Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier accused of providing classified information to WikiLeaks, has so far been left in the dark about what harm his alleged actions have caused the United States. However, a recent ruling has changed that.

The judge presiding over Manning's trial demanded the U.S. government hand over previously classified information detailing the cost of damages it believes were done by Manning's actions, according to The Guardian.

The documents, which will remain out of the public's hands, were given to Manning's defense earlier this week. Additionally, Manning's defense team has been given access to a censored government study into the WikiLeaks organization. It's also attempting to get the results of an inquiry into the leak carried out independently by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Manning was arrested in May of 2011 on 22 charges for his alleged role in the leak of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic cables and military reports. The most serious he faces is that of "aiding the enemy," which can potentially carry the death sentence. However, the prosecution in Manning's case has previously said it would only seek a life sentence at most if the ex-solider is found guilty.

The U.S. Army didn't define "the enemy" as the terrorist group al-Qaeda until mid-March of this year. The newly released information may help Manning's defense argue that he did not, in fact, aid al-Qaeda. And If Manning is found guilty of any of the charges which have been filed against him, the documents may serve to lighten his sentence.

The judge's order to release the documents to the defense team came during a pre-trial hearing held this week. Manning's full trial is set to begin on Sept. 21. He's currently being held in military custody at Ford Meade, Maryland. Last February, Manning — considered a heroic whistleblower by some — was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Thruthout.org

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