Sensitive Secrets And The Enemy

Private First Class Bradley Manning was found guilty of several very serious charges in a United States military court on July 30, 2013.  Incarceration looms large for him.  However, Manning was acquitted of the extremely serious charge of "aiding the enemy."  The prosecution's theory in pursuing the latter charge was that the sensitive military information Manning published to the whole world could assist specific enemies of the U.S., including terrorists.  However, the court was not persuaded.  If he had turned the same information over only to specific enemies, the result might have been different.  This may seem inconsequential in the face of the severe penalties facing Manning.  However, if upheld by other courts, the principle of general publication not "aiding the enemy" could be vitally important to other potential wikileakers.