“What is torture for? It’s really a way of getting false confessions. That’s what it does. That’s what it’s for.”-Daniel Ellsberg, former RAND Corporation employee turned anti-government activist

The UN special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, has formally accused the U.S. government of torturing one of their own citizens!!!

After 14 months of investigation, Mendez concluded that the arrest and detention of whistleblower, U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning, involved cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment!

Manning has been in military prison since 2010.  It included nearly 11 months of solitary confinement: “I conclude that the 11 months under conditions of solitary confinement (regardless of the name given to his regime by the prison authorities) constitutes at a minimum cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of article 16 of the convention against torture. If the effects in regards to pain and suffering inflicted on Manning were more severe, they could constitute torture.”

Manning was also forced to spend nights standing naked.  Yeah, real good example of being a beacon of hope to the World, United Police States of America!

Mendez says the U.S. Department of Defense fought his 14 month investigation every step of the way, never co-operating, and never allowing him to interview Manning (which is also a violation of international law).  Mendez believes one reason the U.S. tortured Manning was to get information they could use to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.