Army Pfc. Bradley Manning Suspect in WikiLeaks Afghan Documents Case
Posted:
07/29/10
Investigators are zeroing in on Pft. Bradley Manning as a prime suspect in the leaking of Afghanistan war documents between 2004 and 2009 to the website WikiLeads, which posted the reports earlier this week.
A defense official told the Wall Street Journal that a search of Manning's computer turned up evidence that he had downloaded the war logs. It was not clear what exactly that evidence consisted of, and the defense source was not named. But the newspaper said officials are still going through Manning's computer files in an attempt to determine what else might be there.
Manning, 22, was detained in Kuwait before the WikiLeaks Afghan reports for allegedly mishandling and leaking classified data: a helicopter cockpit video of a deadly 2007 firefight in Baghdad. He reportedly bragged about leaking classified material to WikiLeaks before being taken into custody.
The FBI has been brought in to help the Army Criminal Investigative Command because of suspicions that civilians may have aided Manning. The newspaper said it sought comment from Manning's military lawyer, but got no immediate reaction.
WikiLeaks posted 76,000 classified reports and said it held back 15,000 more until some details are redacted. The White House condemned the massive leak and military officials say the posting of the names of Afghans who have helped allied forces could potentially put them in harm's way.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the document dump by WikiLeaks revealed tactics to the enemy and could endanger individuals who provided intelligence to the U.S. and its allies, The Los Angeles Times reported.
A defense official told the Wall Street Journal that a search of Manning's computer turned up evidence that he had downloaded the war logs. It was not clear what exactly that evidence consisted of, and the defense source was not named. But the newspaper said officials are still going through Manning's computer files in an attempt to determine what else might be there.
Manning, 22, was detained in Kuwait before the WikiLeaks Afghan reports for allegedly mishandling and leaking classified data: a helicopter cockpit video of a deadly 2007 firefight in Baghdad. He reportedly bragged about leaking classified material to WikiLeaks before being taken into custody.
The FBI has been brought in to help the Army Criminal Investigative Command because of suspicions that civilians may have aided Manning. The newspaper said it sought comment from Manning's military lawyer, but got no immediate reaction.
WikiLeaks posted 76,000 classified reports and said it held back 15,000 more until some details are redacted. The White House condemned the massive leak and military officials say the posting of the names of Afghans who have helped allied forces could potentially put them in harm's way.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the document dump by WikiLeaks revealed tactics to the enemy and could endanger individuals who provided intelligence to the U.S. and its allies, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Gates called the leaks a "major security breach" and said "the battlefield consequences are potentially severe and dangerous."