Accused soldier seen as hero or traitor
By DAVID DISHNEAU
Associated Press
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — The man who leaked the Pentagon Papers says Bradley Manning is a hero if he leaked classified material to WikiLeaks. But one congressman has called for Manning's execution for alleged treason.
Contrasting images of the 23-year-old Army private will be showcased starting Friday at a hearing to determine if the military will court-martial him.
The case will be heard at Fort Meade, a military post between Baltimore and Washington.
Convictions could bring life imprisonment.
In online chats the soldier purportedly initiated last year with a man who turned him into the U.S. government, the man the military has identified as Manning wondered whether people will see him as him as an activist or a leaker.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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