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State of Play- Guardian/mainstream media attack 'Assange Is Bad','Manning Is Mad'

Ciaron - Giuseppe Conlon House, London Catholic Worker | 11.06.2011 19:29

In England,the left liberal (this maybe not the ideology of those who run this rag, but they definitely know their niche market!) Guardian/ Observer continue to run an "ASSANGE IS BAD, MANNING IS IN MAD"

In the U.S., Manning is being pitched pre-trial as an angry gay man seeking retribution on society.

Last weekend Iraq veterans and others made their way to Leavenworth, Kansas, USA...where Bradley has been moved after failure to break him over the past 12 months under torture at Quantico (Virginia). Leavenworth is a town of 20,000 in Kansas contains 5 prisons (2 military, 3 civilian). It is located about an hour drive from Kansas City, Missouri. I spoke by phone last night to an organiser who attended the Leavenworth demonstration.

Presently the best hunch of solidarity organisers in the U.S. is that
Pre-Trial will be in 6-8 weeks from now
Trial likely in Dec-Jan
Trial should last 2 1/2 months
Pre-trial & trial will be held near D.C.

David House (tv interview below)
 http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/12/23/video-david...tion/
has been subpeoned to appear before the WikiLaks Grand Jury that has been sitting in Virginia for some time. No luck thus far on their fishing expedition.

My understanding of Grand Jury is that you are granted immunity under questioning and have your "right to remain silent" taken from you. If you refuse to answer any question you can be held for 2 years by the Feds for "contempt of the Grand Jury". This was used against the Puerto Rican independence movement activists extensively in the '80's. I was in Oklahoma Prison with a young Italian American held in contempt of GJ who had refused to answer questions about his uncle accused of Mafia activity. I was told that after the two years they can call together a new Grand Jury and put you through the process again. Last year, across the U.S., there were a series of raids of anti-war activists some who had visited Palestine with ISM last year - the same tactic is being deployed against them.

Meanwhile in England Assange remains isolated from any support
- free speech advocate, the anarchist scee have not uttered a word
- exposed the nature of the war, besides minimal initial abulance chasing by SWP/ ex SWP "Stop the War"
- along with Manning, heading to jail for a life time in the (mistaken) belief that if only people knew the nature of these wars they would at least talk about a little more, if not take action against it. But in England over these long ten years civilian and military resisters are left pretty isolated. So no changes there!

The footage below contains interviews with veterans responding to the present U.S. mainstream media character assasinations on Bradley Manning.

Vid- Leavenworth Demo for Manning (8 mins)
(footage, interviews with veterans and others)
 http://www.queerty.com/what-is-the-media-not-telling-us...0610/

Julian Assange goes to his High Court Appeal in London against extradition on July 12 & 13.
Tie to speak out and act up in solidarity with Brad and Julian and all resisting these wars!

Ciaron - Giuseppe Conlon House, London Catholic Worker
- Homepage: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org/

Comments

Display the following 5 comments

  1. manning yes, assange no — feminist boy
  2. Response to 'feminist boy' — Ciaron (Irish Australian) - Giuseppe Conlon House, London Catholic Worker
  3. UPDATE on U.S. Wkileaks Grand Jury...more subpeonas, explanation of how Grand Ju — WikiLeaks U.S. Grand Jury Update
  4. Gil Scott Heron: Work for Peace — Gil Scott Heron
  5. Nobel peace prize — Nicola