to right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Axiosreported Wednesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned Israeli officials in a virtual meeting earlier this week that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) could in the coming weeks declare a famine in Gaza, which would be only the third such declaration worldwide in the 21st century.
Famines were declared in South Sudan in 2017 and in Somalia in 2011—starvation crises that killed tens of thousands of people.
The IPC identified two of Gaza's five governorates as experiencing famine "with reasonable evidence" last month, but an official declaration for the enclave would represent a significant turning point in Israel's bombardment and blocking of aid in Gaza, Sullivan told the Israeli officials.
"Sullivan said it would be bad for Israel and for the U.S.," a source with direct knowledge of the meeting told Axios.
The national security adviser reportedly warned Israel that it would bear responsibility if a famine is declared—but Sanders noted that as the top international funder of Israel's military, the Biden administration would also be to blame.
"The U.S. cannot partner with a country that is starving children," said the senator.
As Oxfam reported Wednesday, people in northern Gaza, where about 300,000 Palestinians are believed to be trapped, are now subsisting on 245 calories per day—less than a can of beans and about 12% of the recommended daily intake to prevent malnutrition.
For Gaza's population of 2.2 million people, Oxfam found that the food deliveries allowed into Gaza since October have allowed Palestinians there to consume an average of just 41% of the daily calories needed per person.
"Israel is making deliberate choices to starve civilians. Imagine what it is like, not only to be trying to survive on 245 calories day in, day out, but also having to watch your children or elderly relatives do the same. All whilst displaced, with little to no access to clean water or a toilet, knowing most medical support has gone and under the constant threat of drones and bomb," said Amitabh Behar, international executive director of Oxfam. "All countries need to immediately stop supplying arms to Israel and do all they can to secure an immediate and permanent cease-fire; only then can we stop this horrifying carnage for the 2.2 million people who have endured six months of suffering."
Israel has denied Gaza is facing starvation and an imminent famine, even as it has blocked food aid and fired on crowds of Palestinians waiting to receive relief deliveries.
On Wednesday, as international outrage grew over Israel's killing of seven aid workers with U.S.-based nonprofit World Central Kitchen as they were delivering food in Gaza, the New York Times reported that the U.S. State Department is currently pushing Congress to approve the sale of as many as 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel, among other military support. The Biden administration has approved weapons transfers without congressional approval since October, directly aiding Israel in attacks that have killed at least 33,037 people.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Alabama Republicans Try to 'Criminalize Librarians Simply for Doing Their Jobs'
"Not only is this wrong, it's also unconstitutional. You are not protecting children; you are protecting extremists who are trying to dismantle the very foundations of my country."
Apr 03, 2024
The Alabama Library Association and other critics on Wednesday called out the state's Republican policymakers for pushing a new bill that opponents warn will unfairly jail librarians and have a chilling impact on collections.
House Bill 385, introduced Tuesday by state Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-43) and 30 other legislators, says that "under existing law, certain obscenity laws do not apply to public libraries, public school libraries, college libraries, or university libraries, or the employees or agents of any such libraries."
"This bill would provide that these criminal obscenity laws do not apply to college or university libraries or their employees or agents, but do apply to public libraries, public school libraries, and their employees or agents," the legislation continues.
H.B. 385 would also add the following language to the definition of sexual conduct: "Any sexual or gender-oriented material that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and other public places where minors are expected and are known to be present without parental consent."
"This bill is government overreach, robs parents of their rights, and would have a chilling effect on free speech by potentially incarcerating librarians because particular books are available, including even the Bible."
Matthew Layne, president of the Alabama Library Association, declared that "the message is clear—don't arrest Alabama librarians and stop turning our libraries into political battlefields. Montgomery politicians are now seeking to criminalize librarians simply for doing their jobs."
"Under H.B. 385, public and school librarians could be penalized or even arrested by prosecutors eager to follow the demands of Alabama Republican Chair John Wahl, an Alabama Public Library Service Board member, who's willing to jail librarians for having books he considers unacceptable," Layne said. "This bill is government overreach, robs parents of their rights, and would have a chilling effect on free speech by potentially incarcerating librarians because particular books are available, including even the Bible."
EveryLibrary, which says it is "the nation's first and only political action committee for libraries," has created a webpage where Alabama residents can send a pre-written message to their state representatives, urging them to oppose H.B. 385.
"I am one of your constituents and I want to know why Alabama lawmakers think jailing librarians and chilling free speech is a winnable argument," the message begins. Under H.B., 385, public and school libraries would be stripped [of] their obscenity exemption as extremists try to penalize them for having LGBTQ-affirming content, claiming sexually explicit material is available to children."
"That is false but unsurprising since Clean Up Alabama and Moms for Liberty signaled this as their master plan from the very beginning," the message continues, noting right-wing groups that have spearheaded national book-banning efforts in recent years.
PEN America found that from July 2021 to June 2023, there were at least 5,894 instances of book bans across 41 states and 247 public school districts. The group said last year that "Florida and Texas have continued to lead the country in number of bans, but the crisis has spread to 41 states."
EveryLibrary's message to Alabama lawmakers points out that a federal judge last year blocked enforcement of a similar Arkansas law criminalizing librarians and booksellers who provide minors with materials deemed "harmful" as the legal challenge moves through the courts.
"Stripping public and school libraries is a brazen attempt to chill free speech and deprive tax-paying American citizens like me of my right to choose reading material for my children, and academic freedom and privacy for minors, who enjoy a measure of First Amendment rights," the message argues. "It also gives the most extremist parents, politicians, and school administrators undue power to restrict my access to information."
"Not only is this wrong, it's also unconstitutional," the message adds. "You are not protecting children; you are protecting extremists who are trying to dismantle the very foundations of my country."
The introduction of H.B. 385 comes as Alabama residents are already outraged by public library policy changes proposed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey.
As AL.comreported last week: "According to the Alabama Public Library Service, Alabamians had submitted 416 public comments as of Monday, and 399 are opposed to adopting the administrative code changes Ivey proposed after fears of 'inappropriate content' for children sparked a wave of book challenges statewide. The public comment period ends April 29."
Keep ReadingShow Less
80+ Groups Urge Biden to 'Reverse Course Before Thousands More Die' in Gaza
"Risking your presidential legacy and the reputation of our nation around the world to enable the Netanyahu government's genocide has been a disastrous decision."
Apr 03, 2024
More than 80 U.S. Muslim, Palestinian, and allied groups on Wednesday implored President Joe Biden to pursue a "concrete change in policy" that includes the suspension of arms transfers to Israel as it wages a genocidal war on Gaza.
"The National Security Memorandum on Safeguards and Accountability With Respect to Transferred Defense Articles and Defense Services prohibits our government from transferring arms to nations that violate international law or obstruct U.S. humanitarian aid," the groups wrote in a letter to the U.S. president. "Furthermore, the Leahy Law forbids our government from providing military assistance to military units in foreign nations involved in human rights abuses."
"Despite overwhelming evidence that the far-right Netanyahu government has spent months engaging in such abuses by blocking access to humanitarian aid and indiscriminately bombing civilians across Gaza, your administration has claimed that Israel is complying with U.S. laws," the letter states, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The groups called the Biden administration's claim of Israeli legal compliance "simply put, false."
The letter continues:
The Israeli government's bombing campaign, which you have described as "indiscriminate" in private, has slaughtered over 32,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The Israeli army has also obstructed humanitarian aid deliveries, allowed settlers to block aid trucks, massacred Palestinians gathering to collect aid, and assassinated Palestinians charged with coordinating aid deliveries.
Just this week, the Israeli military deliberately attacked three different clearly marked vehicles in a World Central Kitchen convoy, killing seven foreign aid workers—including an American citizen.
"We knew early on that the Israeli government would deliberately and systematically commit war crimes during its military invasion of Gaza because Israeli officials openly promised to do so," the groups wrote, highlighting some of the sanguinary statements made by the country's leaders following the October 7 attacks.
"It is obvious to every neutral observer that the Israeli government has spent the past five months acting on those ominous, genocidal words," the letter says. "In January, the International Court of Justice released a preliminary ruling deeming South Africa's accusation of genocide against the Israeli government plausible. On March 26, the United Nations' special rapporteur on Palestine released a report which identified 'reasonable grounds' to assert that Israel is perpetrating genocide in Gaza."
"Your administration's plan to certify Israel's compliance with U.S. requirements despite these clear facts is both unlawful and morally indefensible," the signers argued. "As former State Department official Annelle Shelline said after resigning, 'To say this when Israel is preventing the adequate entrance of humanitarian aid and the U.S. is being forced to airdrop to starving Gazans, this finding makes a mockery of the administration's claims to care about the law or the fate of innocent Palestinians.'"
The letter's signers are asking Biden to:
- Recognize that the Israeli government's actions in Gaza violate U.S. law and your national security memorandum;
- Suspend the transfer of all weapons to the Israeli government as required by U.S. law and your national security memorandum;
- Use American leverage to secure an immediate, permanent cease-fire, the unimpeded opening of all land crossings to humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages and political prisoners, and the reconstruction of Gaza; and
- Pursue a just and lasting peace through an end to the Israeli occupation and apartheid policies.
"The American people do not want a change in rhetoric. The American people want a concrete change in policy," the letter concludes. "Risking your presidential legacy and the reputation of our nation around the world to enable the Netanyahu government's genocide has been a disastrous decision. We implore you to reverse course before thousands more die."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular