海角大神

The Pentagon pushed back Friday against news reports that accuse the US military of mistreating the soldier charged with stealing sensitive and classified documents and giving them to the WikiLeaks website, calling the allegations 鈥渂latantly false.鈥�

The renewed scrutiny into the treatment of Private First Class Bradley Manning, including whether he is being held in solitary confinement, comes on the heels of recent reports like one that ran Wednesday in Salon.com, charging that 鈥淢anning has been subjected for many months without pause to inhuman, personality-erasing, soul-destroying, insanity-inducing conditions of isolation.鈥�

Even as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from jail Thursday to an estate outside of London to await an extradition hearing, critics argue that Manning鈥檚 confinement has been largely ignored.

Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, says his organization has not investigated Manning鈥檚 detention. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e really looked into that,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 really tell you that we know how he鈥檚 being treated based on any assessment.鈥�

Manning was arrested in May and held at a detention center in Kuwait before being transferred to the Quantico Marine Corps base brig in Virginia five months ago. According to the military charge sheet filed on May 29, Manning is accused of having "unauthorized possession of photographs relating to the national defense, to wit: a classified video of a military operation filmed at or near Baghdad ... and did willfully communicate, deliver and transmit the video ... to a person not entitled to receive it." He is also accused of "knowingly exceed[ing[ his authorized access on a secret Internet Protocol Router network computer." He is awaiting trial.

The Pentagon denies that Manning is being held in solitary confinement. True, a Pentagon spokesman says, Manning is being held alone in a cell. 鈥淏ut just being in a cell by yourself doesn鈥檛 constitute solitary confinement,鈥� says Col. Dave Lapan.

鈥淗e is surrounded by other people鈥� in adjacent cells, Lapan argues, adding that Manning is also able to hear talking and other voices from his cell.

Manning can watch television for one hour per day and read newspapers, military officials say. Lapan added that he is not certain whether Manning is being provided blankets, sheets, or pillows 鈥� items that are sometimes denied to prisoners on suicide watch.

In a statement from the Quantico Marine Corps base information office, the military further elaborated on Manning鈥檚 treatment as a 鈥渕aximum custody detainee鈥� 鈥� in other words, as a prisoner held in maximum security.

鈥淧fc. Manning, as well as every other maximum custody detainee, is allotted approximately one hour of television per day,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淗e may view any of the available channels. Viewing time may fluctuate slightly depending on the number of detainees being held at the time, but each detainee will be allotted an equal amount.鈥�

The statement, entitled 鈥淪afety and Security = Job #1 at the Brig,鈥� and written in response to charges that Manning is being mistreated, asserts that Manning is allowed to converse with other prisoners 鈥渁s long as the conversation does not interfere with good order and discipline.鈥�

In response to questions about how much time Manning gets outside his cell everyday, marines at Quantico鈥檚 prison say he is 鈥渁llotted one hour of recreation time per day, as is every other maximum custody detainee.鈥�

Depending on the weather, this recreation time may be indoors or outdoors. 鈥淎ctivities may include calisthenics, running, basketball, etc.,鈥� according to the statement.

It also addresses the charge that Manning is being held in cruel conditions 鈥� specifically, that he is not allowed to exercise in his room. 鈥淣o detainees are allowed to exercise in their cell. As a matter of safety, all exercise must be supervised.鈥�

As to whether Manning gets sheets and blankets, the marines at Quantico allowed only that Manning 鈥渋s issued adequate bedding.鈥�

The statement emphasizes that a 鈥渕aximum custody detainee鈥� receives some of the same privileges as the general population, including sending and receiving mail and visitations. Manning also gets one hour of television, a 鈥渉ygiene call, reading and outside physical activity without restraint.鈥�

Maximum security prisoners are under constant supervision due to a 鈥渉igh probability of escape.鈥� This includes 鈥渢hose likely to be dangerous or violent, and those whose escape would cause concern of a threat to life, property, or national security.鈥�

Mr. Malinowski of Human Rights Watch says questions he would have regarding Manning鈥檚 treatment is, 鈥淒o the lights go out at night? Is he being held in conditions that are conducive to sleeping at night, or does it seem they are trying to deny him that?鈥�

If Manning is denied bedding, or forced to sleep with lights on, or on 鈥渁 hard bed that is impossible to lie on, then that would suggest that they would be surreptitiously trying to keep him from sleeping,鈥� Malinowski says. 鈥淎nd that is insanity-inducing.鈥�