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| Bradley Manning: Closing arguments begin | Bradley Manning: Closing arguments begin |
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| Closing arguments have begun in the trial of the US soldier who disclosed hundreds of thousands of secret documents to the website Wikileaks. | Closing arguments have begun in the trial of the US soldier who disclosed hundreds of thousands of secret documents to the website Wikileaks. |
| Pte First Class Bradley Manning has already pleaded guilty to 10 of the more than 20 counts he faces. | Pte First Class Bradley Manning has already pleaded guilty to 10 of the more than 20 counts he faces. |
| Last week a military judge refused to dismiss the most serious charge against him, aiding the enemy, for which he could serve life in prison. | Last week a military judge refused to dismiss the most serious charge against him, aiding the enemy, for which he could serve life in prison. |
| The case is considered the largest-ever leak of secret US government documents. | The case is considered the largest-ever leak of secret US government documents. |
| Analysts say the verdict, to be decided by the judge alone, could have a big impact on future leakers. | Analysts say the verdict, to be decided by the judge alone, could have a big impact on future leakers. |
| Reduced sentence | Reduced sentence |
| Pte Manning, 25, has not denied his role in the leak, but in February said at a pre-trial hearing he had disclosed the documents to spark a public debate about US military and foreign policy. | Pte Manning, 25, has not denied his role in the leak, but in February said at a pre-trial hearing he had disclosed the documents to spark a public debate about US military and foreign policy. |
| His defence lawyer David Coombs argued there was no proof he had aided the enemy. Mr Coombs argued he was guilty of negligence but acted without the "general evil intent" required to justify the most serious charge. | |
| Mr Coombs has argued the former intelligence analyst was "young, naive and good-intentioned" when he arrived in Iraq in 2009, but soon became disillusioned. | Mr Coombs has argued the former intelligence analyst was "young, naive and good-intentioned" when he arrived in Iraq in 2009, but soon became disillusioned. |
| Military prosecutors maintain the leaks damaged national security and endangered American lives and those of foreign intelligence and diplomatic sources, and said Pte Manning used his military training and access to gain notoriety. | Military prosecutors maintain the leaks damaged national security and endangered American lives and those of foreign intelligence and diplomatic sources, and said Pte Manning used his military training and access to gain notoriety. |
| To obtain a conviction on the charge of aiding the enemy, prosecutors must prove Pte Manning acted with intent to aid the enemy and knowingly gave such adversaries US intelligence information. | To obtain a conviction on the charge of aiding the enemy, prosecutors must prove Pte Manning acted with intent to aid the enemy and knowingly gave such adversaries US intelligence information. |
| They have argued Pte Manning had "systematically harvested" documents, adding the accused must have known al-Qaeda operatives would see the leaked documents once they were made available online. | They have argued Pte Manning had "systematically harvested" documents, adding the accused must have known al-Qaeda operatives would see the leaked documents once they were made available online. |
| Judge Col Denise Lind last week declined to dismiss the aiding the enemy charge, ruling Pte Manning's training as an intelligence analyst showed he would have known about militant organisations' use of the internet. | Judge Col Denise Lind last week declined to dismiss the aiding the enemy charge, ruling Pte Manning's training as an intelligence analyst showed he would have known about militant organisations' use of the internet. |
| But it is still possible that Pte Manning will be acquitted of that charge. | But it is still possible that Pte Manning will be acquitted of that charge. |
| Among the items sent to Wikileaks was graphic footage of an Apache helicopter attack in 2007 that killed a dozen people in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, including a Reuters photographer. | Among the items sent to Wikileaks was graphic footage of an Apache helicopter attack in 2007 that killed a dozen people in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, including a Reuters photographer. |
| Other files leaked included thousands of battlefield reports from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as secure messages between US embassies and the state department in Washington. | Other files leaked included thousands of battlefield reports from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as secure messages between US embassies and the state department in Washington. |
| Pte Manning, was arrested in May 2010 while serving in Iraq. He spent weeks in a cell at Camp Arifjan, a US Army installation in Kuwait. | Pte Manning, was arrested in May 2010 while serving in Iraq. He spent weeks in a cell at Camp Arifjan, a US Army installation in Kuwait. |
| He was then transferred to the maximum-security prison at Quantico, Virginia, where he was locked up alone for 23 hours a day in a small cell for nearly nine months, and had to sleep naked for several nights. | He was then transferred to the maximum-security prison at Quantico, Virginia, where he was locked up alone for 23 hours a day in a small cell for nearly nine months, and had to sleep naked for several nights. |
| Whatever prison sentence Pte Manning receives will be reduced by 112 days, after a judge ruled he had suffered unduly harsh treatment during his initial detention following his arrest. | Whatever prison sentence Pte Manning receives will be reduced by 112 days, after a judge ruled he had suffered unduly harsh treatment during his initial detention following his arrest. |