Defense attorney: Bradley Manning a whistleblower


July 26, 2013 at 11:45a.m.

Defense attorney: Bradley Manning a whistleblower

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is a whistleblower who wanted to inform the American public about the troubling things he saw in the war zone, and the soldier is willing to pay the price for giving secrets to WikiLeaks, his defense attorney said today.

During closing arguments, attorney David Coombs disputed what prosecutors said a day earlier, that Manning was a traitor whose only mission as an intelligence analyst was to give classified information to the anti-secrecy website and bask in the attention.

“He’s not seeking attention. He saying he’s willing to accept the price” for what he has done, Coombs said.

Manning, 25, is charged with 21 offenses, but the most serious is aiding the enemy. A conviction on that charge could land him in prison for the rest of his life.