US News

Bradley Manning arraignment scheduled for Feb. 23

WASHINGTON — Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of leaking confidential US diplomatic and military cables to WikiLeaks, will be arraigned Feb. 23, the military announced Thursday.

Manning has been charged with aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the internet, theft of public property or records, transmitting defense information, fraud and other related charges.

The 24-year-old faces life in prison if convicted of aiding the enemy — the most serious of the charges he is facing.

The arraignment is scheduled to take place at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland at 1:00pm local time on Feb. 23.

Investigators testified at a December hearing that contact information for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as well as the leaked cables and classified information, were found on Manning’s computer and digital storage devices.

His classified leaks included Afghanistan and Iraq war reports, State Department cables, Guantanamo detainee assessments and videos of US airstrikes.

Manning’s attorneys said at the December hearing that the military had “overcharged in this case” and urged a reduction in the charges to carry a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Manning hails from Oklahoma and served in Iraq from November 2009 until he was arrested in May 2010.

Army Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington made the decision to bring Manning to a court martial earlier this month after accepting the recommendations of lower-ranking officers charged with overseeing the investigation.