The US government claims to have proof that WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning knowingly passed state secrets to a location where it would almost certainly be obtained by enemy groups.
According to Captain Joe Morrow, evidence presented during an upcoming court martial will prove the former army intelligence analyst sent classified data to a “very definite place” used by the enemy.
Unsurprisingly, Morrow’s claims were disputed by Manning’s civilian lawyer David Coombs.
“We [still] haven’t seen any evidence that the government has provided by discovery that supports any knowledge that the information would be obtained by the enemy,” he said in a statement quoted by the UK-based Guardian.
“If I’m a government official and I’m concerned by some aspect of government practice, and I go to the New York Times with information, and the newspaper publishes it, have I now aided the enemy?”
As the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently noted, the Pentagon is attempting is attempting to hold Manning accountable for helping Al Qaeda, even though he allegedly passed information to WikiLeaks which is considered a third party.
ACLU reps recently warned this could set a dangerous precedent in which “the threat of criminal prosecution hangs over any service member who gives an interview to a reporter, writes a letter to the editor, or posts a blog on the Internet. In its zeal to throw the book at Manning, the government has so overreached that its ‘success’ would turn thousands of loyal soldiers into criminals.”
As TG Daily previously reported, Pfc. Bradley Manning faces a total of 22 charges – including aiding the enemy – after thousands of classified documents allegedly downloaded by the former intelligence analyst ended up on WikiLeaks.
Manning’s court martial is currently scheduled for September, but may be postponed due to ongoing legal wrangling. If found guilty, the Pfc. is likely to spend the rest of his life in a military brig without the possibility of parole.
