Bradley Manning's Life Behind Bars

by Denver Nicks

December 17, 2010 | 6:36am

Bradley Manning, who allegedly leaked hundreds of thousands of secret government documents to Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks, turns 23 in jail Friday. The Daily Beast’s Denver Nicks, in an exclusive interview with Manning’s attorney, reports on his solitary confinement, what he’s reading (from George W. Bush to Howard Zinn), and his legal strategy.

The last time Bradley Manning saw the world outside of a jail, most Americans had never heard of WikiLeaks. On Friday, Manning, the man whose alleged unauthorized release of hundreds of thousands of classified documents put the website and its controversial leader, Julian Assange, on the map, turns 23 behind bars. Since his arrest in May, Manning has spent most of his 200-plus days in solitary confinement. Other than receiving a card and some books from his family, his birthday will be no different. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, his attorney, David Coombs, revealed key details about Manning’s imprisonment and kind gestures from his family that provided a bit of comfort in the inmate's otherwise extremely harsh incarceration.

“They’re thinking about him on his birthday, that they love and support him,” Coombs said of Manning's family and the card his mother, father, sister and aunt passed along via the lawyer on Wednesday. “They wish they could be with him on his day, but they are not allowed because visitation is only on Saturday and Sunday, and a family member would be going down to see him on Saturday.” Coombs passed a message to Manning from his aunt on behalf of the family; Manning, the lawyer says, asked Coombs to tell his aunt he loved her and wishes he could be with her as well.

Manning asked for a list of books, which his family bought for him and will be delivered over the next few weeks to coincide with his birthday and Christmas. On the list?

• Decision Points, by George W. Bush
• Critique of Practical Reason, by Immanuel Kant
• Critique of Pure Reason, by Immanuel Kant 
• Propaganda, by Edward Bernays
• The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins
• A People’s History of the United States, by Howard Zinn
• The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
• The Good Soldiers, by David Finkel
• On War by Gen. Carl von Clausewitz

Manning is being held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Virginia. He spends 23 hours a day alone in a standard-sized cell, with a sink, a toilet, and a bed. He isn’t allowed sheets or a pillow, though First Lieutenant Brian Villiard, an officer at Quantico, said he is allowed bedding of “non-shreddable” material. “I’ve held it, I’ve felt it, it’s soft, I’d sleep under it,” he told The Daily Beast.

He isn’t allowed to exercise (Quantico officials dispute this), but he has started stretching and practicing yoga.

For an hour every day, a television is wheeled in front of his cell and he’s allowed to watch TV, including news, though usually local news, Coombs told The Daily Beast. He is allowed to read the news as well. Courtesy of Coombs, Manning now has a subscription to his favorite magazine, Scientific American. The November “Hidden Worlds of Dark Matter” issue was his first.

The conditions under which Bradley Manning is being held would traumatize anyone (see Salon’s Glenn Greenwald for a rundown of the legal and psychological issues associated with extended solitary confinement). He lives alone in a small cell, denied human contact. He is forced to wear shackles when outside of his cell, and when he meets with the few people allowed to visit him, they sit with a glass partition between them. The only person other than prison officials and a psychologist who has spoken to Manning face to face is his attorney, who says the extended isolation—now more than seven months of solitary confinement—is weighing on his client’s psyche.

Getty Images; AP Photo

When he was first arrested, Manning was put on suicide watch, but his status was quickly changed to “Prevention of Injury” watch (POI), and under this lesser pretense he has been forced into his life of mind-numbing tedium. His treatment is harsh, punitive and taking its toll, says Coombs.

There is no evidence he’s a threat to himself, and shouldn’t be held in such severe conditions under the artifice of his own protection.

“The command is basing this treatment of him solely on the nature of the pending charges, and on an unrelated incident where a service member in the facility took his own life,” Coombs said, referencing the February suicide of a marine captain in the Quantico brig. Coombs says he believes Quantico officials are keeping Manning under close watch with strict limitations on his activity out of an overabundance of caution. Both Coombs and Manning’s psychologist, Coombs says, are sure Manning is mentally healthy, that there is no evidence he’s a threat to himself, and shouldn’t be held in such severe conditions under the artifice of his own protection.

Manning faces a military court-martial on charges of providing WikiLeaks with classified information in violation of theUniform Code of Military Justice.

His future remains uncertain. Rep John Conyers (D-MI), in Thursday's congressional hearing on WikiLeaks, called for calm and a measured response to the new challenges the whistleblower's site presents to the future of governance. "When everyone in this town is joined together calling for someone's head, it's a pretty sure sign that we need to slow down and take a look."

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) followed with a call for punishment. “I have no sympathy for the alleged thief in this situation,” Poe said, insisting the source of the leak, whoever it is, be held responsible. “He’s no better than a Texas pawn shop dealer that deals in stolen merchandise and sells it to the highest bidder.”

Manning’s fate will be determined over the following months. What is clear today is that he’s being held in extraordinarily harsh conditions—notably harsher than Bryan Minkyu Martin, the naval intelligence specialist who allegedly tried to sell military secrets to an undercover FBI agent, and is currently being held awaiting trial, though not in solitary confinement. Manning, who has been convicted of nothing, has spent the better part of a year incommunicado, living the life of a man convicted of a heinous crime. Coombs challenges the legality of what he says is “unlawful pretrial punishment.” He is working to lift the POI restrictions placed on his client.

Denver Nicks is an editorial assistant at The Daily Beast.

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COMMENTS

andrewzahn

"the US Military's ideas on what constitutes due process are a tad idiosyncratic."

So, have you served in the U.S. military? Or are you just making derogatory, superficial comments based on a lack of first-hand experience? I'm in the Army Reserves and I can tell you that justice in the military is a completely different beast from civilian courts. The bottom line is that Manning exploited his secret clearance to steal information and distribute it to a foreign entity. Oh and before you bring up Guantanamo again, remember that Bush and his ilk were responsible for creating unclear directives, not the U.S. military.

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12:47 am, Dec 18, 2010

Loki77

This " poor soul" committed treason. His actions endangered lives. Perhaps his 'torment" will be short lived. After his conviction he deserves execution.

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7:40 am, Dec 17, 2010

purenordic

absolutely wrong. he has not endangered one life. does he deserve execution for exposing the lies of our government...which led us into two wars of questionable (at best) benefit and cost this country debts, in money and manpower, that we may never recover from? no more than scooter libby...who did endanger lives. you have your facts entirely wrong...too much fixed news must have fried your brain. oh, and when will you be going down to your local recruiting station to volunteer for duty in afghanistan?

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10:31 am, Dec 17, 2010

isabella

purenordic

You don't know if lives were endangered or not. He didn't know or care whether he put Americans in danger and his loyalty is not to the country he swore to protect. Unless he is really stupid, which seems unlikely, he knew the penalty for treason when he decided to rat on the US.

As for "the lies" that led us into two wars, you don't know that either. The people concerned acted on official information later found to be wrong. The Obama administration is rare in that some of its people wish to retrospectively criminalize such decisions by their predecessors. It seems Obama himself has gone cold on that idea. Maybe because he will be the next ex-Pres and his decisions will be under the microscope of hindsight. Whoops!

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12:53 pm, Dec 17, 2010

Cpriestess

Isabella what he swore to protect was the Constitution, if anyone really fought for truth they would start looking at how what he and the others passed on, shows that the government is violating the Constitution. But frankly NO one has the guts to open that can of worms.
The dominoes that would fall with that investigation would surprise you.

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1:39 pm, Dec 17, 2010

Ihatecspan

First off, yeah he did endanger lives. We had to move a heck of a lot of Iraqis and Afghans out of their homes after this because the Wiki guys were not very thorough with the first wave of documents that hit and redacting all names and location giveaways. They have been since then when the State Department showed them exactly how much damage they had caused and that's why Wikileaks asked the State Department for help in redacting future leaks. Not that we did, but Wiki has been better about it since.

And again, had he only released documents that showed where people were violating the constitution then I'd be all for protecting him and defending him. But that's not what he did. He grabbed every piece of intel he could, regardless of what the intel said, and dumped it into the hands of basically every foreign power out there. Because as Wikileaks puts it out there so too does those intelligence services have access to them. That's rocketing past whistle blower and landing in treason land. He has caused massive damage to our diplomats around the world. That affects how well they can do their job. That affects how much information they can get. That affect how much a foreign power will be willing to help us when we need help. Lionize him if you want, but to me he's someone who at best didn't think through what he was doing and at worse decided to attack our government and its ability to function from within.

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7:55 pm, Dec 17, 2010

TommyD1of11

I do hope that he is charged not just with espionage but also treason. Manning is fully entitled to proper due process. If convicted of treason, then the death penalty would be absolutely appropriate. Let's not forget that by releasing the wikileaks, Manning effectively issued a death penalty for many, many others. Libs pretend this is not true, but they are wrong.

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10:39 am, Dec 17, 2010

YearsLaterXXI

Tommy which is the bigger injustice. To keep this war going for political posturing ,not for humanitarian causes.Not for any reason the country wants. Since afghans have no idea why we are there,the trillions in waste and fraud go to killers and drug dealers and others. How long does this pretend war, now hiring CONTRACTORS. Is there an age limit to join?Is there a place to sign up in ?Because the pay is tremendous, since this country offers no buss opportunities or real growth,Then we will be writing about the atroccities of the contractrors hired by the US paid fortunes for what?What is the goal of the war?What is the outcome.?To fill up all the bank deposits in Swiss?I heard this morning something about Pakistan, so NO ONE takes up the cause of women noses cut off, a woman being killed for blasphemy,and why on earth do we have anything to do with anybody there. Just to keep all those salaries and war games, going in Wash.?So On Christmas,when all of Wash is hugging their loved ones opening up gifts others are vacationing skiing in Colorado dancing drinking,the soldiers are left in a G-d forsaken land away from their own,for what reason.? A war where Empires go to Die.? But they will keep it going because it is no ones children"s dying there. No one important. So he (Manning)reads, he is not like everyone says poor ignorant,or uneducated,that is what is told in all the big parties.Did he get paid millions and billions?What was his profit for all this?We are living in a world where we the US no longer can tell anyone what to do. there are other superpowers watching and waiting.Where we borrow the chinese dollars to give to who?and the afghans sell their resources to the chinese.and we pay them billions and bankrupt our countryI am NO lib. I believe if attacked you strike back and destroy and defend your country with a vengance ot rebuilding its bridges roads schools giving the money to the wrong ,people,.War is ugly horrandeous and should be fought for existence,survival,not for a mistake gone wrong. Iraq destroyed this country.When the VN soldiers returned they were spit on.We are in another era, we have no business, anywhere but in our homeland.Rebuilding restructuring focusing,and protecting our home. send checks to all american families, Karzai is loaded and all his cronies and IraqYes he will pay for treason and espionage, and he did it,but what about this wasted war, just stays on just because.That is the real travesty.!!Who pays for continuing to allow this to go on.The human toll on our troops.?For no reason.No reason. No purpose.No goal. Just let it continue,until,someday

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2:13 pm, Dec 17, 2010

miketherevelator

Libs in the Pentagon? I think not. They have said nobody has been harmed by any of the leaks. Even after their shouting and accusing. For men like Gates and Mullen to accuse innocent men of having blood on their hands after the botched unnecessary wars that have led to the deaths of so many innocent civilians and our troops is a lot of gall. For Obama and Holder to overlook the war crimes of the previous administration, lying us into needless wars and okaying torture and indefinite detention and black sites and black ops, but then spend weeks trying to find something to charge Assange with is a disgusting show of where or government is today. Squarely in the camp of oppressive authoritarian-surveillance governments we've supposedly been at odds with all these years.
As is the hue and cry over the release of he diplomat cables. This country has become the polar opposite of what it claims to be, it's just another empire run by greed, power, secrets and might makes right. This has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with the power structure thinking they have the right to start wars, police the world, and steal other's national resources and then lie to friend, foe and citizen alike.
Exactly what we've always condemned places like the USSR and China for doing. And when a Chinese is imprisoned while fighting for democracy and transparency we're all for him and so indignant that a country would do that. Well,now we're doing it. He's a whistle blower, except it's way beyond showing money wasted or using cheap parts -- it's about the future of this country. Does the oligarchy make all decisions and lie to us about every single thing, even the stuff that doesn't matter? Or are We the PEOPLE really able to hold these thugs accountable? You prefer it the way it is, many of us do not.
Manning and Assange are heroes by any definition. If you want to cast your lot with the government, that's your business, but when what you say or do is a problem to the 1 percent of this country who run things and they come to lock you up with no habeus corpus or detention restrictions, remember where it started.
40 years ago this would have been all about Commies, now it's Muslims and so-called terrorists, don't be so sure in a decade or two it won't be some group you're affiliated with. It's like imperialism, once governments get a taste of oppressing their dissidents, they can't stop after just one.
By ignoring what's being done to Manning who was concerned with all of us, you're giving the government the a-ok to do whatever it wants in the future. Just think of the G-20 in Pittsburgh two years ago or the FBI's raid on anti-war groups as a foretaste of what they want.

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2:17 pm, Dec 17, 2010

Cpriestess

Well done Beast for at least bringing this to your readers' attention. This is who America really is, unfortunately. There is no presumption of innocence when humiliation of the government is involved. There is also no logical thought, there is simply vengeance. that is what is being sought here and anyone who thinks otherwise isn't paying attention.

For too long the government has treated the American people like the proverbial mushroom, they have kept us in the dark and fed us manure. I hope it has not gone on so long that we will not wake up to the truth that we are responsible for abuses committed by them.

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8:08 am, Dec 17, 2010

smartthinking

Priestess - if you had any sense of what you're talking about, you'd sew your lips shut and glue your typing fingers together. In the military, you're presumed guilty until proven innocent. That's the way it's been since this country created a military and the way it still is today, only with better defense lawyers. You've been watching too many old Perry Mason reruns, babycakes. This kid's a self-indulged, pampered slug with monumental delusions of grandeur and he's gonna pay a huge price for his treasonous actions. He deserves every pebble of the landslide of shit the government is getting ready to pile upon him if for no other reason than to demonstrate, as an example, what happens when you turn on your country. This is a teachable moment for the military and for those like you who think this government is the enemy. Grow a brain or leave our shores, priestess. Since "This is who America really is, according to your twisted sense of fairness, I'll bet S. Korea or Venezuela would just love to discuss your ideas of fairness with you.

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8:56 am, Dec 17, 2010

Cpriestess

This is who our government is Smart guy, sorry I was not more careful with my phrasing, And if you are so aware then you really should be noticing that we are bearing more resemblance to those countries every day. With a hat tip to communist Russia.
The sad thing is I am considering your suggestion and have been for a while. I don't want to because I know how blessed I have been to be born here and learn to think here.
But the fact is here isn't the same place I grew up in. Hard work and creative thinking don't get you ahead, they get your wallet sucked dry to support those who don't work. Schools don't teach you how to think, they teach you how to apply condoms. And how to be a good little sheepie.

And say what you like my friend a government who lies to its people about what its foreign policy is and kisses the asses of dictators unwilling to fight their own battles, while setting up its youth to fight unwinnable wars in the service of amorphous principles is an enemy.
It is only a teachable moment for those who are willing to start from the
truth.
I stand corrected about one thing, in the military you are indeed guilty until proven innocent.

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9:27 am, Dec 17, 2010

This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.

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9:38 am, Dec 17, 2010

Cpriestess

One other thing about the military, smarty pants (and this i know from personal experience) the military LOVES scapegoats! Anyone who believes that Bradley Manning did this alone is an idiot. But if they bury him and blame him no one will find the OFFICER that really did the skullduggery. Because no one will ask the right questions.

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9:42 am, Dec 17, 2010

smartthinking

Priestess -- if I get your suggestion below, you're contemplating leaving this country because you disagree with its principles. Yeah. You and other misguided subversive slugs like Lee Harvey Oswald. One thing before you go. Please, please email me with an address where I can send bon voyage flowers. I say, Good Riddance, and please, don't let the door swat you in your fanny on your way out. Just don't be an Oswald and try to come back once you find out what restrictive shitholes most other countries are once you get there and spout the inane bile this country allows you the right to spew over website threads like this one. I guess one just has to live in really crappy countries to honestly appreciate all the incredible freedoms we enjoy here. Hopefully, you'll get the chance to find out. Then you can begin the process of appreciating what you gave up, hopefully, from a distance.

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10:01 am, Dec 17, 2010

Bagbabe53

Totally agree; am Army vet with JAG officer daughter in Army NG. I also like Rev Pettibone's suggestion of the Taliban prisoner exchange! Noticed this guy is from Potomac, MD, a chichi DC suburb with lots of spoiled rich kids. No doubt Mommy and Daddy have hired a great defense lawyer.

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10:51 am, Dec 17, 2010

purenordic

smallthinking tries again to graduate from kindergarten with another failing paragraph/essay (for him or her).

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10:52 am, Dec 17, 2010

sangha774

smartthinking(not really):

Those who trust the most are the most easily duped, sucker.

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10:58 am, Dec 17, 2010

sangha774

smartthinking:

'Cpriestess' is right. Why do you think so many Americans want Islamic terrorist to be tried by a military court? Answer: because the chances of conviction are greater than in a civilian court. But, you know this already.

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11:01 am, Dec 17, 2010

sangha774

smartthinking:

You've now firmly established that you're not really smart. Smart people think for themselves. Oswald? Can you be sure it was Oswald and only Oswald. You can't.

"...all the incredible freedoms we have here?" If you were not such an insular American you'd know that similar freedoms exists in many countries throughout the world. America is not the only "land of the free and home of the brave". If you weren't so close-minded, you'd already know this.

You're very aggressive which means that your capacity to think for yourself is further diminished.

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11:10 am, Dec 17, 2010

Cornelius

It is entertaining to see statements of "class warfare" against the "rich" coming from the Right as long as it fits into their twisted world view.

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11:35 am, Dec 17, 2010

eurydice9276

Cpriestess - before you decide to leave, I'd recommend pushing away from the computer and the on-line world of political junkies who magnify every ill beyond proportion and going out into the world to talk to real human beings. You might find out in that real world that people don't have time for political talking points like "wallet sucked dry" and "sheeple" and "schools don't teach you how to think." That kind of talk actually discourages thinking.

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12:53 pm, Dec 17, 2010

YearsLaterXXI

smart, we agree he is going to pay should pay and will pay. Now what about this G-d forsaken wasted war with no reson or cause or goal.? Think karzai and crew have enough of the US chinese borrowed money yet.?terrorism will continue because the masses will be opressed and have no idea what we are doing there.Again, the reason to fight, and we would all do it,is to protect our homeland,survival the days of cacamanie political stuck in wastefull wars should have ended already.What is the purpose.?Is there no work if we bring those soldiers home.?Now ,hiring the contractors,wow, we must be rolling in dough ?they do not come cheap. they do what the army will not, and all this for ?????????????But this is the greatest country on earth, where at one point it led the world. it will no longer continue being the super power it was, where others no longer care to visit and bring olympics,where others no longer, think they know what they are doing. A country that outsourced its businesses,broke all dreams, let political leaders with others run it to the ground and continue,to let a wasted war,with unfunded money continue. God Bless the USA always for all we have given the world others and taught, Lets see who will help the Us someday?. See the polls 13% approval of all politicians,and others No trust no confidence no respect that they know how to lead us foward.Not anti govt. no way, but they dumped us along the way taking care of their own.SO when does this war end.?Cut the whole wash team 30%,,they need to pay for all,their usage and perks,and benefits,consolidate agencies,cut all this war group its over finish it, yeaterday,educate, retrain and grow this country again.And someday if attacked again, we retaliate like the USA we were supposed to be.Not give trillions,and get in bed with enemies. BagBabe, so this one was a Spoiled Wash Kid.?Gee and everyone wealthy well of,in politics in wallstreeet,think only the poor and uneducated and slow learners and minorities fight.go figure.?Anyway the Dem were supp to be diff than Bush. We have everything the same.

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2:40 pm, Dec 17, 2010

Cpriestess

eurydice, I am just watching right now, hoping that we will find our way back to the country I grew up in. i do the best I can to move us in that direction, whether it is donating to food pantries, or helping friends who are struggling or expressing my thoughts in a forum like the Beast.
my goal is to be the change, at least one personal good deed every day.
But I have deep concerns because it strikes me that the lack of integrity in our government branches is snowballing. And it is clear to me that the political class is the embodiment of "The Me generation".
My daughter's public school was an educational disgrace, and now we are beginning to see how two faced our government is on a day to day basis.
Combine that with personal experience of the futility and danger of whistle-blowing and it has crossed my mind that life in a surf shack in Costa Rica looks pretty sweet.
I still remain hopeful, but I am certainly more wary than I used to be.

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2:49 pm, Dec 17, 2010

eurydice9276

Cpriestess - good for you. I'm glad to hear it when people are trying to solve problems instead of just bitching about the,. Costa Rica is a lovely place and I'm sure you could have a lovely life there.

Maybe I'm looking at the US from the view of someone who lived in many other countries before settling here, but I find the US to be much more open than other places I've been. with many more opportunities. Granted, the recent economic problems have put a dent in that, but that's true in other countries, too. As for the US becoming more two-faced, I don't think so. My father was a senior intelligence officer for the Joint Chiefs and the stuff that went on behind the scenes wasn't any different than now - it's just that now we hear about it more.

Where I see a difference and it bothers me greatly is the changes we've undergone since 9/11. The fact of it was a shock, but Bush was exactly the wrong person to be able to guide us through a trauma like that. You're right about the "me generation" - it's like the way survivors hoard stuff during and after a war.

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8:15 pm, Dec 17, 2010