CODEPINK & The Guardian of London – 2013-07-05 01:14:48
http://www.codepink.org
Honoring America’s True Patriots — The Whistleblowers
CODEPINK
(July 4, 2013) — This Independence Day, CODEPINK is honoring the true patriots of our nation: whistleblowers. The great heroes of our country are people like John Kiriakou, Coleen Rowley, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden. They are people who — at great personal risk — expose government wrongdoing in the hope of making our nation “a more perfect union.”
Next week the defense will present its case in the trial of whisteblower Bradley Manning. Manning is facing life in prison for exposing the truth about what is being done abroad in our name. Manning said: “I want people to see the truth, because without information you cannot make informed decisions as a public.” Celebrate this 4th of July by sending a letter of support to Bradley Manning or John Kiriakou, CIA torture whistleblower.
“May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion,” said President Dwight D. Eisenhower. But the Obama administration has confused the two. The aim of these whistleblowers is not to aid a foreign power or enrich themselves; their aim is to make America more transparent, accountable and honorable. For their sacrifice, we honor them today.
Onward to peace,
Alli, Allie, Amanda, Dooler, Emerson, Emily, Gianna, Hannah, Heidi, Jessika, Jodie, Maggie, Medea, Nancy, Natalie, Noor, Rooj, Sergei, Tighe
ACTION:Write to Bradley Manning
You can write to Bradley at the following address:
Commander, HHC USAG
Attn: PFC Bradley Manning
239 Sheridan Ave, Bldg 417
JBM-HH, VA 22211
Bradley is currently eligible to receive mail from anyone who wishes to write to him. Bradley does receive a good amount of mail from supporters; however, he usually only replies to family and longtime friends.
There are restrictions on what you can send. The military will reject any mail that violates postal regulations or contains obscenity, blackmail, contraband or threats.
Additionally:
a) PFC Bradley Manning cannot receive any cash, checks, or money orders. His legal team is responsible for ensuring that Bradley has sufficient funds in his detainee account to purchase items such as stamps, envelopes, toothpaste, etc.
b) Photographs are only accepted if printed on copy paper.
A maximum of six (6) pages are allowed. Pictures on photograph weight paper are not allowed.
c) Incoming mail will be returned to the sender if, in the opinion of the confinement facility, falls into any of the following categories:
1) Contains inflammatory material or advocates escape, violence, disorder or assault;
2) Directly or indirectly threatens the security, safety or order of the facility;
3) Contains coded or otherwise undecipherable language that prevents adequate review of the material;
4) Is received with “Postage Dueâ€; or
5) Contains items of contraband (including anything of any material value, including postage stamps or cigarettes).
Additional notes:
JBM is short for Joint Base Myer. HH is short for Henderson Hall — the unit that provides support services for JBM. Bradley has been officially “attached” to this support unit pending court martial.
The commander of the unit is responsible forwarding Bradley’s mail appropriately, either to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, or to the DC area confinement facility where he is held during Fort Meade court proceedings. The actual location of Bradley’s DC area confinement remains classified, but members of Bradley’s legal team regularly visit him at this facility.
They continue to report that Bradley has no complaints regarding his treatment at this location. As this facility is geographically close to Quantico, Virgina, where Bradley was subjected to torture-like conditions for ten months, this remains a concern of ours.
Please Help Defend John Kiriakou
Friends of John Kiriakou
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
We are writing to ask you to join us in supporting, protecting, and materially helping our friend and colleague John Kiriakou, a long-time former CIA official and case officer. John, an anti-torture whistleblower and activist, was hounded into ruin by the Justice Department because he revealed that the CIA had tortured prisoners and that torture was official US Government policy.
John accepted a plea to violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. The irony is extraordinary. For more than 14 years, John worked in the field and at home, under conditions of great peril and stress and at great personal sacrifice, dedicating himself to protecting America and Americans from harm at home and abroad.
The Justice Department’s actions have created huge pressures on John and his family. John and Heather have five children — the youngest is just over a year old — and they face the challenge of raising them while simultaneously fighting the CIA, FBI, and Justice Department.
To help them, we have established a trust for the John Kiriakou Support Fund. Please consider making a contribution today. All donors and amounts will be kept strictly confidential.
Every penny of your contribution will go directly to John to help him with his more than $1 million in legal bills and to help feed and clothe his children. Thank you for your help.
John entered the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Loretto, Pennsylvania on February 28, 2013. He can be reached at: John Kiriakou 79637-083, Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto, PO Box 1000, Loretto, PA 15940. He is permitted to receive mail from anyone, and soft cover books and magazines only from individuals. Hard cover books may be received directly from a publisher, a bookstore or Amazon.com.
A Guardian Guide to US Government Whistleblowers
The London Guardian
“A person who reports or informs on a wrongdoer, as in a government agency”
— Collins American English Dictionaryâ‰
For employees of the United States government, blowing the whistle has long been a fraught decision. From Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the historic Pentagon Papers, to Edward Snowden, America’s whistleblowers have faced varying personal and legal ramifications after the event.
The Honor Roll of US Whistleblowers
Edward Snowden
Bradley Manning
Shamai K. Leibowitz
John Kiriakou
Thomas Drake
Thomas Tamm
Joseph Darby
Katharine Gun
J. Kirk Wiebe
William Binney
Coleen Rowley
Frederic Whitehurst
Peter Buxtun
Mark Felt
Daniel Ellsberg
