Marines practice flag drills at the Quantico, Va. base where Pfc. Bradley Manning awaits his fate. | REUTERS Rogers: Execute WikiLeaks leaker

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) believes the death penalty should be applied in the case of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning if the accused provider of nearly 80,000 secret intelligence documents to WikiLeaks is found guilty by military tribunal.

Rogers made the comments Monday during an interview with the Michigan radio station WHMI, which later posted an audio file of the interview.


"The death penalty clearly should be considered here," Rogers said. "[Manning] clearly aided the enemy to what may result in the death of U.S. soldiers or those cooperating. If that is not a capital offense, I don't know what is."

The 22-year-old Manning has been named a "person of interest" in the WikiLeaks investigation and was transferred last week from Kuwait to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va., while the Army decides whether to press charges. The Army has yet to make any further announcements regarding the investigation or Manning's future.

Manning was already being held in custody on suspicion of having leaked other sensitive information, including video of a firefight in Baghdad.

Manning has not spoken publicly since being taken into custody, but WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has strongly defended the Army private, calling him a "political prisoner" during a recent news conference.

Assange insisted the military is "effectively keeping [Manning] away from the press and effective legal representation."