Alleged WikiLeaks Soldier Bradley Manning Accused of 'Aiding the Enemy'

Bradley Manning, the Army private accused of providing a treasure trove of classified government documents to WikiLeaks, is facing new charges in the case, including an allegation of "aiding the enemy," his lawyer said today.

The most serious of the 22 new counts is Article 104, which is for "aiding the enemy -- giving intelligence to the enemy," David E. Coombs, who is representing Manning in the court-martial proceedings, wrote on his Twitter page.

U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is accused of secretly downloading classified documents and giving them to WikiLeaks.

"The new charges more accurately reflect the broad scope of the crimes that Pfc. Manning is accused of committing," Capt. John Haberland, a legal spokesman for the Military District of Washington, told The Associated Press.

Manning is suspected of downloading hundreds of thousands of documents, many classified, onto a CD while stationed in Kuwait, and then providing the information to the secret-spilling website, which has posted many of the leaked documents online.

WikiLeaks has not confirmed that Manning is the source of the leak, though it has said it is contributing to his defense fund.

Though aiding the enemy is a capital offense, the Army said it is not seeking the death penalty. If Manning is convicted on all charges, however, he could face life in prison.

The former Army intelligence analyst is being held at the Marine Corps Base Quantico brig in Quantico, Va. His lawyer has been battling to have Manning removed from a "prevention of injury" watch.