| We now have a first-hand account of what compelled Bradley Manning to carry out the biggest leak of government secrets in American history. He told the military court he'd been appalled by the "bloodlust" of a helicopter mission in Iraq, video of which he passed on to Wikileaks. He said that while serving in Iraq, he'd become depressed at what he called America's "obsession" with capturing and killing human targets. And that the American people should know the "true costs of war". As for the leaked State Department cables, Private Manning said they "documented backdoor deals and criminality" unbecoming of a superpower, and insisted his conscience was clear. The military judge accepted the defendant's plea of guilty to 10 of the 22 counts. But Bradley Manning denies the most serious charge of aiding America's enemies, a charge which potentially carries a life sentence. Prosecutors have indicated that they plan to push ahead with a full court martial in the summer. |
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