Second only to Julian Assange, Bradley Manning is the most important figure in the Wikileaks controversy; his is alleged to have handed over hundreds of thousands of secret US war files and diplomatic cables. But, while the world watches Assange’s trial with baited breath, Manning is already wasting away in solitary confinement; this is the story of his daring intelligence heist. We hear the only recording of Bradley Manning’s voice and we listen to the logs of alleged conversations with the man who ultimately betrayed him. Manning, a US army private, claims that he released the cables because, “I was actively involved in something I was completely against”. That is according to the Internet chat room logs that are the basis for his imprisonment. Manning’s exact relationship with Wikileaks remains unclear and the source that uncovered him to the US government has been called into question. That source is Adrian Lamo. In an extraordinary interview he reveals how he came to know Bradley Manning, claiming the young soldier openly confessed to him his role in the WikiLeaks scandal. “I’m a high profile source … and I’ve developed a relationship with Assange”. Yet one of Lamo’s old friends Kevin Mitnick is suspicious of his evidence and his motives, “I call into question the authenticity of the chat logs, because I know his (Lamo) personality”. Manning’s alleged emphasis on his relationship with Assange takes on greater importance as we explore the disputes that have erupted …
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