Witnesses say actor – who ran a drama project in a Palestinian refugee camp – was shot five times by masked men An Israeli actor and peace activist who ran a drama project in a Palestinian refugee camp has been shot dead by masked men, metres from the theatre he founded. Juliano Mer Khamis, 52, had received threats for his work in Jenin in the northern West Bank but continued to divide his time between Jenin and Haifa in the north of Israel. Witnesses said he was shot five times. Mer Khamis appeared in a number of Israeli films after his first film role in the 1984 production of the John Le Carre novel The Little Drummer Girl, about Mossad’s hunt for a PLO bomber. He was born to a Jewish mother and an Arab Christian father. His mother, Arna, was renowned for setting up a theatre group in Jenin during the first Intifada which started in 1987. Mer Khamis directed the film Arna’s Children, which celebrated her work, which he continued after her death in 1994. His wife, Jenny, a Finn, is pregnant with twins. She heard of his death from Israeli radio. Mer Khamis’s body was transported to an Israeli checkpoint, from where it was taken to Tel Aviv for a postmortem examination. While his work was widely appreciated by Palestinians, his bringing together of young men and women angered conservative Muslim elements in Jenin. In addition to threats, fire bombs were thrown at the theatre. However the project was supported by local militants. Zakaria Zubeidi, a leader of the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, frequented the theatre as a child. Kadura Musa, governor of Jenin, said: “He was a Palestinian citizen of Israeli origin. An actor and an artist but most of all a true human being. We don’t know why this happened, but all the people of the camp condemn the death of this son of ours whose mother also did so much for the people of Jenin.” Alaa Eddin Saadi lives next to the theatre, and said that Mer Khamis was shot while in a car also carrying his one-year old son and his nanny, who was wounded in the hand. “I don’t think he was killed because he was Jewish. Some people were angry with the liberal values he was promoting at the theatre, but to me he was a very nice guy who worked hard for the people here.” Israel Palestinian territories Middle East Theatre Conal Urquhart guardian.co.uk
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Customers of Barclaycard US, Capital One and other companies warned after attack on marketing email provider Epsilon Computer hackers have stolen the names and email addresses of millions of people in one of the largest internet security breaches in US history. The names and email addresses of customers of Barclaycard US, Capital One and other large firms were taken in an attack on the marketing email provider Epsilon last week. British customers of Barclays Bank, which owns Barclaycard US, were not affected. A spokesman for Barclaycard US confirmed to the Guardian that it would continue to work with Epsilon despite the breach. Other information, such as passwords or credit card details, are not thought to have been exposed. However, some banks have warned customers to expect fraudulent emails attempting to solicit further login details. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which investigates data breaches of this kind, said it was making inquiries into whether any Britons were among those affected. Epsilon, which provides marketing services via email to about 2,500 companies, put a warning on its website on Friday stating that its systems had been “exposed by an unauthorised entry” into its email system. Epsilon said it would not be comment further on the breach when contacted by the Guardian. It is not yet known who perpetrated the attack, which US law enforcement agencies have begun investigating. “The information that was obtained was limited to email addresses and/or customer names only,” Epsilon said in its statement. “A rigorous assessment determined that no other personal identifiable information associated with those names was at risk. A full investigation is currently underway.” Over the weekend, dozens of Epsilon clients began to warn customers that their email addresses may have been stolen. Some of the largest financial institutions in the US, such as JPMorgan and Citigroup, are among the companies affected. Best Buy and Walt Disney subsidiary Disney Destinations also began warning its customers about the security breach. The list of companies affected is expected to continue to grow. TiVo, the US video-on-demand company, wrote to its customers on Sunday morning: “Please note, it is possible you may receive spam email messages as a result. We want to urge you to be cautious when opening links or attachments from unknown third parties.” A list of millions of email addresses with their source is likely to be incredibly lucrative for so-called “phishing” scams, where credible-looking emails are sent to people soliciting other sensitive information, such as bank account details. “Losing your email address via a service to which you already belong makes it much easier for scammers to hit you with emails which match your existing interests, at least loosely,” said Paul Ducklin of internet security firm Sophos. “That, in turn, can make their fraudulent correspondence seem more believable.” The attack has drawn parallels with other large-scale computer infiltrations, most notably the Heartland Payment Systems breach of 2008. More than 40m bank account details were stolen in that attack, conducted by a criminal gang led by notorious hacker Albert Gonzalez. Gonzalez was later sentenced to 20 years in prison. Last month an Iranian hacker claimed he stole digital security certificates used for online transactions by some of the web’s largest sites, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Skype. Data and computer security Hacking United States Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk
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Lawyer for victims of Lockerbie bombing and IRA attacks using Libyan-supplied Semtex meets revolutionary leaders in Benghazi A British lawyer representing victims of the Lockerbie bombing is meeting Libya’s revolutionary leaders in pursuit of evidence a senior rebel claims to have that Muammar Gaddafi ordered the attack. Jason McCue, head of the Libya Victims Initiative, is also seeking “an apology from the Libyan people” for the blowing up of the Pan Am flight in 1988 and the country’s supply of explosives used in IRA attacks. McCue said he had been invited to Benghazi by the chairman of its interim governing council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who served as Gaddafi’s justice minister. Jalil has said publicly that he has evidence of the Libyan leader’s involvement in the Lockerbie bombing but has not elaborated further. McCue is also seeking redress for 150 British families who were victims of IRA attacks. “There are evidential issues, particularly on Lockerbie. Jalil has made indications that he has evidence linking Gaddafi to it. We’ve fought for years and never had that information. It’s about getting that evidence [and] getting apologies which are worth their weight in gold to the victims,” he said. McCue is ruling out new litigation for now, saying that would be the wrong time to sue individuals such as Moussa Koussa, Gadaffi’s foreign minister who has defected to Britain and who allegedly established Libya’s relationship with the IRA. McCue said Gaddafi’s backing for the IRA probably continues to claim lives because the explosives that killed a Northern Ireland police officer in Omagh at the weekend likely came from the Semtex supplies sent by Libya in the 1980s. “I would not be surprised if Omagh was Libyan Semtex,” said McCue. “There were tonnes of Semtex. Gaddafi was waging war on the United Kingdom in this way.” The lawyer said the invitation from the revolutionary leadership had been welcome after attempts to negotiate with the regime in Tripoli proved futile. “We have been in talks for two years with the Gaddafi regime,” he said. “The arrogance of those that we spoke to on behalf of the regime and what was coming back down, apparently from Gaddafi, was disgusting. It does not surprise, the human rights atrocities he has committed in the last few weeks here.” McCue said that he believed an apology to victims of terrorist attacks sponsored by Libya would help establish the revolutionary leadership asbona fide supporters of human rights. “The IRA victims have never had an apology off the Gaddafi regime … Likewise the Lockerbie families have never had an unequivocal apology. It’s always been tongue-tied,” he said. “The Libyan people, it is so important for them to express their sorrow for what that regime did … and it’s important for the international victims to hear that. I think that is absolutely essential.” Asked if that should mean that the British people should apologise to Libyans for helping to prop up Gaddafi following the rapprochement with the west in recent years, including the training of his military, McCue said: “I know that the victims I’m representing spoke out very loudly against that rapprochement.” Lockerbie plane bombing Global terrorism UK security and terrorism Scotland Libya Middle East Muammar Gaddafi Chris McGreal guardian.co.uk
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enlarge Credit: Kloppenburg Are You Ready for April 5th? OK, you may be asking what’s so special about April 5th? It’s true that Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe on that day. And FDR signed executive order 6102 which is blowing Glenn Beck’s mind even now because it forbids the hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by U.S. citizens. But that’s not why it’s important to our Blue America community. Can you guess yet? April 5th is the day that Wisconsin will hold it’s Supreme Court election and in light of the unprecedented actions of Tea Party Governor Scott Walker, a very important choice will be made that day Conservative Justice David Prosser is up for re-election against Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg, and he’s made no bones about the fact that he is a Conservative. At this moment the court is divided 4-3 in favor of conservatives and it’s Wisconsin’s first chance to show their support for all public union workers who have been fighting for their right to collectively bargain — and possibly give the court a majority to overturn the law. The Koch Brothers and their puppet Governor can fill their pockets with more of your hard earned money. Aren’t you tired of being treated like an ATM machine for corporations? Maybe you’re thinking, “why should I care? I don’t live in Wisconsin?” It’s a fair question. The problem is that Walker’s extremism is spreading like Ebola and it threatens the rights of every working family in the United States. Ohio Tea Party convert Governor John Kasich has already signed into law Senate Bill 5 , which dramatically reduces the power of unionized state workers, including firefighters and teachers. And that’s just for starters Still Not Convinced? Gov. Paul LePage (R) of Maine, who recently pulled down a mural which depicted working class people because hard working people must terrify him and his Republican legislators, who are trying change child labor laws laws which would make it legal to increase the amount of hours a child can work and decrease their hourly wage to 5.25 an hour for the first 180 hours. Are you almost there? Florida Tea Party Governor Rick Scott just signed an executive order requiring new state workers to submit to mandatory drug testing which could cost the state millions of dollars. Oh, isn’t every state in financial trouble right about now hence all these radical steps to cut costs all over the country? What’s next, maybe drug testing five year old’s if they cry too much in school? And guess what? There happens to be a company in Florida named Solantic and one of the most popular services they provide is drug testing and guess who co-founded it? Yep, Rick Scott. (Sure, he had to divest his interests in it to be Governor. But wouldn’t you know it — the controlling shares are now are now entrusted to his wife .) No conflict of interest there, right? I could go on and on. but I know you’re in now. So please, GOTV for Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg ; defeat Conservative Justice David Prosser and be at the forefront of leading American back on the track to normalcy before we’re all forced to wear “I Love The Koch Brothers” t-shirts. Optional; And if you can spare to throw a few bucks to Blue America PAC to help us organize against these draconian measures, we’d appreciate it.
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Concert conducted by Sir Simon Rattle will be shown in 140 UK cinemas as orchestras hope the technology will raise funds When Sir Simon Rattle brought the Berlin Philharmonic to London for a series of rapturously received concerts in February, tickets rapidly disappeared. But fans who missed out will get another chance to see the acclaimed orchestra in cinemas next month, and for the first time in 3D. Britain’s most celebrated conductor is aiming to reach new audiences by screening 3D concerts in hundreds of cinemas across the world, including 140 in Britain. The technology aims to give cinemagoers the sensation of not only sitting in the front rows but right among the orchestra, offering close-ups of the virtuoso players. The first film features a performance of Mahler’s First Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, recorded in Singapore. Rattle, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, is hoping to replicate the success of opera, ballet and theatre in cinemas. The Metropolitan Opera in New York has reached 1,500 screens in 46 countries and last season tripled its audience, selling a record 2.4m tickets and raising $48m. The latest season looks set to earn $60m, an indication of the potential. Cineworld and Empire are among the UK cinema chains that will show the Berlin Philharmonic concert on 9 May, under the watchful eye of other orchestras. If it proves popular, such concerts could be lucrative as public funding is cut. The initial experiment is a recorded concert, but live performances are next. The concerts could also raise the profile of classical music’s unsung heroes – the rank-and-file musicians overshadowed by soloists and conductors. Stanley Dodds, a violinist with the Berlin Philharmonic, spoke of his excitement: “Nothing of its kind has ever been done before. It gives the feeling of being in an orchestra. When you see the winding tubes of a horn, or a very nice old Italian violin in 3D, you feel you could touch it. You can observe the concentration and intensity of the musicians’ facial expressions and body language.” Kate Pidgeon, of Arts Alliance Media, said the UK film distributor had jumped at the chance to take on world-class classical music. The Berlin Philharmonic’s recent concerts in London were sold out and drew rave reviews, suggesting there is a huge potential audience for classical music. She said: “If you live in Derby or Stroud, it’s a big effort to trek to London for a great performance. At your local cinema, you can go to a concert for the price of a cinema ticket rather than hundreds of pounds with travel and hotels.” Days after the Arts Council cut its grants to symphony orchestras, Horace Trubridge of the Musicians’ Union spoke of the potential for other orchestras: “UK orchestras are on red alert for any kind of new idea that’s going to help them get through this period. They are stripped to the bone in terms of their funding. The only way they’re going to survive is by developing new audiences.” Berlin Philharmonic 3D Arts funding Classical music Dalya Alberge guardian.co.uk
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By sealing up cells full of contaminated pollen, bees appear to be attempting to protect the rest of the hive Honeybees are taking emergency measures to protect their hives from pesticides, in an extraordinary example of the natural world adapting swiftly to our depredations, according to a prominent bee expert. Scientists have found numerous examples of a new phenomenon – bees “entombing” or sealing up hive cells full of pollen to put them out of use, and protect the rest of the hive from their contents. The pollen stored in the sealed-up cells has been found to contain dramatically higher levels of pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals than the pollen stored in neighbouring cells, which is used to feed growing young bees. “This is a novel finding, and very striking. The implication is that the bees are sensing [pesticides] and actually sealing it off. They are recognising that something is wrong with the pollen and encapsulating it,” said Jeff Pettis, an entomologist with the US Department of Agriculture . “Bees would not normally seal off pollen.” But the bees’ last-ditch efforts to save themselves appear to be unsuccessful – the entombing behaviour is found in many hives that subsequently die off, according to Pettis. “The presence of entombing is the biggest single predictor of colony loss. It’s a defence mechanism that has failed.” These colonies were likely to already be in trouble, and their death could be attributed to a mix of factors in addition to pesticides, he added. Bees are also sealing off pollen that contains substances used by beekeepers to control pests such as the varroa mite , another factor in the widespread decline of bee populations . These substances may also be harmful to bees, Pettis said. “Beekeepers – and I am one – need to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask what we are doing,” he said. “Certainly [the products] have effects on bees. It’s a balancing act – if you do not control the parasite, bees die. If you control the parasite, bees will live but there are side-effects. This has to be managed.” The decline of bee populations has become an increasing concern in recent years. “Colony collapse disorder” , the name given to the unexplained death of bee colonies, is affecting hives around the world. Scientists say there are likely to be numerous reasons for the die-off , ranging from agricultural pesticides to bee pests and diseases, pollution, and intensive farming, which reduces bee habitat and replaces multiple food sources with single, less nutritious, sources. Globalisation may also be a factor, as it spreads bee diseases around the world, and some measures taken to halt the deaths – such as massing bees in huge super-hives – can actually contribute to the problem, according to a recent study by the United Nations . The loss of pollinators could have severe effects on agriculture, scientists have warned. Pesticides were not likely to be the biggest single cause of bee deaths, Pettis said: “Pesticide is an issue but it is not the driving issue.” Some pesticides could be improving life for bees, he noted: for many years, bees were not to be found near cotton plantations because of the many chemicals used, but in the past five years bees have begun to return because the multiple pesticides of old have been replaced with newer so-called systemic pesticides. Studies he conducted found that bees in areas of intensive agriculture were suffering from poor nutrition compared with bees with a diverse diet, and this then compounded other problems, such as infection with the gut parasite nosema . “It is about the interaction of different factors, and we need to study these interactions more closely,” he said. The entombing phenomenon was first noted in an obscure scientific paper from 2009 , but since then scientists have been finding the behaviour more frequently, with the same results. Bees naturally collect from plants a substance known as propolis , a sort of sticky resin with natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities. It is used by bees to line the walls of their hives, and to seal off unwanted or dangerous substances – for instance, mice that find their way into hives and die are often found covered in propolis. This is the substance bees are using to entomb the cells. The bees that entomb cells of pollen are the hives’ housekeepers, different from the bees that go out to collect pollen from plants. Pettis said that it seemed pollen-collecting bees could not detect high levels of pesticides, but that the pollen underwent subtle changes when stored. These changes – a lack of microbial activity compared with pollen that has fewer pesticide residues – seemed to be involved in triggering the entombing effect, he explained. Pettis was speaking in London, where he was visiting British MPs to talk about the decline of bee populations, and meeting European bee scientists. Bees Wildlife Insects Conservation Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk
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NUJ criticises Met’s ‘fishing trip’, warning journalists of risks being seen as ‘information gatherers’ BBC journalists have been asked if they would be willing to hand over unbroadcast footage of last month’s march against government cuts in central London, as part of the Metropolitan police’s investigation into violence at the demonstration. The initial approaches to reporters prompted a swift reaction from the NUJ, whose general secretary warned journalists of the risks of handing over any of their material to the police. It is understood that detectives from the Met have contacted a number of people in BBC News about the possibility of obtaining unseen material of the event. A hard core of militant activists caused extensive damage in London’s West End at the end of the protest organised by the TUC on 26 March. Officially, a spokesman for the Metropolitan police said it was currently “considering” requesting media organisations for unbroadcast footage. However, unofficial contact already appears to have been made with some journalists at the BBC, prompting the National Union of Journalists general secretary Jeremy Dear to release a statement. Dear described it as to be a “fishing trip” and warned of the hazards of journalists being seen as “information gatherers” for the police. “The NUJ has a long and proud record in fighting to protect journalists faced with actions over sources or journalistic material,” said Dear in an email to NUJ members. He added: “It is important we do not allow the police to use journalists as information gatherers for their purposes. Such a move places all journalists at greater risk when covering public order issues and stops sources coming forward. The NUJ stance has been confirmed in various cases before the UK and European courts.” Dear said a number of NUJ members at the BBC had received emails regarding police attempts to secure unbroadcast material from the demonstration. He said he had also written to the BBC urging them to make “strong representations” in defence of the confidentiality of journalists’ material and their sources. A Metropolitan police spokeswoman said: “As part of the investigation into the serious disorder and violence committed in the West End on Saturday 26 March, detectives are considering requesting unbroadcast footage from media organisations. “This is regularly a consideration for those responsible for investigating these incidents and is done after careful consideration as to its necessity. “Such footage is obtained via an application to the crown court, made under the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984. As part of this process all parties are able to put forward arguments, should they wish to do so.” The police can use the courts to access journalistic material provided they can show it is in the public interest or of substantial value to an investigation, and that they have taken all reasonable measures to obtain the material. Police used court orders to seize TV footage of clashes between protestors and police ahead of the G8 summit in 2005 . No official police requests have so far been put into either ITN or Sky. The BBC was unavailable for comment at the time of publication. Detectives from Operation Brontide – the team investigating the disorder – today released 18 images of people they want to identify following the violence around Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly and Oxford Street areas of central London. •
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Welsh MP says UK must challenge US over treatment of marine being detained for alleged leak of state secrets to WikiLeaks Britain risks losing its moral authority if it fails to officially challenge the US government on its “cruel and uneccessary” treatment of the US marine Bradley Manning, parliament is to be told. Ann Clwyd, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on human rights, will on Monday evening say UK’s credibility in “places where human rights are not nearly so well observed” is at risk. She will call on the government to offer practical support to the British-based relatives of Manning, who is currently imprisoned on a US marine base, accused of leaking state secrets to the WikiLeaks website. “I do not want us to get drawn into a discussion of the rights and wrongs of the WikiLeaks revelations. I would like us now to concentrate on the current conditions of detention for Bradley Manning,” Clywd is expected to say at the adjournment debate speech. “Manning’s case is important because of the message it sends out to the rest of the world about what kind of treatment the United States thinks is acceptable for people in detention. And, for us, it is important what we say – or what we don’t say – because of the message that it sends out about what kind of treatment we in the United Kingdom and in the UK government think is acceptable. “That matters in places where human rights are not nearly so well observed. People will pay attention in China and in Russia. And in Libya where we want to be on the side of those fighting for freedom from state repression. “And most of all in Afghanistan: It matters to those UK and US service personnel fighting in Afghanistan what kind of image Britain and the US have in the world.” Clwyd will draw on her experiences during the seven years she spent as special envoy to Iraq on human rights. “It is my view that some of the greatest damage was caused to British and American efforts in Iraq when the stories of prisoner abuse emerged,” she will say. “It undermined our moral authority at a time when we needed to explain that we were fighting for a better future for Iraq “The United States – and the UK, in the way we respond to actions of the US – needs to preserve that moral authority if we are to have a positive impact on the world and lead by example.” Praising The Guardian’s coverage of Manning’s treatment in the US, Clwyd said she would be willing to visit the solider if his family asked her to. “I have read the several accounts of Bradley’s treatment which have appeared in the press – some very good accounts have been in the Guardian and from David Leigh in particular,” she will say. But the account to which she has paid most attention is Bradley’s own, in which he complains of “improper treatment” and “unlawful pre-trial punishment”. Clwyd is the only politician to have directly questioned the foreign secretary, William Hague, over the government’s position on Manning. She has sponsored an early day motion calling for the government to raise the case with the US administration. The motion is supported by 37 MPs, including co-sponsors Peter Bottomley, Jeremy Corbyn, Mark Durkan and Paul Flynn. Hague has previously said the UK government has not intervened because Manning’s lawyer has said the soldier “does not hold a UK passport, nor does he consider himself a UK citizen”. “Our standing on this matter is limited,” Hague said during a parlimentary debate last month. “[Manning] is not asking for our help, nor considering himself British.” But Clwyd is expected to call Hague’s response a red herring. She will point out that Manning’s mother, Susan, is Welsh and lives in Pembrokeshire, where Manning lived between the ages of 13 and 17. and she will point to calls from Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, for his client’s detention status to be changed. Manning’s treatment in the military prison in Quantico, Virginia, “ignores the repeated recommendations of the marine corps’ own appointed psychiatrists”, Coombs has said. His treatment “serves no purpose other than to humiliate and degrade Bradley Manning. I regard it as cruel and unnecessary.” Human Rights Watch has called on the US government to “explain the precise reasons behind extremely restrictive and possibly punitive and degrading treatment” that Manning alleges he has received. Amnesty International has said “Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. This is particularly disturbing when one considers that he hasn’t even been brought to trial, let alone convicted of a crime.” The UN special rapporteur on torture is understood to have raised his concerns with the US administration and is waiting for a response. Clwyd quoted a recent column written for the Guardian by PJ Crowley , who resigned as spokesman for the US state department after criticising Manning’s treatment, in which he repeated his conviction that it was “ridiculous, counterproductive, and stupid”. Bradley Manning Foreign policy US military US national security WikiLeaks United States Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
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Welsh MP says UK must challenge US over treatment of marine being detained for alleged leak of state secrets to WikiLeaks Britain risks losing its moral authority if it fails to officially challenge the US government on its “cruel and uneccessary” treatment of the US marine Bradley Manning, parliament is to be told. Ann Clwyd, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on human rights, will on Monday evening say UK’s credibility in “places where human rights are not nearly so well observed” is at risk. She will call on the government to offer practical support to the British-based relatives of Manning, who is currently imprisoned on a US marine base, accused of leaking state secrets to the WikiLeaks website. “I do not want us to get drawn into a discussion of the rights and wrongs of the WikiLeaks revelations. I would like us now to concentrate on the current conditions of detention for Bradley Manning,” Clywd is expected to say at the adjournment debate speech. “Manning’s case is important because of the message it sends out to the rest of the world about what kind of treatment the United States thinks is acceptable for people in detention. And, for us, it is important what we say – or what we don’t say – because of the message that it sends out about what kind of treatment we in the United Kingdom and in the UK government think is acceptable. “That matters in places where human rights are not nearly so well observed. People will pay attention in China and in Russia. And in Libya where we want to be on the side of those fighting for freedom from state repression. “And most of all in Afghanistan: It matters to those UK and US service personnel fighting in Afghanistan what kind of image Britain and the US have in the world.” Clwyd will draw on her experiences during the seven years she spent as special envoy to Iraq on human rights. “It is my view that some of the greatest damage was caused to British and American efforts in Iraq when the stories of prisoner abuse emerged,” she will say. “It undermined our moral authority at a time when we needed to explain that we were fighting for a better future for Iraq “The United States – and the UK, in the way we respond to actions of the US – needs to preserve that moral authority if we are to have a positive impact on the world and lead by example.” Praising The Guardian’s coverage of Manning’s treatment in the US, Clwyd said she would be willing to visit the solider if his family asked her to. “I have read the several accounts of Bradley’s treatment which have appeared in the press – some very good accounts have been in the Guardian and from David Leigh in particular,” she will say. But the account to which she has paid most attention is Bradley’s own, in which he complains of “improper treatment” and “unlawful pre-trial punishment”. Clwyd is the only politician to have directly questioned the foreign secretary, William Hague, over the government’s position on Manning. She has sponsored an early day motion calling for the government to raise the case with the US administration. The motion is supported by 37 MPs, including co-sponsors Peter Bottomley, Jeremy Corbyn, Mark Durkan and Paul Flynn. Hague has previously said the UK government has not intervened because Manning’s lawyer has said the soldier “does not hold a UK passport, nor does he consider himself a UK citizen”. “Our standing on this matter is limited,” Hague said during a parlimentary debate last month. “[Manning] is not asking for our help, nor considering himself British.” But Clwyd is expected to call Hague’s response a red herring. She will point out that Manning’s mother, Susan, is Welsh and lives in Pembrokeshire, where Manning lived between the ages of 13 and 17. and she will point to calls from Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, for his client’s detention status to be changed. Manning’s treatment in the military prison in Quantico, Virginia, “ignores the repeated recommendations of the marine corps’ own appointed psychiatrists”, Coombs has said. His treatment “serves no purpose other than to humiliate and degrade Bradley Manning. I regard it as cruel and unnecessary.” Human Rights Watch has called on the US government to “explain the precise reasons behind extremely restrictive and possibly punitive and degrading treatment” that Manning alleges he has received. Amnesty International has said “Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. This is particularly disturbing when one considers that he hasn’t even been brought to trial, let alone convicted of a crime.” The UN special rapporteur on torture is understood to have raised his concerns with the US administration and is waiting for a response. Clwyd quoted a recent column written for the Guardian by PJ Crowley , who resigned as spokesman for the US state department after criticising Manning’s treatment, in which he repeated his conviction that it was “ridiculous, counterproductive, and stupid”. Bradley Manning Foreign policy US military US national security WikiLeaks United States Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
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Welsh MP says UK must challenge US over treatment of marine being detained for alleged leak of state secrets to WikiLeaks Britain risks losing its moral authority if it fails to officially challenge the US government on its “cruel and uneccessary” treatment of the US marine Bradley Manning, parliament is to be told. Ann Clwyd, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on human rights, will on Monday evening say UK’s credibility in “places where human rights are not nearly so well observed” is at risk. She will call on the government to offer practical support to the British-based relatives of Manning, who is currently imprisoned on a US marine base, accused of leaking state secrets to the WikiLeaks website. “I do not want us to get drawn into a discussion of the rights and wrongs of the WikiLeaks revelations. I would like us now to concentrate on the current conditions of detention for Bradley Manning,” Clywd is expected to say at the adjournment debate speech. “Manning’s case is important because of the message it sends out to the rest of the world about what kind of treatment the United States thinks is acceptable for people in detention. And, for us, it is important what we say – or what we don’t say – because of the message that it sends out about what kind of treatment we in the United Kingdom and in the UK government think is acceptable. “That matters in places where human rights are not nearly so well observed. People will pay attention in China and in Russia. And in Libya where we want to be on the side of those fighting for freedom from state repression. “And most of all in Afghanistan: It matters to those UK and US service personnel fighting in Afghanistan what kind of image Britain and the US have in the world.” Clwyd will draw on her experiences during the seven years she spent as special envoy to Iraq on human rights. “It is my view that some of the greatest damage was caused to British and American efforts in Iraq when the stories of prisoner abuse emerged,” she will say. “It undermined our moral authority at a time when we needed to explain that we were fighting for a better future for Iraq “The United States – and the UK, in the way we respond to actions of the US – needs to preserve that moral authority if we are to have a positive impact on the world and lead by example.” Praising The Guardian’s coverage of Manning’s treatment in the US, Clwyd said she would be willing to visit the solider if his family asked her to. “I have read the several accounts of Bradley’s treatment which have appeared in the press – some very good accounts have been in the Guardian and from David Leigh in particular,” she will say. But the account to which she has paid most attention is Bradley’s own, in which he complains of “improper treatment” and “unlawful pre-trial punishment”. Clwyd is the only politician to have directly questioned the foreign secretary, William Hague, over the government’s position on Manning. She has sponsored an early day motion calling for the government to raise the case with the US administration. The motion is supported by 37 MPs, including co-sponsors Peter Bottomley, Jeremy Corbyn, Mark Durkan and Paul Flynn. Hague has previously said the UK government has not intervened because Manning’s lawyer has said the soldier “does not hold a UK passport, nor does he consider himself a UK citizen”. “Our standing on this matter is limited,” Hague said during a parlimentary debate last month. “[Manning] is not asking for our help, nor considering himself British.” But Clwyd is expected to call Hague’s response a red herring. She will point out that Manning’s mother, Susan, is Welsh and lives in Pembrokeshire, where Manning lived between the ages of 13 and 17. and she will point to calls from Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, for his client’s detention status to be changed. Manning’s treatment in the military prison in Quantico, Virginia, “ignores the repeated recommendations of the marine corps’ own appointed psychiatrists”, Coombs has said. His treatment “serves no purpose other than to humiliate and degrade Bradley Manning. I regard it as cruel and unnecessary.” Human Rights Watch has called on the US government to “explain the precise reasons behind extremely restrictive and possibly punitive and degrading treatment” that Manning alleges he has received. Amnesty International has said “Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. This is particularly disturbing when one considers that he hasn’t even been brought to trial, let alone convicted of a crime.” The UN special rapporteur on torture is understood to have raised his concerns with the US administration and is waiting for a response. Clwyd quoted a recent column written for the Guardian by PJ Crowley , who resigned as spokesman for the US state department after criticising Manning’s treatment, in which he repeated his conviction that it was “ridiculous, counterproductive, and stupid”. Bradley Manning Foreign policy US military US national security WikiLeaks United States Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
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