(Jose Luis Magana / AP)
Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse at Fort Meade, Md., June 28 after the start of the fourth week of his court-martial.
The government called its 28th and final live witness this week as the prosecution wrapped up its case in the Bradley Manning court martial.
In addition to bringing in a Defense Intelligence Agency official for a closed-door testimony, the prosecution presented two key pieces of evidence that could prove Manning information leaks aided al-Qaida.
They cited an al-Qaida propaganda video in which an American member of the group referred to information from the leak. Additionally, battlefield reports and other information Manning leaked were found on digital media seized during the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.
The previous week, the Manning defense won a key battle when judge Col. Denise Lind made a ruling on a crucial piece of evidence in the trial.
A 2007 helicopter video taken in Baghdad, in which American troops fired on civilians and killed two Reuters journalists, has been admitted into evidence by the prosecution.
The prosecution argues that the video should be considered classified because it could reveal American aviation tactics and strategies.
The defense, however, submitted a statement from a former U.S. Central Command official that the video is not sensitive and should be unclassified. The video, marketed by WikiLeaks as “Collateral Murder,” is a major piece of the prosecution’s argument that Manning’s information leak could have deadly affects on American troops.
The prosecution rested its case July 3 before the holiday weekend. The trial is scheduled to resume July 8.
