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Wikileaks Case: Guards Deny Intimidating Manning


gty bradley manning dm 121108 wblog Bradley Mannings Former Guards Testify About Controversial Incident

(Brendan Smialkowski/AFP/Getty Images)


Bradley Manning’s former guards testified today that they did not intimidate the man accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified cables to the anti-secrets website Wikileaks during  a Jan. 18, 2011 incident that resulted in Manning being placed on a temporary suicide risk watch.


Manning’s attorneys cite the event as a key reason why his pre-trial confinement at the Marine brig in Quantico, Va., was unlawful and warrants the dismissal of the charges against him.


Manning faces life imprisonment on charges that he leaked the classified military and diplomatic cables to Wikileaks.  Details of those charges will come at a trial scheduled for February and are not being discussed at this week’s hearing, which is focused on his nine-month confinement at Quantico from July 2010 to April 2011.


On Jan. 18, 2011 Manning was being moved to his daily “recreation call” in a room at the brig when he experienced an apparent anxiety attack.  Manning said Thursday the guards escorting him seemed to have an aggressive attitude that made him feel nervous and ultimately feel faint.


Manning testified Thursday that he “lost my demeanor” during a later discussion with brig officials about the incident that led them to place him on temporary suicide risk watch.


Former Marine guards Lance Corporal Joshua Tankersly and Lance Corporal Jonathan Cline testified today that Manning had been moving around while his hand and leg restraints were placed on him for the escort to the exercise room.  They said they reminded Manning that he should respond properly to their orders by referring to their ranks when he answered them.


When Manning entered the recreation room they described a situation in which Manning fell backwards and landed on his backside.


They then said that when out of his leg restraints Manning ran to a weightlifting machine, hid behind it and began to cry.  Both Cline and Tankersly said they could not explain Manning’s behavior.  Both guards were ordered to leave the room and were replaced by two other guards who escorted Manning back to his cell.


Cline said he was puzzled when a supervisor later told him “we intimidated him or something like that.”


Each guard said he could not recall if they sounded harsh when they talked to Manning on the way to the exercise room.


They both said that aside from the January incident, Manning was courteous and professional in his interactions with them.  Both described him as an average prisoner, though Tankersly acknowledged that Manning was a high profile detainee who had the attention of high-ranking officials at the base.


“It’s hard to put ‘average’ on such a high profile, when you have higher ups on base come and check through to that see all was OK,” Tankersly said.


Gunnery Sgt. William Fuller, one of the senior officers at the brig, also testified today about his participation in a Classification and Assessment board that routinely assessed whether Manning’s Maximum Custody and Prevention of Injury status should be downgraded. The board never reduced Manning’s status during his stay.


Fuller acknowledged that before the January incident he and another brig official had considered a downgrade because Manning was “doing pretty good.”


He said the Jan. 18incident “kind of reset things … we had to keep him on Prevention of Injury.”


Fuller also cited Manning’s quiet interactions with him as a reason for keeping Manning on that status.


According to Fuller “he wouldn’t communicate … it seemed like he didn’t really want to talk” and that concerned him, given training he had received that being withdrawn could be an indicator of suicidal behavior.


Fuller admitted that the conversations were really just quick interactions to see how Manning was doing..  When asked to provide examples of longer exchanges he had with other prisoners, Fuller provided brief sentences.  That led David Coombs, Manning’s defense attorney to say sarcastically, “so if he’d thrown in more words then he would have classified as a Chatty Patty?”


Manning’s attorneys claim that a protest on Jan. 17 by Manning supporters, at the entrance to the base, may have motivated an aggressive attitude towards the detainee.


Cline recalled other guards “were annoyed” by the protest” because it would close parts of the base and hinder or interrupt how they got home.”  But Tankersly said the protest had no impact on Manning’s treatment.

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Sen. Ayotte offers GOP an influential new voice



The first two were prominent national security heavyweights, Arizona’s John McCain and Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina. Then the third senator, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, stepped forward. A freshman in her second year and ranked 99th in seniority, Ayotte said she had not been swayed by the administration’s efforts to explain how and why U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice had initially suggested the attack was the result of a spontaneous street protest, instead of a coordinated terrorist attack.

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British coalition divided over future of the press






LONDON: Work started on Friday on a draft law to regulate Britain's newspapers, despite Prime Minister David Cameron's strong objection to legislation proposed by a major inquiry into press ethics.

Cameron's government is divided on the future of the press after the Liberal Democrats, the junior partners in his Conservative-led coalition, said they would join forces with the opposition Labour party and support a new law.

The rift was sparked by Thursday's publication of a report by judge Brian Leveson which, in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, proposed a new independent self-regulatory body backed by law.

Cameron immediately warned legislation could threaten press freedom, but his deputy Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, insisted statutory oversight was essential to guarantee the independence of the new watchdog.

The prime minister said he accepted the vast majority of Leveson's proposals, which follow a year-long inquiry that heard from journalists, politicians and victims of press intrusion, but said a new law would put Britain on a slippery slope.

Lawmakers will go ahead with drafting a law, although culture minister Maria Miller suggested the Conservatives would use the process to attempt to persuade the Lib Dems and Labour that the new law would be unworkable.

"Our concern is that we simply don't need to have that legislation to achieve the end objectives," she told BBC television.

But actor Hugh Grant joined other victims of media intrusion in blasting Cameron for rejecting a state-backed watchdog despite his earlier pledge to follow Leveson's recommendations as long as they were not "bonkers".

"It wasn't and he didn't," Grant tweeted.

The British press currently regulates itself through the Press Complaints Commission, a body staffed by editors.

Its critics say it is toothless and partly responsible for Britain's failure to punish journalists for harassment, invasion of privacy and the hacking of voicemail messages.

Leveson proposed a beefed-up watchdog staffed by independent members, with the power to fine newspapers up to US$1.6 million.

It would be "essential" for the new body to be backed up by legislation, the judge concluded in his 2,000-page report.

The junior coalition partners insist they will not let the Conservatives drag their feet on the legislation.

"The Liberal Democrats in government will ensure that the bill is drafted in good faith," a spokesman for Clegg said.

"We owe that to the public and the victims."

"Gauntlet thrown down"

Miller said the "gauntlet has been thrown down" to newspapers to demonstrate how they intend to regulate themselves without the need for legislation -- and many of Friday's newspaper editorials agreed with her.

The press has broadly accepted the need for a tougher watchdog but is united in its opposition to the regulation being enshrined in law.

"What is to stop MPs amending it now and in the future so that it no longer resembles the benign legislative vehicle envisaged by the judge?" asked the right-leaning Daily Telegraph.

Alan Rusbridger, editor of the left-leaning Guardian, accepted that members of any new watchdog must not be "picked from amongst the old cosy club".

"There are lots of things that are much better about the Leveson regulator than the one that existed before or the one that the press proposed," he told BBC radio.

"It is right that is is open, that it is fair, that it's got sanctions, that it can investigate."

Meanwhile, an online petition calling for full implementation of Leveson's proposals was launched by campaign group "Hacked Off", and had been signed by 41,335 people by 0130 GMT Saturday.

"Leveson has announced his recommendations. The victims of press abuses want them implemented. Let the government know that you support the victims," the petition read.

Cameron commissioned the Leveson Inquiry in July 2011 in the wake of revelations that the News of the World hacked the voicemails of a murdered schoolgirl and dozens of public figures.

Murdoch was forced to shut down the 168-year-old tabloid, and police have arrested dozens of people under three investigations spawned by the scandal.

Leveson, who heard from celebrities including actress Sienna Miller and Harry Potter author JK Rowling on their treatment by the media, said the press had "wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people" for decades.

- AFP/xq



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US asks India to consult IAEA on nuclear liability law

WASHINGTON: To enter the international mainstream civil nuclear commerce, a top US official has said India should consult International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its nuclear liability law as a means to ensure the objective.

"While we understand that India's law is currently being examined by the courts, we believe that consultations with the IAEA would be useful as a means to ensure that the liability law accomplishes our shared objective of moving India into the international mainstream of civil nuclear commerce," principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Geoffrey Pyatt has said.

In his remarks to the Pillsbury NEI Nuclear Export Controls Seminar in Washington, Pyatt identified the nuclear liability law as a major challenge in implementing the historic India-US civilian nuclear deal.

A copy of his remarks was released by the State Department on Friday.

"India's nuclear liability law is not in line with the international nuclear liability principles reflected in the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage," he said.

"Current liability law and regulations impose the risk of a heavy financial burden on equipment suppliers seeking to enter the Indian market and expose such companies to the risk of significant financial penalty in the event of a nuclear accident, neither of which is consistent with international standards," Pyatt observed.

"Without a law consistent with this convention in place, companies from the United States as well as other nations will find it difficult to participate in India's nuclear power expansion plans," he said.

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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea









































































































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Could Outgoing Republicans Hold Keys to 'Cliff' Deal?


Nov 30, 2012 1:45pm







ap obama boehner lt 121124 main Could Outgoing Republicans Hold Keys to Fiscal Cliff?

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster


The outlook for reaching some sort of bipartisan agreement on the so-called “fiscal cliff” before the Dec. 31 deadline is looking increasingly grim. Shortly after noon today, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, appeared before the cameras to say the talks had reached a “stalemate.”


But there may be a glimmer of hope. There are currently 33 outgoing members of Congress — they’re either retiring or were defeated last month — who have signed the Grover Norquist pledge stating that they will not raise taxes. Those members, particularly the ones who have traditionally been somewhat moderate, could hold the key to that stance softening.


“You have 33 people who do not have to worry about the future political consequences of their vote,” said ABC political director Amy Walter. “These are people who theoretically can vote based purely on the issue rather than on how it will impact their political future.”


One outgoing member has publicly indicated a willingness to join with Obama and the Democrats on a partial deal.


“I have to say that if you’re going to sign me up with a camp, I like what Tom Cole has to say,” California Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack said on CNN on Thursday. Cole is the Republican who suggested that his party vote to extend the Bush tax-rates for everyone but the highest income earners and leave the rest of the debate for later. Mack’s husband, Connie, however, also an outgoing Republican member of Congress, said he disagreed with his wife.


But in general, among the outgoing Republican representatives with whom ABC News has made contact, the majority have been vague as to whether or not they still feel bound by the pledge, and whether they would be willing to raise tax rates.


“[Congressman Jerry Lewis] has always been willing to listen to any proposals, but there isn’t,” a spokesman for Rep. Lewis, Calif., told ABC News. “He’s said the pledge was easy because it goes along with his philosophy that increasing tax doesn’t solve any problems. However, he’s always been willing to listen to proposals.”


“Congressman Burton has said that he does not vote for tax increases,” a spokesman for Dan Burton, Ind., said to ABC.


“With Representative Herger retiring, we are leaving this debate to returning members and members-elect,” an aide for Wally Herger, Calif., told ABC News.


The majority of Congress members will likely wait until a deal is on the table to show their hand either way. However, it stands to reason that if any members of Congress are going to give in and agree to raise taxes, these would be the likely candidates.


An agreement will require both sides to make some concessions: Republicans will need to agree to some tax increases, Democrats will need to agree to some spending cuts. With Republicans and Democrats appearing to be digging further into their own, very separate territories, the big question is, which side will soften first?










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Hong Kong Disneyland turns profitable






HONG KONG: Hong Kong's struggling Disneyland has posted its first profit since opening seven years ago thanks to an increase in mainland Chinese visitors, a report said on Friday, as it considers opening new hotels.

The news will come as a welcome relief for the resort, which has battled below-forecast visitor numbers since opening in 2005, while doubts about its future have swirled since China gave permission for a park in Shanghai.

The Wall Street Journal report, which cited an unnamed person familiar with the park's financial situation, gave no details.

A Disney spokesman declined to confirm the report when contacted by AFP, saying the park's financial report will be released early next year.

A deal to open Hong Kong Disneyland, which is majority owned by the Hong Kong government, was signed in 1999 as part of a plan to boost the city's economy as it reeled from the Asian financial crisis.

However, it has been desperate to ramp up the number and quality of its attractions as it tries to lure more big-spending visitors from the mainland, while it has also embarked on a huge public-relations campaign.

Walt Disney Co has also boosted distribution of its television shows across the country, while it also runs nearly 24 hours of weekly programming, the Journal said.

It seems there has been some success. The report said attendance jumped to 5.94 million visitors in the year to September 2011 from 4.5 million in 2008.

It also said the proportion of mainland visitors reached 45 per cent in fiscal 2011, compared with 34 in 2006, while Hong Kong residents made up just 31 per cent, down from 41 per cent.

The park in January said it posted its smallest annual loss for the fiscal year ending October 1, 2011, after enjoying a 13 per cent rise in visitors and a surge in hotel occupancy.

Net loss fell to HK$237 million (US$30.5 million), less than half its net loss of HK$718 million in 2010.

Critics have attributed much of the park's struggles to its size -- it is the smallest of all Disney's theme parks -- and a lack of attractions.

The resort, including two hotels, covers about 310 acres (125 hectares).

However, the report said the park's investors are discussing plans to add new hotels to the resort to increase overseas arrivals.

Adding to the resort's problems was news that the Chinese government had given permission for the building of a US$3.7 billion Shanghai Disneyland, which is expected to open in 2016 and could provide stiff competition.

- AFP/xq



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Gujarat polls: Anti-Modi cop Sanjiv Bhatt's wife Shweta Bhatt to contest against Narendra Modi

AHMEDABAD: Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife Shweta to contest Gujarat election against CM Narendra Modi on Congress ticket from Maninagar.

A Gujarat court had filed charges against Bhatt and six policemen who are accused in the 1990 Khambalia custodial death case on November 9. Sanjiv Bhatt had said that he had been targeted by Chief Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that evidence related to the 2002 Gujarat riots has been selectively destroyed and hence an inquiry should be ordered into the same.

"These are state control room records, state intelligence bureau control room records which reflect as to how the situation developed, what information came in, what instructions were given. These are the very documents which can create a picture where an inquisition is ordered. Those very documents are either destroyed or they are not available. This is a clear cut attempt by the state to conceal and withhold information and a failure on the part of SIT to get hold of those records or at least get them preserved. And even these raises questions as to why the commission did not requisition those records," Bhatt had said.

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Pictures: Inside the World's Most Powerful Laser

Photograph courtesy Damien Jemison, LLNL

Looking like a portal to a science fiction movie, preamplifiers line a corridor at the U.S. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF).

Preamplifiers work by increasing the energy of laser beams—up to ten billion times—before these beams reach the facility's target chamber.

The project's lasers are tackling "one of physics' grand challenges"—igniting hydrogen fusion fuel in the laboratory, according to the NIF website. Nuclear fusion—the merging of the nuclei of two atoms of, say, hydrogen—can result in a tremendous amount of excess energy. Nuclear fission, by contrast, involves the splitting of atoms.

This July, California-based NIF made history by combining 192 laser beams into a record-breaking laser shot that packed over 500 trillion watts of peak power-a thousand times more power than the entire United States uses at any given instant.

"This was a quantum leap for laser technology around the world," NIF director Ed Moses said in September. But some critics of the $5 billion project wonder why the laser has yet to ignite a fusion chain reaction after three-and-a-half years in operation. Supporters counter that such groundbreaking science simply can't be rushed.

(Related: "Fusion Power a Step Closer After Giant Laser Blast.")

—Brian Handwerk

Published November 29, 2012

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