FORT MEADE, Md. — The classified information that Army Private First Class Bradley Manning disclosed through WikiLeaks put entire Afghan villages at risk of harm from the Taliban for cooperating with US forces, a Pentagon official testified Friday at the soldier's sentencing hearing.
Navy Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan, director of warfare integration, was director of operations for US Central Command, including Iraq and Afghanistan, when WikiLeaks began publishing the leaked information on its website in 2010.
Donegan was among the last two witnesses in the prosecution's sentencing case. He was followed by another Pentagon official, Marine Corps Major General Kenneth McKenzie, who testified in a closed session about the classified impact on long-range battle plans of the government secrets that Manning disclosed.
Manning's defense team will begin presenting evidence Monday in the court-martial. Defense attorney David Coombs said Manning will give a statement before the defense rests on Wednesday.