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In Manning's case, he was delivered to the Marines, famous for their hard-headed determination to follow orders and to get the job done. So, his jailers took Manning's clothes away and made him stand naked, supposedly out of concern that otherwise he might be "a risk to himself." To further "protect" him, he was kept in a 23-hour lockdown in a tiny cell.
The treatment of Manning at Quantico was too much for State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley, a 26-year Air Force veteran and former colonel. Crowley was of the old school on the treatment of prisoners; his father, a B-17 pilot spent two years in a German POW camp.
On March 10, 2011, Crowley went public, telling an audience that Manning was being "mistreated" by the Defense Department; Crowley branded Manning's treatment "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."
Three days later, Crowley resigned with this parting shot: "The exercise of power in today's challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values."
At Ft. Meade, the pre-trial hearings are continuing, including testimony about how the advice of health professionals regarding Manning was disregarded by the Marine officers and his jailers at Quantico. Later this week, Manning himself is expected to take the stand.
Again, the fair and orderly manner in which Tuesday's hearing was conducted was a reassuring sign that not everyone is prepared to cave before "command influence." The judge, Col. Denise Lind, upon whom all depends, listened attentively and asked several good questions at the end.
Let's hope the kangaroos can be kept at bay.
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