Suspect US army whistleblower appears in court

 (BBC): A US Army analyst suspected of leaking government secrets is set to make his first military court appearance. Bradley Manning faces charges of obtaining and distributing government secrets – which he allegedly leaked to the anti-secrecy website Wikileaks. The Article 32 hearing will determine whether Pte Manning is to stand trial and is the first opportunity for his defence team to present their case. Pte Manning was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 and is held in military custody. The hearing is taking place under tight security at an army base in Maryland.

During the Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a pre-trial hearing, both prosecuting and defence lawyers will make their initial cases and are permitted to cross-examine witnesses.
Proceedings are expected to last around five days, after which recommendations will be made to a military general, who will decide whether to proceed to a full trial, according to his lawyer, David Coombs.

Go to article