Bradley Manning, whose biography is described in this article, served in the US Army. In 2010, he was arrested because of a video from 2007, which shows how the military fired at journalists in Baghdad (Iraq). Bradley was accused not only of passing this material to WikiLeaks, but also of involvement in many other leaks of classified information regarding military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Where and when was Manning born?
Bradley Manning, whose photo can be seen in this article, was born on December 17, 1987 in the small town of Crisante, Oklahoma. Father's name was Brian. He was in the military all his life and married a girl named Susan, who was born in the city of Haverfordwest, and subsequently emigrated from Wales to the United States. Bradley's parents divorced when he was thirteen years old. The mother took her son to her homeland, Wales, in 2001. There he attended school in Haverfordwest. After leaving school, Bradley returned to his father in the United States.
Sexual orientation of Bradley Manning
Bradley has been a homosexual since childhood. But as a child, he did not understand this. He was shy and hid that he felt more like a woman than a man. Those around him who knew him noted that Bradley was always very withdrawn and irritable, computers became his passion. And when he grew up, he no longer hid his homosexual orientation from anyone. But is Bradley Manning a woman? So he, at least, considered and called himself Chelsea.
Army years
Manning dreamed of becoming a secret agent since childhood. Therefore, after graduation, in 2007, he joined the US Army. First he served in intelligence, then as a military analyst under a contract signed for 4 years. He underwent physical training in Arizona and already in 2010 he was elevated by management to the rank of specialist. He continued to serve in a new capacity in Iraq, at the Hammer base.
But in the same year, Bradley Manning was demoted to private 1st class. Because of a fight with a colleague. Bradley was openly shy about his political views, as he was against the negative attitude of society towards homosexuality. He did not like the war in Iraq and the actions of the Prime Minister of this state, Nuri al-Maliki. On top of that, Manning thought he was being ignored at work.
Videotape scandal
In April 2010, a big scandal erupted in the United States over a video posted on the WikiLeaks website classified as "secret". It showed how in the vicinity of Baghdad a group ofjournalists mistook by US soldiers for terrorists.
Eighteen civilians died that day. On May 21, Bradley had a conversation with Adrian Lamo (a former hacker). Manning said he gave WikiLeaks the scandalous video, as well as 260,000 other classified materials. Communication took place in a chat, and subsequently their conversation was posted on the Internet.
Arrest of Bradley
Lamo reported what he had heard to the authorities, and on May 29, Bradley Manning was arrested. He was first placed in the American prison "Camp Arifzhan" in Kuwait. In July, Manning was transferred to another, which was in Virginia, on the territory of a military base.
According to the investigation, Bradley installed a special program on his computer, with which he hacked the secret networks of the Department of Defense and the US State Department. Manning downloaded the non-public files. Much of the classified information and diplomatic negotiations were leaked to WikiLeaks.
Bradley Manning indicted
In July 2010, investigators charged Bradley with storing classified government information on a personal computer and transferring it to unauthorized persons. In a posted conversation with Lama, Manning made it clear that computer data protection was very weak.
WikiLeaks has not confirmed that Bradley is a whistleblower for the site. The company claimed that the data is collected in such a way that even the editor does not know the names of those who provide it. BUTThe sources of the classified information that Bradley was accused of stealing were on the site even before Manning joined the US Army.
WikiLeaks offered the young hacker legal support and hired three lawyers. Manning Bradley could only contact them, and the authorities forbade him to communicate directly with the site's management.
In July 2010, the WikiLeaks portal published seventy-seven classified reports. Manning was also suspected of this huge leak of information. The military decided whether the existing evidence of his guilt was strong in order to send Bradley's case to the tribunal. The decision of the special commission was to be made in August 2010.
Sentence
The maximum sentence that Manning could be sentenced to was ninety years or commuted to death. The first court hearing in the Bradley case took place on February 24, 2012. Manning declined to answer questions about his guilty plea. The trial lasted until March 15, 2013. The prosecution demanded that Manning be sentenced to 60 years in prison for passing classified data to third parties. But the support of lawyers and many public organizations insisted on softening the term, appealing that even thanks to the published secret data, the accused did not cause serious damage to either US citizens or the country as a whole.
As a result, Bradley Manning, whose sentence was announced by an American court, received thirty-five years. The convict will be able to receive the right to early release only nine years after the start of serving the term. Manning was demoted to private and discharged from the US Army. He wrote to the President of America, Barack Obama, a petition for clemency. It is now known that Bradley Manning will be able to get out of prison before his sixtieth birthday if his request for early release is granted.
Detention and community response
The Bradley Manning case has caused different reactions in society. Moreover, information often leaked to the press that his detention was far from civilized. Those who saw Bradley after his arrest claim that his mental he alth is impaired. He endures constant humiliation and pressure.
Manning told his lawyer about his conditions of detention. According to Bradley, he is kept in solitary confinement daily, ostensibly to prevent a suicide attempt. Security checks without any reason several times a day. During routine examinations, Bradley Manning is without clothes. Barack Obama, in response to this, objected that the conditions of Bradley's detention correspond to the rules and standards adopted in the United States.
In defense of Bradley, quite a few different human rights organizations came forward, as well as Michael Moore (filmmaker) and Daniel Ellsberg, who is called the "whistleblower of the Pentagon." Even a separate network has been created to support Manning. And near the prison where he was kept, rallies were constantly heldprotest in his honor. Already more than twelve thousand people have made their donations to the fund created for Bradley. And this amount has already amounted to 650 thousand dollars. Of these, 15 thousand came from the site WikiLeaks.
Bradley wants to change sex
After the court verdict, Bradley Manning announced his desire to change the male gender to female. And he announced the name that he chose for himself - Chelsea Elizabeth. He stated that since childhood he felt not a man, but a woman, but believed that this was not normal. Therefore, he joined the army to prove his belonging to the stronger sex. But he realized that he still feels like a woman, and nature played a cruel joke with him by placing a man in the body.
Lawyers argue that Manning suffers from gender identity and is not homosexual. Bradley announced his desire to change sex on an American television show, of which he was a participant. He asked to start hormone therapy immediately. When the New York Times and the Associated newspapers learned that Bradley Manning wanted to become a woman, they decided to call him Chelsea Elizabeth from now on, the name he chose for himself.
He asked his supporters to no longer consider him a man. And address him from now on as a woman. As well as writing letters, already in a new name. In his written address to his supporters, Bradley signed as Chelsea Manning.
Will Manning be allowed to change sex while he is in jail?
On February 13, 2015, the court did not rule against Bradley Manning's gender change andreceived the necessary hormonal therapy. But the military reminded him that this procedure is not done in prisons, and even more so, such operations are not carried out. Manning is even ready to pay for expensive hormone therapy on his own. In addition, Bradley does not ask to be transferred to another prison, he is ready to serve his term in a regular male prison.
But still the rules are the same for everyone. Prison inmates are treated the same regardless of sexual orientation, race, rank, etc. Everyone is equal. And for a surgical operation, a person must be in the hospital, as well as with hormone therapy, be under the constant supervision of doctors. What will happen to Manning next, time will tell.
