GOP rep. urges Manning's execution

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:02:24 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=137470&sectionid=3510203

A US congressman says the US army private who is suspected of leaking military documents to a whistleblower website should be sentenced to death if found guilty in court.

Speaking to the Michigan-based radio WHMI on Monday, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers said that Private Bradley Manning, who is held at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in northern Virginia, deserves the capital punishment.

"We know for a fact that people will likely be killed because of this information being disclosed," Rogers told the local radio, Fox News reported on Tuesday.

"That's pretty serious. If they don't charge him with treason, they ought to charge him with murder."

Member of the House Intelligence Committee argued that the leaked documents could result in the death of US soldiers.

"I argue the death penalty clearly should be considered here," he said. "He clearly aided the enemy to what may result in the death of US soldiers . . . If that is not a capital offense, I don't know what is."

Manning, who awaits possible trial on 12 offenses, is accused of leaking over 90,000 secret documents on Afghan war -- including untold killings of civilians by US-led forces -- to the Wikileaks website.

He is also accused of leaking a helicopter cockpit video showing US soldiers killing Iraqi civilians.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange insist that the military is "effectively keeping [Manning] away from the press and effective legal representation."