US Military Judge Retains Key Charge Against Intelligence Leaker Manning

by VOA News July 18, 2013

A U.S. military judge has refused to dismiss the most serious charge against the Army private who gave a massive cache of classified files to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Colonel Denise Lind, the judge at the court-martial of Army private first class Bradley Manning, rejected a call by his lawyers to drop a charge of aiding the enemy. If convicted of the charge, Manning could face life in prison without parole.

The judge said that the 25-year-old Manning was 'knowingly providing intelligence to the enemy.'

Manning has acknowledged handing 700,000 classified files, combat videos and State Department diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. He had access to the material as a U.S. intelligence analyst in Iraq in 2009 and 2010.

Manning has already pleaded guilty to some charges in connection with the disclosures and faces up to 20 years imprisonment for those offenses. The government, in accusing Manning of aiding the enemy, claims that he knew that by releasing the documents to WikiLeaks he would help al-Qaida militants in their fight against U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The judge is still considering a defense request to drop other charges against Manning.