Whistle-Blower Chelsea Manning Facing “Indefinite” Torture In Prison
By Robert Barsocchini
13 August, 2015
Countercurrents.org
Sure, Obama is a torturer and protector and supporter of other torturers.
But when he and other members of his cadre, such as John Kerry, have put on their best “trust me” grins and told Edward Snowden to come on home, you’ll get one of our famous “fair trials”, and we promise not to torture you, it somewhat weakens their position when they simultaneously threaten to torture whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, whom they already have in their clutches, “indefinitely”.
Chelsea Manning is now facing indefinite solitary confinement for the alleged harrowing misdeeds of “swep[ing] food on the floor in the dining area”, having some books, and having “outdated toothpaste”.
Amnesty International defines solitary confinement as “torture”, and notes “The USA stands virtually alone in the world in incarcerating thousands of prisoners in longterm or indefinite solitary confinement”, and “psychological harm … can result from isolating people even for relatively brief periods.” Manning has already been illegally tortured in prison for months, damaging her health.
The journal New Scientist finds that psychological torture is “as bad as physical torture”, and points out that “US Senator John McCain, who experienced torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has said that if he were forced to make a decision between enduring psychological or physical torture, he would not hesitate to pick the latter.”
Surely, Snowden will be jumping on the next plane back.
But if not, no doubt the guilt will soon do him in. How can he stand to go on living while some people in the US think he deserves to be punished?
Author focuses on force dynamics, national and global. Twittter @_DirtyTruths
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