A civilian defense attorney hired recently by alleged WikiLeaks leaker Bradley Manning says the Army was so concerned about his client’s mental health prior to the alleged leaks that supervisors removed the bolt from his military weapon, disabling it.
Attorney David Coombs told CNN, however, that other than sending Manning to a chaplain for counseling, the Army did little to address its concerns about him.
“The unit has in fact documented a history, if you will, from as early as December of 2009 to May of 2010 of behavior that they were concerned about,” Coombs said, adding that Manning’s immediate supervisor “did document prolonged periods of disassociated behavior, quite a bit of nonresponsiveness from Pfc. Manning. And, again, that progressed from the very beginning of the deployment and deteriorated somewhat toward the end.”
The Army declined to comment. “This case does have worldwide visibility and [Manning’s] civilian attorney will do the best he can to defend him and that may bring up other issues other than what is currently known,” said Lt. Col. Robert Owen, spokesman for the Army at the U.S. embassy in Iraq. “But the U.S. Army is not going to react to every statement that Manning’s civilian attorney makes.”
Manning, who is being held in solitary confinement at the Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Virginia, has invoked the Fifth Amendment and is refusing to cooperate with investigators. He’s taking medication for depression and insomnia. Coombs told CNN, however, that his client is aware of the public support for him.
Continue Reading “Attorney: Army Disabled Manning’s Weapon Prior to Leaks” »
