Soldier accused of filter to WikiLeaks faces first hearing before a judge

Bradley Manning soldier, accused by greater leakage of confidential information in the history of United States, yesterday appeared Friday for the first time in public, at the beginning of a hearing before a court martial, in the case of the WikiLeaks site.

Much of the arguments concentrate on the question of whether the Government considered unduly certain information secret era when in fact it did not represent security risks national.

However, the case long-postponed before the military court was interrupted by legal disputes soon after they started.

The defence requested that the official who presides over the process, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza, recusara the case for alleged bias.

Almanza rejected the request and refused to suspend the hearing while explored the appeal.

Manning, accused of being the source of the secret military and diplomats disclosed the WikiLeaks Web site u000aHe seemed relaxed but seriously, in a camouflage uniform and black frame glasses, while watching in silence

On the day that served 24 years, took notes during the proceedings at Fort Meade, a post of the army between Washington and Baltimore.

Sometimes it jugueteó with a pen between his fingers and responded directly when requested by Almanza.

"Yes, Sir", replied Manning when asked if he understood the charges against him. "No, Sir," said asked if I had any doubt about the allegations.

Today Saturday, the Prosecutor's Office begin to present its case. Manning, of 23 years and former intelligence analyst stationed in Baghdad, is accused of helping the enemy by filter hundreds of thousands of secret documents that were to stop at the portal of WikiLeaks.

Iraq and Afghanistan among such documentation had records on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, cablegráfica communication of the u000aState Department and a secret military video, on the attack of an American helicopter in Iraq, which left 11 dead, including a Reuters photographer and his driver.

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A threat diplomatic
the Government of President Barack Obama said that the disclosed information threatened valuable military and diplomatic sources, and strained the country's relationship with other Governments. But the defense of Manning argumentará that much of the information norepresentaba risk. In addition to the issue of bias, counsel said that Almanza improperly denied a request by the defence to call as witnesses to "the original authorities that classified" as secret material published by WikiLeaks. Instead, Almanza accepted statements of those people, who did not speak under oath, said the lawyer of Manning, David Coombs".

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