Was WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning recklessly risking the lives of countless soldiers or a well-intentioned trumpeter of government transparency? On Monday, this debate began at Manning’s court-martial trial, with the military prosecutor saying he was no ordinary leaker, and “systematically harvested hundreds of thousands of classified documents” and dumped them into enemy hands. His defense lawyer countered that Manning was “naïve” but selective, and “only released documents because he was hoping to make the world a better place.” The trial is expected to last 12 weeks, and Manning has already pleaded guilty to 10 charges, which could carry up to a 20-year sentence.
