Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, the U.S. intelligence analyst who made headlines in 2013 after leaking thousands of classified documents depicting abuse and torture being carried out by U.S. soldiers to WikiLeaks, recently took to The Guardian to share her thoughts on how the American military could best deal with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, colloquially known as ISIL or ISIS. They key to dismantling the jihadist group, Manning says, is to let its leaders prove how unsustainable its hypothetical caliphate would be in reality.

Let Isis succeed in setting up a failed state in a contained area and over a long enough period of time to prove itself unpopular and unable to govern, she reasons. This might begin to discredit the leadership and ideology of Isis for good.

Manning also points out that the U.S. isnt doing enough to combat ISISs well documented and effective use of social media to spread its propagandistic messages. In addition to a physical presence within Iraq and Syria, she says the U.S. needs to counter [ISISs] narrative that the organization uses to recruit youth fighters into its ranks.

Reactions to Mannings piece have been mixed, but generally positive. Ben Kesling, a marine Corps veteran and Wall Street Journal reporter, took issue with Mannings logic considering her rank at the time of her dishonorable discharge.

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Chelsea Manning Breaks Silence, Speaks Out On ISIS| Gay ...

Chelsea Manning has filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and other officials with the Department of Defense and Department of the Army over the governments failure to provide necessary medical treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition with which she was originally diagnosed by Army doctors more than four years ago, according to a statement on the legal challenge. Earlier this summer, Hagel approved the Armys recommendation to begin rudimentary level treatment, including allowing Manning to dress in accordance with female grooming standards and access hormone therapy, but has yet to make good on the announcement.

Manning, who is currently serving a 35 year prison sentence for leaking documents to WikiLeaks, is seeking a court order to obtain hormone therapy and access to other medical treatments recommended by her doctors. The government continues to deny Ms. Mannings access to necessary medical treatment for gender dysphoria, without which she will continue to suffer severe psychological harms, said Chase Strangio, an attorney in the ACLU Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender project who is also co-counsel on the case. Such clear disregard of well-established medical protocols constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Last month, Manning also released a statement demanding the treatment recommended by her doctors. This time last year I publicly asked that I be provided with a treatment plan, to bring my body more in line with my gender identity, she said. Unfortunately, despite silence, and then lip service, the military has not yet provided me with any such treatment.

In addition to access to medical treatment, the suit also demands that Manning be allowed to follow female grooming standards while in prison. In my daily life I am reminded of this when I look at the name on my badge, the first initial sewed onto my clothing, the hair and grooming standards that I adhere to and the titles and courtesies used by the staff, she said.

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care and the American Psychological Association support providing treatment to prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria. And advocates have continued to pressure the military to lift its ban on trans soldiers serving openly, and to provide trans-related medical care to all soldiers who require it.

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Chelsea Manning sues government to access recommended medical treatment