Pentagon Papers Leaker Decries Manning Prosecution in WikiLeaks Case

The prosecution of the U.S. Army private accused of turning over classified documents to WikiLeaks is part of an "unprecedented" campaign against whistle-blowers, the man behind the Pentagon Papers says.

Bradley Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, classified information, is confined to a brig at Quantico, Va., awaiting court-martial proceedings. The Army on Wednesday announced 22 additional charges against him, including a count alleging he provided intelligence to the enemy -- a capital offense.

It's part of a growing trend of the government going after whistle-blowers, Daniel Ellsberg said today in a conference call organized by a group that supports Manning.

In 1971, Ellsberg provided The New York Times with the Pentagon Papers -- a top-secret Defense Department history of the U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The papers revealed that four administrations had misled the public about the war.

In prosecuting Manning, the Obama administration is waging a "campaign against whistle-blowing that is unprecedented," Ellsberg said.

He said the number of prosecutions directed against whistle-blowers under the Obama administration is double the number of all previous administrations.

Ellsberg also dismissed claims that what he did is different than the allegations against Manning. He pointed out that President Richard Nixon once accused him of being guilty of treason -- a legal charge that was never actually levied against him.

Ellsberg said news reports about his actions are "getting more positive as a foil for Manning."

The new charge accusing Manning of aiding the enemy "is the most significant of the charges," retired Lt. Col. Jon Shelburne, a former judge advocate general, said on the conference call.

Those new charges upped the stakes for Manning, who now instead of facing 52 years in prison, could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, he added.

The Army has told Manning's lawyer that it will not seek the death penalty.

Manning is expected to remain in detention until court-martial hearings. He is being held in a maximum-security brig under a "prevention of injury" watch. His lawyer has protested the watch, saying it is unwarranted based on Manning's mental state and goes against the recommendations of psychologists who have examined him.

"There was a point he appeared almost catatonic," David House, a friend who frequently visits Manning at Quantico, said during the conference call.

In his most recent visit, however, he said Manning appeared somewhat better and was able to engage in conversation, though his mental state still appeared poor.

The Marine Corps has argued that Manning is not being singled out for harsh treatment, a claim supported by Shelburne, who said that Manning was not facing conditions radically different from those of other prisoners awaiting court-martial. "They were treated the same," he said.

House, however, argued that the prevention-of-injury watch places additional unnecessary restrictions on Manning.

Earlier today, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell defended Manning's treatment, saying he had visited the brig. But David Coombs, Manning's lawyer, said the description did not capture the Army private's conditions.

"While it may be the case that Mr. Morrell has visited the Brig, he has not 'visited' PFC Manning," he wrote in a statement posted on his website. "Specifically, he has never spoken with PFC Manning or had any interaction with PFC Manning."