Sec. of State John Kerry Defended US Mistreatment of Bradley Manning

After the US Government detained Bradley Manning, many reports of mistreatment surfaced. Manning lived in solitary confinement for almost a year. He was forced to stand for hours on end, given little bedding, and was stripped of his clothing.  

John Kerry gave his two cents in 2011, two years before he became Secretary of State. Kerry excused Manning's abuse by saying, "There are concerns about what is happening, but a strong argument is being made that they’re trying to preserve his safety, they don’t want him harming himself, and using his own clothing to hang himself, or do something like that."

Kerry's comment aligned with military official statements which said Manning, due to a history of depression, needed to be on suicide watch.