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July 20, 2012

Judge Rejects Bid by Manning Lawyers to Cite Evidence Leak Caused No Harm 
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A military judge has rejected a bid by attorneys for the alleged U.S.
Army whistleblower Bradley Manning to cite evidence showing the leak for
which he is accused caused no damage to the United States. Manning’s
attorneys had sought to present "damage assessment" reports that
evaluated the impact of the publication of government diplomatic cables
that Manning allegedly provided to Wiki Leaks. Internal government
reviews have found the leak caused minimal damage, contradicting
prosecutors’ contention that Manning harmed national security and
aided U.S. foes. But on Thursday, the judge overseeing Manning's
military trial rejected the effort, saying the impact of the leak is
irrelevant to Manning's case. The judge also rejected a defense request
to present testimony from United Nations rapporteur Juan Mendez, who has
said the U.S. government's treatment of Manning may amount to torture.

 

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