Wikileaks source Bradley Manning guilty of espionage but not ‘aiding enemy’

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted to a security vehicle outside a courthouse in Fort Meade, Maryland, July 18, 2013, after a court martial hearing. Col. Denise Lind, the military judge overseeing Manning’s trial, found Wikileaks’ source Army Private First Class Bradley Manning guilty of several counts of espionage on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, but cleared him of the charge of “aiding the enemy” for giving classified secrets to WikiLeaks. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

FORT MEADE, Maryland—A US military judge found Wikileaks’ source Army Private First Class Bradley Manning guilty of several counts of espionage on Tuesday but cleared him of the charge of “aiding the enemy” for giving classified secrets to WikiLeaks.

The charge was the most serious of 21 counts. It carried a possible life sentence without parole.

Manning was convicted of five espionage counts, five theft charges, a computer fraud charge and other military infractions.

The 25-year-old acknowledged giving the anti-secrecy website hundreds of thousands of battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and videos in early 2010.

Manning said he didn’t believe the information would harm troops in Afghanistan and Iraq or threaten national security.

Despite being cleared on the most serious charge, Manning will still face a lengthy prison term for his breaches of the espionage act when a sentencing hearing begins Wednesday.