Oral history interview with Chelsea E. Manning, 2022
Abstract
Chelsea Manning, who became a whistleblower while serving as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst, reflects on her upbringing, military service, and 2013 conviction by court-martial of violations of the Espionage Act and related laws. She describes the vibrant community of young technologists of which she was a part around the time of President Obama's 2008 election, and shares memories of her service in Iraq, arrest in May 2010, and extended detention in Kuwait. Manning focuses on the domestication of the methods and practices of the global war on terror, and discusses how her treatment illustrates the United States's drift toward authoritarian governance. Manning also recounts the lack of adequate psychological support for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, her efforts to access gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgery during the period of her incarceration, the experience applying for and receiving Obama's commutation of her sentence in 2017, and the continuity in military and intelligence policies between the Bush and Obama administrations
Presidents--United States; Veterans; War on Terrorism, 2001-2009; Prisoners--Health services accessibility--United States; Gender transition--United States; Whistle blowers--Government policy--United States; Leaks (Disclosure of information)--United States; Manning, Chelsea, 1987-; Obama, Barack; WikiLeaks (Organization); United States; Espionage Act of 1917
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2022
Physical Description
46 pages
Note (Biographical)
Chelsea Manning joined the U.S. Army in 2007, where she was trained as an intelligence analyst. She became a whistleblower in 2010 when she disclosed classified documents to WikiLeaks. In 2013, she was convicted by court-martial for violations of the Espionage Act and related laws. Her sentence was commuted by President Obama in 2017
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on January 11, 2022. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Chelsea E. Manning, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022