Thanking Bradley Manning

Ghulamai thought through the ironic process of how governments designate some documents 'secret', and how he would presume that the person who shares those secrets was a 'criminal'. But Ali said that governments chiefly hide 'secrets' from the public to maintain power. Hakim asked Abdulhai to imagine himself as the head of a government or of a large family. 'If you are working for the good of the family or the state, would you need to do things secretly?' he asked.

'No', Abdulhai replied. 'If I have power, and I am truly working for the best interests of my people, I will not need to do things in secret.'

There was a keen conversation about who Bradley Manning was and what he did. Bradley Manning's own words, which journalists had to actually smuggle out of his pre-trial hearing, described how Bradley's mind had largely been made up by watching the secret video that he would come to release under the title 'Collateral Murder':

'They dehumanized the individuals they were engaging and seemed to not value human life by referring to them as quote "dead bastards" unquote and congratulating each other on the ability to kill in large numbers. At one point in the video there's an individual on the ground attempting to crawl to safety. The individual is seriously wounded. Instead of calling for medical attention to the location, one of the aerial weapons team crew members verbally asks for the wounded person to pick up a weapon so that he can have a reason to engage. For me, this seems similar to a child torturing ants with a magnifying glass.

'While saddened by the aerial weapons team crew's lack of concern about human life, I was disturbed by the response of the discovery of injured children at the scene. In the video, you can see that the bongo truck driving up to assist the wounded individual. In response the aerial weapons team crew-- as soon as the individuals are a threat, they repeatedly request for authorization to fire on the bongo truck and once granted they engage the vehicle at least six times.'

Together, the APVs watched the deeply disturbing 'Collateral Murder' video itself. They were avid to learn what they could do to support and thank Bradley Manning. Yet they're aware of the risks faced by people who organize public demonstrations in Afghanistan.

It's far easier to stand up for Bradley where I live, back in the U.S. I hope many more of us will devote the time and energy we owe this young man for risking everything, as he did, to enlighten us and the world.

The Afghan Peace Volunteers are eager for ways to link with others worldwide to express thanks and concern for a remarkably brave and conscience-driven 25-year old man whose courage and whose light is so acutely needed in this darkening time. I've seen the fierce light of these young people and, knowing them, I'm certain that others will be seeing it too in the years ahead. Are we readying signals with which to answer them, are we preparing ways to show people like them, and like Julian Assange, and like Bradley Manning, that they are not alone?