LEAD: Court martial recommended for WikiLeaks suspect Manning

Jan 12, 2012, 22:40 GMT

Washington - US army soldier Bradley Manning, suspected of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, will likely face court martial, according to a recommendation released Thursday.

The military's investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul Almanza recommended that the charges that include aiding the enemy be referred to a general court martial, according to a statement released by the US military.

If convicted he could face life in prison. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, which was a possibility in the case.

A final decision will be made by the Special Court Martial Convening Authority, the statement said.

WikiLeaks gained international notoriety starting in late 2010, when it published thousands of documents in the international media, causing diplomatic embarrassment and alleged security breaches for the United States.

The Bradley Manning Support Network in a statement called for the 22 charges to be consolidated into three counts, expressing concerns that the military was over charging Manning.

'We're disappointed but by no means surprised,' said Jeff Paterson, a lead organizer for the Bradley Manning Support Network.

'The investigating officer showed no concern for the conflict of interest caused by his dual employment with the Justice Department,' he said.

Alamanza, the investigating officer who referred the charges to court martial, refused to recuse himself despite the objections by the defence attorney that his employer - the Justice Department - is pursuing a separate investigation into WikiLeaks.

Alamanza was also criticized for allowing all of the military's witnesses and evidence to be presented while prohibiting all but two of the defence witnesses from testifying.

Hundreds of supporters demonstrated last month outside the Fort Meade, Maryland, hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence for him to face court martial.