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    December 16, 2011

Wikileaks Suspect to Appear in US Court

   VOA News
   Private First Class Bradley Manning (File)
   Photo: AP
   Private First Class Bradley Manning (File)

   The U.S. Army soldier accused of leaking thousands of classified and
   sensitive documents to the anti-secrecy website Wikileaks will make his
   first public appearance in court Friday.
   Prosecutors will make the case for a court martial military trial
   against Private First Class Bradley Manning, 23, during the opening of
   his pre-trial hearing at Fort Meade in the eastern state of Maryland.
   The former intelligence analyst is accused of illegally downloading
   hundreds of thousands of sensitive files while serving on a military
   base near Baghdad, Iraq between November 2009 and May 2010.
   He allegedly shared the documents with Wikileaks, which began
   publishing them in July 2010.
   The leaked files, which include diplomatic cables, military reports,
   and videos of U.S. air strikes, have roiled the international
   community, often providing blunt and unflattering U.S. views of world
   leaders' private and public lives.
   U.S. officials say the scandal has put lives in danger, threatened
   national security and undermined American efforts to work with other
   countries.
   Manning faces several charges, including "aiding the enemy," which is a
   capital offense. Prosecutors have said they will not seek the death
   penalty. However, Manning could spend the rest of his life in prison if
   convicted.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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