Army: Bradley Manning Fit to Stand Trial

Out of Quantico, and Out of Solitary Confinement

Putting an end to nine months of evaluation, Pfc. Bradley Manning has been ruled fit to stand trial by Army psychiatrists. The military has yet to set any date for hearings related to charges he was responsible for leaking documents to WikiLeaks.

The ruling came as no surprise, although there was some concern about Manning’s deteriorating condition due to his mistreatment at Quantico. The delays were largely related to the psychiatrists having to be cleared to have information on the case.

With the screening out of the way, Manning is also out of Quantico, and appears to be receiving much better treatment at the medium-security facility at Fort Leavenworth. Officials with the new prison say he will have the exact same treatment as everyone else awaiting trial.

If convicted, Manning could face life in prison. It is widely expected that he will be detained for quite some time longer before he actually sees a trial, however. His lawyers have also said it is possible all the charges may have to be dropped against him owing to his mistreatment at Quantico.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.