Afghan leaked documents provider must get death penalty: GOP leader

WASHINGTON - Michigan Republican Representative Mike Rogers believes the death penalty should be applied in the case of Army Private First Class Bradley Manning if the accused provider of nearly 80,000 secret intelligence documents to WikiLeaks is found guilty by military tribunal.

“The death penalty clearly should be considered here. He clearly aided the enemy to what may result in the death of U.S. soldiers or those cooperating. If that is not a capital offense, I don’t know what is,” Politico quoted Rogers, as saying.

The 22-year-old Manning has been named a “person of interest” in the WikiLeaks investigation and was transferred last week from Kuwait to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, while the Army decides whether to press charges.

Manning has not spoken publicly since being taken into custody, but WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has strongly defended the Army private, calling him a “political prisoner” during a recent news conference. (ANI)