Pfc. Bradley Manning, 25, pleaded guilty to misusing classified material on Thursday, but he declined to plead on the more serious charge — aiding the enemy, according to a report by The Associated Press.
His court martial trial is set for June 3. It promises to be dramatic; at root, is the largest leak of government documents and secrets in the history of the United States.
SEE RELATED: Disgraced WikiLeaker Pfc. Bradley Manning admits to 10 of 22 charges
“I believe that if the general public … had access to the information,” said Mr. Manning, during testimony reported by Reuters, “this could spark a domestic debate as to the role of the military and foreign policy in general.”
Mr. Manning gave the information to WikiLeaks for distribution and posting.
He’s been jailed at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia for more than three years and could face life behind bars, if convicted on the charge of aiding the enemy, Reuters said. Already, he faces up to 20 years for the 10 lesser charges on misuse of classified information that he pleaded guilty to Thursday.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Straight talk on climate science, energy economics, and public policy.
Uncensored exploration of issues concerning current events, civil liberties, American political advocacy, and the political and social issues facing military veterans.
Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
13 Photos
Vietnam Memorial adds four names
18 Photos
Cinco de Mayo on the Mall
11 Photos
NRA kicks off annual convention
8 Photos
