This article is from the archive of our partner .
WikiLeaker Bradley Manning's confinement is not quite as cushy as that of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is under house arrest in an ornate British mansion. Manning is in solitary confinement at a military prison in Quantico, Virginia, and is permitted one hour of exercise a day--walking in figure eights in an empty room. (Sit-ups are forbidden.)
The military says Manning is being treated like any other prisoner--with chances to exercise outdoors, access to TV and newspapers--and that he has "adequate bedding," an assertion at odds with Manning's description of weird, heavy, carpet-like blankets. David House visited Manning at Quantico and, writing at FireDogLake, insists that "that the Pentagon’s public spin ... sharply contradicts the reality ... In his five months of detention, it has become obvious to me that Manning’s physical and mental well-being are deteriorating." House explains that Manning is under a Prevention of Injury order, which is typically given to soldiers when they move to a new facility and lifted when they pass a psychological evaluation. But Manning's been under a POI for five months, and is not considered a suicide threat.