Manning's Wikileaks Actions Show 'Arrogance'

Prosecutors in the trial of the US soldier who is accused of leaking classified information say he was driven by arrogance.

涉嫌向“维基解密”网泄露大量美军机密文件的美国陆军一等兵布拉德利?曼宁在马里兰州米德堡军事基地出庭受审。他面对21项指控，包括最严重的通敌罪和依据1917年间谍法所起诉的罪状。如果罪名成立，最高刑期可达154年。

新闻背景：

2010年5月，现年25岁的曼宁在伊拉克首都巴格达附近被捕。他被控于2009年11月至2010年5月担任驻伊美军情报分析员期间，将70万份以上有关伊拉克、阿富汗情况的高度机密情报和美国外交机密文件提供给“维基解密”网站。被泄漏的军事文件披露了美军在伊拉克和阿富汗的行动导致平民死亡的情况，而遭泄漏的外交电报则揭露了多国领袖和美国高官对一些敏感问题的看法。

曼宁表示愿承认部分罪行，其中包括违反军事纪律，这一项罪名就可以使他坐牢20年。不过，他否认政府对他的最严厉指控，即他有意协助“基地”组织等美国的敌人。在米德堡进行的这项审讯预期将持续到8月底，检方已表示将传唤100名以上证人出庭。

曼宁的支持者争辩说，他的行动揭示了战争最黑暗的角落，暴露了美国外交政策的决策背景。曼宁的法律辩护小组表示，他遭到了美军人员过度粗暴的拘留，因此他将得到在最终的监禁判决中减少112天的处理。报道称，此案之所以拖延至今，一是起诉程序和工作复杂，二是对曼宁的拘留引发极大争议。此案已成为美国民权斗士指控政府的典型个案。

厄瓜多尔外长帕蒂诺谴责英国侵犯维基解密创始人阿桑奇的人权。他表示，阿桑奇已经有近1年时间没有见到阳光，这是一个很严重的问题，而且做这件事的是一个四处宣扬人权的国家。对此，英国外交部回应，英国正在考虑厄瓜多尔方面提出的要求，就阿桑奇的去留问题举行会谈

Bradley Manning admits he is responsible for what'sconsidered the largest ever leak of secret US government documents. But hedenies that his actions aided the enemy, a charge that could see him in prisonfor life. The former US army intelligence analyst is accused of sendingclassified material to the Wikileaks website. It included 250,000 diplomaticcables and thousands of battlefield reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. Theyincluded this gunsight video of the US helicopter attack in Iraq. It shows Apachehelicopters killing 12 civilians in Baghdad in 2007. At the hearing inFebruary, Manning compared the footage to children, torturing ants withmagnified glass.

In this slideshow, the prosecution showed what analleged quote from Manning, it read: if you had access to classified networks14 hours a day, 7 days a week for 8 plus months, what would you do? They wenton to say that his actions for what happens when arrogance meets access.

The Obama administration said the leaks compromisedvaluable military and diplomatic sources that will put real people at risk.

"It's taken 3 years for Bradley Manning's case toget to trial but that hasn't lessened the interest from around the world. 70news outlets are packed into the media room for a trial that’s due to lastaround three months .Because of its extreme sensitivity involved, a lot oftestimonies will be closed. There’ll be no access for the public and media.”

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who is still in theEcuadorean Embassy in London where he first sought the refugee nearly a yearago, says the court martial is a show trial.

“Free Bradley Manning.”

A view shared by Manning supporters who see him as aheroic whistleblower. Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to 10 of the 22charges against him. That could mean a jail term of 20 years. If found guiltyin the remaining 11, he may never be released.

Amanda Walker, Sky news, Fort Meade, Maryland.