Bradley Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy
Published: 2013 July 30 22:19:09 (4256 Views)
US soldier Bradley Manning has been found not guilty of aiding the enemy after leaking government secrets to WikiLeaks.
However, a military judge found the intelligence analyst guilty of 19 lesser charges following the two month trial in Fort Meade, Maryland.
These include five espionage and five theft charges, computer fraud and other military infractions, which could see him sentenced to prison for 136 years.
American blogger Xeni Jardin tweeted that Manning flashed a "faint smile" as he was cleared of the most serious accusation - that he knowingly helped enemies of the US, most notably Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.
He had denied this offence, which carried a life sentence without parole.
Manning's lawyer David Coombs said outside court: "We won the battle, now we need to go win the war. Today is a good day, but Bradley is by no means out of the fire."
Manning will be sentenced on Wednesday.
WikiLeaks described Manning's espionage convictions as "dangerous national security extremism from the Obama administration" on Twitter.
Founder Julian Assange hailed him as a "hero" and said the espionage convictions set a "dangerous precedent".
"This was never a free trial. WikiLeaks will not rest until he is free," said Assange.
Manning's family said they were "disappointed in today's verdicts but happy that the judge agreed that Bradley never intended to help America's enemies", tweeted a Guardian journalist.
The verdict was delivered by Army Colonel Denise Lindfollows after she deliberated for about 16 hours over three days.
The 25-year-old had admitted giving the anti-secrecy website some 700,000 documents, pleading guilty to 10 lesser charges, including espionage and computer fraud.
Supporters hailed Manning as a whistleblower while the government called him an anarchist computer hacker and attention-seeking traitor following the most voluminous release of classified material in US history.
Manning has said he leaked the material to expose the US military's "bloodlust" and disregard for human life, and what he considered American diplomatic deceit.
He said he chose information he believed would not the harm the US and he wanted to start a debate on military and foreign policy. He did not testify at his trial.
The material WikiLeaks began publishing in 2010 documented complaints of abuses against Iraqi detainees, a US tally of civilian deaths in Iraq and America's weak support for the government of Tunisia.
Manning supporters said the last disclosure helped trigger the Middle Eastern pro-democracy uprisings known as the Arab Spring.
The Obama administration said the release threatened to expose valuable military and diplomatic sources and strained America's relations with other governments.
Prosecutors said during the trial Manning relied on WikiLeaks and its founder Assange for guidance on what secrets to "harvest" for the organisation.
Federal authorities are looking into whether Assange can be prosecuted.
He has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex-crimes allegations.
Following the verdict, Assange criticised the treatment of the soldier, saying he had been stripped, kept isolated and in a cage to "break" him.
Assange said there were two appeals within the US justice system as well as the Supreme Court, adding the only victim in the case had been the US government's "wounded pride".
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first reported Edward Snowden's disclosure of US surveillance programmes said Manning's acquittal on the most serious charge, represented a "tiny sliver of justice".
- Skynews
However, a military judge found the intelligence analyst guilty of 19 lesser charges following the two month trial in Fort Meade, Maryland.
These include five espionage and five theft charges, computer fraud and other military infractions, which could see him sentenced to prison for 136 years.
American blogger Xeni Jardin tweeted that Manning flashed a "faint smile" as he was cleared of the most serious accusation - that he knowingly helped enemies of the US, most notably Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.
He had denied this offence, which carried a life sentence without parole.
Manning's lawyer David Coombs said outside court: "We won the battle, now we need to go win the war. Today is a good day, but Bradley is by no means out of the fire."
Manning will be sentenced on Wednesday.
WikiLeaks described Manning's espionage convictions as "dangerous national security extremism from the Obama administration" on Twitter.
Founder Julian Assange hailed him as a "hero" and said the espionage convictions set a "dangerous precedent".
"This was never a free trial. WikiLeaks will not rest until he is free," said Assange.
Manning's family said they were "disappointed in today's verdicts but happy that the judge agreed that Bradley never intended to help America's enemies", tweeted a Guardian journalist.
The verdict was delivered by Army Colonel Denise Lindfollows after she deliberated for about 16 hours over three days.
The 25-year-old had admitted giving the anti-secrecy website some 700,000 documents, pleading guilty to 10 lesser charges, including espionage and computer fraud.
Supporters hailed Manning as a whistleblower while the government called him an anarchist computer hacker and attention-seeking traitor following the most voluminous release of classified material in US history.
Manning has said he leaked the material to expose the US military's "bloodlust" and disregard for human life, and what he considered American diplomatic deceit.
He said he chose information he believed would not the harm the US and he wanted to start a debate on military and foreign policy. He did not testify at his trial.
The material WikiLeaks began publishing in 2010 documented complaints of abuses against Iraqi detainees, a US tally of civilian deaths in Iraq and America's weak support for the government of Tunisia.
Manning supporters said the last disclosure helped trigger the Middle Eastern pro-democracy uprisings known as the Arab Spring.
The Obama administration said the release threatened to expose valuable military and diplomatic sources and strained America's relations with other governments.
Prosecutors said during the trial Manning relied on WikiLeaks and its founder Assange for guidance on what secrets to "harvest" for the organisation.
Federal authorities are looking into whether Assange can be prosecuted.
He has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex-crimes allegations.
Following the verdict, Assange criticised the treatment of the soldier, saying he had been stripped, kept isolated and in a cage to "break" him.
Assange said there were two appeals within the US justice system as well as the Supreme Court, adding the only victim in the case had been the US government's "wounded pride".
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first reported Edward Snowden's disclosure of US surveillance programmes said Manning's acquittal on the most serious charge, represented a "tiny sliver of justice".
- Skynews
0
You May Like These Videos
WATCH: Victims Narrate Ordeal After Being Clobbered By Riot Cops
FLASHBACK: Morgan Tsvangirai Won't Resign Despite Illness 
Police Violently Beat Harare Protesters 
Zimbabwean Man Who Was Shot By Tswana Employer Appeals For HelpComments
There are no comments.
Get Zim Metro Updates Alerts
Big Reads
Schoolgirl drops out after continuous 'sexual abuse' by teacher
by Staff Reporter | 2019 August 13 07:42:33
Mugabe Knows Nothing About The Zimbabwe Constitution: MP
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 08:12:02
Zim's Protesting Graduates Risk Losing Degrees For Expressing Anger Against Mugabe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:57:08
Troubled Harare Giants Dynamos Falls Into Another Deep Crisis
by Own Correspondent | 2016 October 01 07:49:17
Grace Mugabe Grovels At Mnangagwa, Says I Did Not Ask Ubaba To Fire You
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:31:48
Mugabe Attacks Mawarire, Claims The Exiled Pastor Failed To Divide Zimbabwe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:19:13
Shock As Local Bank Denies 'Rich' Mugabe's Son Heifty Credit
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 30 19:14:54Trouble For Police Officers Who Have Been Mercilessly Bludgeoning Protesters
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:20:19
Mugabe "Home Coming" And "Thank You" Rally On Cards
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 23 06:48:24
Prof Moyo Was Dumped By Western Embassies, Claims Mutsvangwa
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 10:08:07Broke RBZ Tracks Down Zimbabweans Living Outside The Country Over Taxi
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 09:16:20
You Are Too Old To Lead, Aging Zim President Mugabe Told
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 22 07:19:25
Anti-Corruption Commission Loses Property In Failed Probe
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 03:18:19
.jpg)
SHOCKING:14 Year Old HIV-Positive Boy Rapes 7 Pupils
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 00:04:55
