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Bradley Manning's plea explained: live chat at 2pm ET Friday Bradley Manning's plea explained: live chat at 2pm ET Friday
(7 months later)
Bradley Manning, the 25-year-old soldier accused of the biggest unauthorised disclosure of state secrets in US history, has pleaded guilty to being the source of the leak, telling a military court that he passed the information to a whistleblowing website because he believed the American people had a right to know the "true costs of war".Bradley Manning, the 25-year-old soldier accused of the biggest unauthorised disclosure of state secrets in US history, has pleaded guilty to being the source of the leak, telling a military court that he passed the information to a whistleblowing website because he believed the American people had a right to know the "true costs of war".
Manning read out a 35-page statement on Thursday in which he gave an impassioned account of his motives for transmitting classified documents and videos he had obtained while working as an intelligence analyst outside Baghdad:Manning read out a 35-page statement on Thursday in which he gave an impassioned account of his motives for transmitting classified documents and videos he had obtained while working as an intelligence analyst outside Baghdad:
We were obsessed with capturing and killing human targets on lists and ignoring goals and missions. I believed if the public, particularly the American public, could see this it could spark a debate on the military and our foreign policy in general [that] might cause society to reconsider the need to engage in counter-terrorism while ignoring the human situation of the people we engaged with every day.We were obsessed with capturing and killing human targets on lists and ignoring goals and missions. I believed if the public, particularly the American public, could see this it could spark a debate on the military and our foreign policy in general [that] might cause society to reconsider the need to engage in counter-terrorism while ignoring the human situation of the people we engaged with every day.
So what's next for Manning? Ed Pilkington has been tracking pretrial proceedings and will take your questions in a live chat Friday from 2pm to 3pm ET.So what's next for Manning? Ed Pilkington has been tracking pretrial proceedings and will take your questions in a live chat Friday from 2pm to 3pm ET.
Some questions to consider: Some questions to consider:
• Why did Manning make a "naked plea" – ie one that isn't part of a deal bargain with the prosecution?• Why did Manning make a "naked plea" – ie one that isn't part of a deal bargain with the prosecution?
• Where is Bradley Manning at in the pre-trial process?• Where is Bradley Manning at in the pre-trial process?
• What else was notable about his 35-page statement? What stood out to reporters in the courtroom?• What else was notable about his 35-page statement? What stood out to reporters in the courtroom?
Set a reminder and join us at 2pm ET Friday:Set a reminder and join us at 2pm ET Friday:
More Bradley Manning coverage:More Bradley Manning coverage:
• Manning plea statement: Americans had a right to know 'true cost of war'• Manning plea statement: Americans had a right to know 'true cost of war'
• Manning says he first tried to leak to Washington Post and New York Times• Manning says he first tried to leak to Washington Post and New York Times
• Bradley Manning pleads guilty to 10 charges but denies 'aiding the enemy'• Bradley Manning pleads guilty to 10 charges but denies 'aiding the enemy'
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