WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has launched a wide- ranging investigation into how a private suspected of downloading thousands of secret reports and diplomatic cables and handing them over to WikiLeaks was able to do so and whether other soldiers should face criminal charges in the case, McClatchy Newspapers has learned.
The Army confirmed the investigation but wouldn’t release details. An Army official familiar with the investigation told McClatchy that the six- member task force has been given until Feb. 1 to complete a report that will look at everything from how Pfc. Bradley Manning was selected for his job and trained to whether his superiors missed warning signs that he was downloading documents he had no need to read.
The report could change how the Army grants access to government documents and lead to recommendations of charges against soldiers who worked with Manning and who may have been aware of his activities. McClatchy Newspapers
