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FORT MEADE, Md. – One of the psychiatrists who treated Army Private First Class Bradley Manning at the Quantico brig said staff continually ignored his recommendations that Manning was not a threat to himself.
The Army private is accused of leaking thousands of classified documents to the website WikiLeaks but there are hearings this week to consider a motion by the defense that argues Manning's harsh confinement at the Quantico brig is grounds to dismiss the charges against him.
Testifying Wednesday afternoon, Navy Captain William Hocter, the behavioral health specialist who treated Manning at the Quantico brig, said it seemed the base's command made up its mind to keep Manning under strict observation and that clinical recommendations to take the detainee off of restrictive watch were ignored.
While at Quantico, Manning was classified as a maximum-security prisoner, usually reserved for violent offenders and escape risks, and as a risk to himself. Manning's defense team argues that those classifications were unwarranted and that they gave the brig staff reason to treat Manning harshly, including keeping him on 23-hour lockdown in a small cell and, for a period of several days, denying him clothing at night.
Manning's psychiatrist, Cap. Hocter, testified that he repeatedly recommended the classification that Manning was a risk to himself be dropped, but that the brig's staff ignored his recommendations.
"I've just never experienced anything like this," said Hocter. "It was clear to me that they had made up their mind on a certain course of actions and my recommendations didn't really matter."
Hocter also said that it is common for patients to be taken off suicide watch after it is determined they are no longer at risk.
Earlier in the day, the commander in charge of the base's security at the time, Marine Colonel Robert Oltman, testified that doctors' recommendations are only one element in a larger decision on how to classify detainees and that other factors led to Manning remaining classified as a risk to himself.
The detention center at Quantico had another detainee commit suicide just months before Manning arrived.
Col. Oltman explained that Pfc. Manning was classified a suicide risk even before he arrived at Quantico because Manning had mentioned suicide while detained in Kuwait and had even fashioned a makeshift noose. Oltman went on to say that he remained classified as a risk to himself because the staff observed no change in Manning's behavior and even witnessed him do strange things like lick the bars of his cell, play peek-a-boo with guards, and withdraw from any interaction with the staff.
The psychiatrist, Cap. Hocter, testified that it was reported Manning licked his cell bars while sleepwalking, an explainable side effect of drugs he was taking. Hocter also testified that the other behavior was not outside the norm for a detainee who could simply be bored from being kept in isolation.
After nine months at Quantico, Manning was transferred to the Army prison at Fort Leavenworth, KS, where he was placed in a medium security facility with less harsh conditions.
Cap. Hocter was one of two psychiatrists to treat Manning while he was detained at Quantico. The other, Army Col. Rick Malone, is expected to testify Friday.
Manning himself has not yet testified in this series of hearings or in any part of the case thus far. He is listed on the defense's list of witnesses for this hearing, but that does not necessarily mean he will testify.
The hearings are scheduled to resume Thursday morning and continue through the weekend.
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Leave a Comment:
Well that is only fair. They ignored my recommendations too! I recommended they take the little brat out back, shoot him, and dump his body in the sea.
Interesting that Manning could walk if it's proven that he was punished before he was even charged with anything. But I guess that's a feature of the USMC--that the military is allowed to punish anybody in the military even before there are charges or a trial.
You ever serve?
"You ever serve?" I'm interested in why you would ask this question. What bearing would it have on the discussion we're having?
It UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice. USMC is United States Marine Corps.
the fact that he is still breathing is a travesty. he is a traitor and should be executed, nevermind treated humanely...
A traitor for being a whistleblower to a mass murder?
I guess this does give insight into how the US government runs. You tell anyone about the corruption, fraud, waste, murder or other crimes from the US government and you will pay with your life.
The founding fathers are rolling in their graves, disgusted at the sewer the US has become.
No butthole, they're rolling in their graves because a piece of @!$%# like you got into the sewer. You are the poster child for everything that is wrong in this country.
@sebrad
No, he is most certainly not a traitor, at least not in the sense that the Constitution defines treason. Read Article 3, Section 3 of that quaint old document and you will find that treason is defined exclusively as levying war against the United States or providing material support to enemy forces. Long-standing precedent holds that only actual attempts to overthrow the government or work with enemy forces (as opposed to actions that might arguably provide an advantage to the enemy) can be considered "treason." Perhaps this is why Manning has never been charged with treason and why the government never appears to have seriously considered filing such charges.
@Ron42
"No butthole, they're [the Founding Fathers] rolling in their graves because a piece of @!$%# like you got into the sewer. "
What makes you think that the Founding Fathers were fans of blind submission to authority or of the idea of an enormous standing army itself? If anyone can be called a traitor it would certainly be the people who actively and violently resisted the government that was in place at the time.
Lev, we've already gone over this. providing aid or support to an enemy is considered treason by the UCMJ. He's not on a civil trial, it is a military courts martial.
@Trevor- If you remove all the documents that fall into the "whistle blower" catagory, you are still left with over 400,000 that have nothing to do with any crime or accident involving US personnel. What Manning has admittedly done is release every classified document he could get access to, 99.999% of them he never actually read. So, even if they drop the whistle blowing documents, they could still charge him with over 400,000 counts of leaking classified information.
By the way, PFC Manning signed a Non Disclosure Agreement before he was given access to the information. There were other ways he could have handled the issues he was having without jeopardizing the lives of his fellow Soldiers.
Lev, I have a high regard for many of your other posts but I have to take exception with #2.3 above. In quoting Article 3, Section 3 of The U.S. Constitution you forgot or neglected to include the very last sentence which is: "No person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court." The fact that he was caught means that he had to have been observed doing such by more than one person. Therefore, he would most definitely fall under Section 3, Article 3. He also has in fact admitted to his acts in open court in the last day or so. Again therefore, this little weasel can in fact be tried for treason and found guilty of such. But that is for the military to decide under the UCMJ. The prosecution has also torn apart and discredited his claims of mistreatment my the Marines at the brig in Quantico, VA. I have absolutely no sympathy for this individual whatsoever and hope he rots in jail if found guilty. He willingly and knowingly violated a trust that had the potential to endanger untold numbers of his fellow soldiers.
lev--you need to work on your reading comprehension...
"..or providing material support to enemy forces".
sharing classified info with the enemy isn't material support?
They should have placed in a cell with Big Bubba and then he would have been happy or he would have checked himself out.
People, he was with the Marine Corp and not the army or air force so what did he/they expect.
Did you actually read the article? The first sentence starts: "One of the psychiatrists who treated Army Private First Class Bradley Manning"
Quantico is run by Marines, maybe that's what he meant?
I have absolutely no sympathy for this person. He should be kept at Ft. Leavenworth, in isolation, until the sun doesn't shine anymore. Even after he dies, let him rot in the cell. He is a traitor!!!!!
"He is a traitor!!!!!"
No he isn't. "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
That's from the Constitution (Article 3, Section 3). Now tell me: do you hate the Constitution or are you just ignorant of it? Or perhaps a little of column A and a little of column B?
PFC Manning isn't fully protected under the Constitution. For example, if I cuss out a senior officer/NCO, I can end up in Jail because I'm not fully protected under the 1st Amendment as I don't truly have freedom of speech. Enlisting in the Army involves giving up some Constitutional rights.
...The Marines could not let him mingle with the general population... he was at massive risk of some other inmate trying to make a name for himself... His behavior was erratic... even to non shrinks... such as licking his bars (defense claims that was done while sleepwalking... you know... standard sleepwalking behavior...)
...Had he hanged himself in his cell or been "shanked" by another prisoner, just what would the defense attys be shouting to the world now? ...That's what I thought...
When you have suicidal ideations in the military, they do NOT mess around. You will be escorted, or in this case heavily guarded, at ALL times. They do their best to prevent suicides at all costs. This case is no different especially with someone who 1, made comments about it, and 2, is charged with crimes regarding disclosing classified information to a foreign national. If not for his and his family's sake, then for the country's. This man gave SECRET documents to someone not authorized to have it. He put lives at risk by doing this. The country needs him alive to testify and get information from. And let's be real, who honestly cares about the conditions of a detainee in a maximum security brig?
The article says he mentioned suicide when he was in Kuwait. That was nearly a year ago. Other than that, they mention strange behavior which can be attributed to his medication and to the fact that he has been completely isolated this entire time. He has been accused of a serious crime, and certain precautions need to be taken to protect him from other inmates, but this is extreme. American prisoners should not be treated this way. That is a violation of the values set forth by the founding fathers of this country. You can't be upset about treason and then ignore the values of our country to punish the offender.
KevNC says....." American prisoners should not be treated this way."
Are you F'ing serious man? Would you be ok with the treatment if this cat was a foreign national, or a member of a terrorist cell? The key word here is PRISONER, he knows exactly what he did... and what he did is inexcusable. He was put in a position of trust with a clearance to information....he knowingly and willingly betrayed that trust. Which by the way is Punishable under UCMJ up to and including DEATH. Screw how they treat that cat....I been on the battlefield...and I know first hand what leaking secret information does for me and my battles. He may as well have just locked and loaded on his buddies, cause that's essentially the risk and danger he caused and put them in by his actions. One hour of sunlight is to good for this cat. Cut it back to about 15 minutes and feed him cold beans! TRAITOR.... disgrace to the nation he now begs for his freedom from. SCREW THAT!
@JustanotherVeteran
Can you point to a single leaked document that placed any US serviceman's life in danger? If not, how can you claim that this was tantamount to opening fire on his fellow troops?
They were classified for a reason.... nuff said. Any and all documents leaked are a National Security Risk. That risk rolls all the way down hill to the men and women on the battlefield. Right wrong or indifferent, he made them all guilty by association.
Question for ya.... have you ever put on the uniform and a pair of boots, picked up your weapon and went about the business of war? If not, then you just don't understand, and probably never will!
"They were classified for a reason.... nuff said."
No, it really isn't "'nuff said." If you want to make the argument that the fact that the documents were classified made their release a criminal violation, then I'll agree with you. If you want to make the argument that their release actually imperiled lives, then you actually have to give some semblance of an argument to back up what you're saying.
"Any and all documents leaked are a National Security Risk."
I am going to reproduce in full one of the reports from leaked Iraq logs:
"At 1637C, a severed head was thrown from an Opel Omega at the Mufrek traffic circle. The head has been identified but it is unknown if the person worked for the coalition."
Now if it's true that "any and all documents leaked are a national security risk," then perhaps you can explain to me how my knowing about this incident in any way shape or form has had any impact on national security. Or perhaps you'd like to take that statement back...
"Question for ya.... have you ever put on the uniform and a pair of boots, picked up your weapon and went about the business of war?"
No, thank God. But perhaps you can explain exactly how my having served in the military would give me a better understanding of the terrible risks posed by mundane reports being released.
Not gonna explain myself or my opinions to you "Civilian". Because it is painfully clear that do not now and probably will never understand. Please refer to the end of my post #9.2
Perhaps you are "not gonna explain" yourself because you are completely incapable of doing so. I am, however, glad that you acknowledge that these are opinions, because they sure as heck aren't facts or arguments. I have no idea-- no idea whatsoever-- how your combat experience frees you from the obligation to make even the faintest attempt to offer substantiation for statements of fact.
Furthermore, this really isn't a military vs. civilian issue. Criminal sanctions can be applied to civilians who leak classified information as well. You keep talking about how many rights you give up when you join the military (which is true, although perhaps not to the extent that you are suggesting), but it's completely unclear how this case relates to that at all. Neither soldiers nor civilians have the right to release classified information that has been entrusted to them, so there doesn't seem to be any connection at all.
(Response to 9.2 is forthcoming, by the way.)
Well you are correct about the Military Vs. Civilian issue! See This PFC will not be seeing a civilian judge... or a civilian court room. He will be punished by a Military Tribunal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So yes... there is not a Military Vs Civilian issue here..... cause guess what.... this cat is not a Civilian, he stopped being that the minute he raised his right hand and took the Oath of enlistment!
As for me not being able to explain myself...... really... really guy. That has nothing to do with it, what it does have to do with is refusing to be drawn into a pissing match with a civilian who clearly does not understand how or why the military works as it does. I bid you a good day Sir.... we are done here!
The fact that this case is being adjudicated in a military court and not a civilian one matters only to the extent that military and civilian law differ in their treatment of unauthorized leaks of classified material. Perhaps there is a significant difference, although I doubt there is and you certainly haven't demonstrated that there is one. I'm certainly not going to ask you-- your use of the word "traitor" shows that you don't have a very deep understanding of the meaning and application of the law in either a military or civilian context.
This has nothing to do with a "pissing match." It has everything to do with your habit of making incredibly broad, inflammatory, and facially incorrect statements (i.e. your claim that every disclosure of classified information harms national security) and then completely refusing to present anything resembling an argument to back them up when they are challenged.
Frankly, you don't strike me as a particularly informed person or a particularly deep thinker. I have lots of friends, colleagues, and associates who have served in the military, the vast majority of whom roll their eyes when guys like you come up.
Ah it's nice to see the red neck congregation chime in again. First off you morons he was never charged because there wasn't sufficient evidence to charge him. This is nothing more than an excuse to charge the first kid they could find after the administration got a sever case of the red ass...there is no proof that he was in the wrong, if there was he would have been charged immediately opon arrest.
It's sad to already see so many posts stating that he should be killed immediately and that his rights don't matter. Why are you so offended by what he did when you clearly don't believe in one of the most basic rights we have as Americans, the right to a fair trial. A test of a country's ethics and values can be seen in the way that it treats its prisoners. We are failing in this case, as we have failed many times before this case. Does Manning deserve to be punished? Absolutely. But not until after he has stood trial and a jury of his peers determines his guilt and a judge determines his punishment. Mistreating him prior to that is spitting in the face of our justice system and the ideals that are supposed to make America the greatest nation in the world. Regardless of what he has done, he still has rights and he is still an American. It is time for everyone else to live up to the standards we expected him to live up to.
Let me get this straight, this guy is held in strict confinement for posting on wikileeks but the Bush administration released the name of an undercover CIA operative and that was swept under the rug. This is what happens when politics drives everything. As soon as this got in to the military courts, anything resembling justice was thrown out.
That's the way things work in the military. Get over it. You relinquish almost all of your rights when you sign up, and everyone knows that immediately, starting with the first hour of boot camp.
Your preaching to the choir Mymom.... these cats clearly do not understand the rights that one gives up when they become a member of the military. They do not understand the rights that we gave up, so that they would not have to!
Hey... go see the recruiter and raise your right hand..... or kindly sit down and enjoy the freedoms we provide for you!
Can you tell me 1) the conflicts you served in; 2) the capacity in which you served; and 3) how anything you did in the military has anything to do with protecting my freedoms.
1) Numerous Deployments and Various other Operations.
2) I'm not at liberty to say, and frankly it's none of your business.
3) Just enjoy them, and when you pass a Vet on the street.... Just say thank you and move on!
"Thank you, O God-like warrior. Thou hast secured my freedom. I have no idea how thou hast secured my freedom, for this is a great mystery."
Or perhaps more conflict-specific notes of appreciation?
"Thanks, Vietnam vet. Had it not been for you, the Viet Cong would undoubtedly have set up checkpoints all along the eastern coast of the United States. Without your brave, brave efforts Saigon might today be called Ho Chi Minh City, and I certainly couldn't live with that."
"Thanks, Gulf War vet. You clearly solved that whole Iraq problem. Had you not fought the Iraqis they undoubtedly would have been knocking at my front door, taking privileges with my wife, and eating out of my fridge."
"Thanks, Operation Iraqi Freedom vet. I don't know how I could consider myself free without you having helped accumulate massive debt and further destabilized the Middle East!"
You are so full of it. Sometimes it helps to actually think about whether the broad truths that we cling to ("I secured your freedom") make any sense whatsoever. You clearly haven't given me any indication that your beliefs are founded in reality.
I find it breathtaking that they let people like you enlist in your country. If you'd talk openly about execution as a private in europe you would probably be suspended/fired within a matter of days.
Lev has an agenda beyond facts.I'm thinking it's the gay thing
When he got his clearance, he was briefed on the consequences of violating secured information, which he signed. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning has now found out that they weren't kidding.
Manning is not a civilian. He swore into the US Army and is still bound by those laws, which are significantly more restrictive than the ones the general public is exposed to. His security clearance also carried restrictions and possible punishments should he break that clearance by divulging classified information to uncleared personnel. He is still enlisted in the US Army and is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which apparently not many civilians clearly understand. Being convicted as a traitor in time of war -- and you cannot tell me we're not in a war -- is punishable by death. Look it up. This sniveling little piece of excrement is going to be in prison for a long time if they decide to be lenient and not shoot him.
All I can say is - Bradley Manning is a disgrace to this country and he is most definately a traitor and should be treated as such. How many young men and women who volunteered for our military did he put in jeopardy and may have even costs some lives by his cowardly and criminal act? I wouldn't care if they had hung him by his thumbs 23 hours a day at Quantico! He should be executed by a bullet to the back of the head. Oh, and to all of you liberals who think he did nothing wrong - you would feel differently if you had ever served this country in any way or if you even had a relative who put their life on the line so you could spew your BS. You are, or were raised by, the kind of low-life who spit on our military in the 60s when those men were drafted and even if they didn't want to serve, did their duty with honor. Honor and duty are something people like you don't understand. You want your freedom and the benefits that this country gives you, but you will never deserve or do anything to earn it.
This little sawed off piece of sh** was NOT motivated by a desire to help our country.He did this as he was upset about DADT.He deserves to die because he was a little bitch motivated by his own hurt feelings Treason is close enough
My guess is Cap. Hocter was ready to end his career... and just did...
This article is another example of what happens when people who know nothing about the military write articles about it. Nearly every rank abbreviation is wrong. Sad.
Manning probably saved more American lives by exposing the stupidity and crimes being committed by our military than most of the Medal of Honor recipients over the last 10 years.
At Fort Benning OCS in 1971 I was taught that it is illegal to obey an illegal order.
THAT responsibility is what separates our military from that of any previous fighting force in human history.
Manning should be released with an Honorable Discharge, or better yet sent to law school to become part of our JAG.
I'm always amazed at how lawyers can drag out fairly straight forward cases for time ad nauseum. he should be let go because he hasn;t recieved the speedy trail to which he is entitled