Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning KNEW leaking U.S. military reports would hurt Americans - but released them anyway, prosecutors say
- Assange and Manning had reason to believe that leaks 'would cause injury' to the country, prosecutors alleged in a newly unsealed court filing on Monday
- Reports from Afghanistan and Iraq wars included information about the 'identity and significance of local supporters of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan'
- U.S. raid on bin Laden's lair in Pakistan found a letter that showed the Al Qaeda leader was interested in copies of Pentagon documents published on WikiLeaks
- Prosecution's affidavit is dated Dec. 21, 2017, but was made public on Monday
- Assange is charged with conspiring to gain access to a government computer in one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning had reason to believe that leaking U.S. military reports 'would cause injury' to the country, federal prosecutors alleged in a newly unsealed court filing on Monday.
In the affidavit submitted to federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, prosecutors said U.S. military reports from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq included information about the 'identity and significance of local supporters of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan.'
When U.S. forces raided the compound in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was hiding out, for example, they found a letter that showed the Al Qaeda leader was interested in copies of Pentagon documents published on WikiLeaks, the prosecutors said.
Assange (pictured) and Manning had reason to believe that leaks 'would cause injury' to the country, prosecutors alleged in a newly unsealed court filing on Monday
Just hours after Assange’s arrest, U.S. prosecutors announced charges against him for conspiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, pictured, to gain access to a government computer
According to prosecutors, leaked reports on the Afghan war included information on militants' improvised explosive device designs and attacks, including details of U.S. and coalition countermeasures against such home-made explosive devices and their limitations.
The prosecution's affidavit is dated Dec. 21, 2017, but was made public on Monday.
It follows the unsealing last week of a U.S. indictment charging Assange with conspiring with Manning to gain access to a government computer as part of one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history.
Lawyers for Assange could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.
They have previously said Assange may be at risk for torture and his life would be in danger if he were to be extradited to the United States to face charges.
Assange's father John Shipton has urged the Australian government to intervene and bring him back to his home country.
Assange is charged with conspiring to gain access to a government computer in one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history
Assange was thrown out of his Ecuador embassy bolthole in London where he had been given refuge since 2012
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British police arrested Assange at Washington's request after Ecuador revoked his seven-year asylum on Thursday. He took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a preliminary sexual assault investigation.
He was dragged out of the embassy in London and is being held in prison while he faces extradition to the United States. His seven-year stay at the embassy in London cost the South American country £5million, Ecuador's government said.
The U.S. indictment, originally issued in secret by an Alexandria, Virginia-based grand jury in March 2018, said Assange in March 2010 engaged in a conspiracy to help Manning crack a password for a classified U.S. government network.
In the unsealed affidavit, prosecutors said Manning also had access to other U.S. government databases, including one relating to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a State Department database containing military cables.
Julian Assange arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday
The United States wants Assange for one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history.
Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, was jailed on March 8 after being held in contempt by a judge in Virginia for refusing to testify before a grand jury in what is widely believed to be related to the Assange investigation.
She was convicted by court-martial in 2013 of espionage and other offences for furnishing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks while an intelligence analyst in Iraq.
Former President Barack Obama commuted the final 28 years of Manning’s 35-year sentence.
Assange hauled before Westminster Magistrate's on Thursday where he was found guilty of failing to surrender to the court.
He could face up to 12 months in a UK prison when he is sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, but is wanted in the US for the hacking charges and in Sweden for sexual assault offences.
But he is set to challenge any extradition attempts in the Supreme Court with an army of top-shot barristers.
His arrest came after the Ecuadorian government ended his asylum status, saying it was tired of his 'discourteous' behaviour and poor personal hygiene, which reportedly included smearing faeces on the walls of the country's London embassy.
Security footage that has come to light over the weekend has show Assange skateboarding through the embassy.
Unable to exercise outside, Assange reportedly caused mayhem with his skateboard, left dirty dishes out and blasted loud music.
Julian Assange was captured skateboarding through the Ecuadorian embassy wearing in shorts in security footage
