As an amateur historian, I cannot remember any case involving the leakage of classified information in the military that did not result in the execution of the traitor.
The reports that half-British Bradley Manning was openly homosexual is not going to help his case. The news report is quoting his FACEBOOK page changes!
“At the beginning of May, when he was serving at a US military base near Baghdad, he changed his status to: "Bradley Manning is now left with the sinking feeling that he doesn't have anything left."
Five days later he said he was "livid" after being "lectured by ex-boyfriend", then later the same day said he was "not a piece of equipment" and was "beyond frustrated with people and society at large".
His tagline on his personal page reads: "Take me for who I am, or face the consequences!" “
Evidence for the death penalty
I’m told that military law (the UCMJ) must be very rigid and inflexible, by necessity, since 100% soldier compliance is required for an effective fighting force, especially when you are asking men to march into deadly combat.
I saw this web site dedicated to collecting a defense fund for Bradley Manning, which struck me as strange since he has no real rights when facing a military tribunal.
Manning’s specific charge will be Espionage
Article 106a—Espionage
Espionage.
(a) That the accused communicated, delivered, or transmitted any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, note, instrument, appliance, or information relating to the national defense;
(b) That this matter was communicated, delivered, or transmitted to any foreign government, or to any faction or party or military or naval force within a foreign country, whether recognized or unrecognized by the United States, or to any representative, officer, agent, employee, subject or citizen thereof, either directly or indirectly; and
(c) That the accused did so with intent or reason to believe that such matter would be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation.
Espionage as a capital offense, punishable by death