https://www.hks.harvard.edu/announcements/statement-dean-elmendorf-regarding... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/18/i-did-the-best-i-could-chels... https://www.thedailybeast.com/chelsea-manning-im-not-going-to-be-intimidated... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/15/chelsea-manning-harvard-kenn... https://www.eff.org/press/releases/whistleblower-chelsea-manning-techdirt-fo... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWE6YSquJ3g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIbpjsqk8eo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSx1VG8UnF8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGitzTGqA5s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ-00dy6yD4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENjMCfqQDn8 ‘An Historic Embarrassment for American Academia’ In a confusing statement following the CIA pressure, Harvard’s Douglas Elmendorf called extending the fellowship to Manning “a mistake.” Elmendorf said the initial invitation to her was defensible but neglected the impact of the “perceived honor that it implies to some people,” which opened up Harvard to criticism for hypocrisy in honoring, among others, Sean Spicer, who repeatedly lied from the White House podium as President Trump’s press secretary. Manning’s invitation to address students of the school’s Institute of Politics was denounced by Mike Pompeo, the CIA director who cancelled an appearance at Harvard on Thursday, and by former deputy director of the agency Mike Morell, who resigned his own visiting fellowship in protest at what the two men described as the honoring of a “traitor”. Details of the phone call were shared with the Guardian by a source who was present at the time of the conversation. Manning had just stepped off stage in San Francisco where she was receiving a global freedom of information award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). When Elmendorf reached Manning on the phone he sounded audibly nervous, the source said. He argued that Harvard had to “weigh” what each visiting fellow “brought to the table”. They noted what they suggested was the absurdity of honouring two prominent members of a presidential campaign notorious for its bending of the truth and controversial stances on race issues in America. Elmendorf further alienated the Manning team by responding that Spicer and Lewandowski “brought something to the table” and could teach the Harvard audience something. That, for the recipients of the phone conversation, implied that the whistleblower by contrast had nothing to contribute. Elmendorf’s decision to roll over just hours after the two CIA figures protested has put the dean in a tight corner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q488IYqfohQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6-3SxHV_z8