Enemy Not Aided
An Army judge has acquitted WikiLeaks-leaker Bradley Manning on the most serious charge he faced: aiding the enemy. “Had Manning been convicted of aiding the enemy, he would have faced a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Civil libertarians feared that a conviction on that charge, which has not been used since the Civil War, would have sent a chilling message to would-be government whistle-blowers.” Manning, who already pleaded guilty to several counts and was convicted of others today, still faces a maximum jail term of 130 years.