Bradley Manning Accuser Adrian Lamo Takes the Stand - East Idaho News
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Bradley Manning Accuser Adrian Lamo Takes the Stand

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Getty 122011 BradleyManning?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1324459537015Mark Wilson/Getty Images(FORT MEADE, Md.) — Adrian Lamo, the former computer hacker who first identified Bradley Manning to federal authorities as the source of hundreds of thousands of classified documents leaked to Wikileaks, was challenged Tuesday by the Army private’s defense over his history as a hacker, his criminal record and his problems with drugs.

Lamo was among the prosecution’s final witnesses Tuesday at the pre-trial hearing that will determine whether Manning will face a court martial for allegedly leaking the classified documents.

Lamo told prosecutors how over a span of five days in late May 2010 he received a series of encrypted emails from Manning, providing him with information that suggested the sender was in the Army.

The contacts soon progressed to encrypted chats using AOL Instant Messenger, where Manning used the handle “bradass87.”   Lamo said he could only speculate as to why Manning was using encrypted contacts to reach out to him.

Lamo described how he made multiple attempts to verify that the person who was contacting him was actually in the Army and in Iraq.  He also verified that bradass87 was Bradley Manning after Manning sent him a “friend” request on Facebook and he saw information and photos on the site that matched.

Lamo, who acknowledged to prosecutors that he suffers from Asberger Syndrome and that he has a history of drug use, said that at the time he was communicating with Manning medication had reduced his symptoms and allowed him “to function more normally.”  He also admitted he had been a source in certain media reports.

Manning’s lead attorney David Coombs then led a blistering line of questioning, focusing on Lamo’s past drug use and his convictions for computer hacking.

“You are a convicted felon?” he began, to which Lamo replied: “That is correct.”

Coombs noted a string of 2007 hacks on large companies and a 2004 conviction for computer fraud.  Lamos then confirmed that he had been involuntarily institutionalized in April 2010, after over-medicating on prescription drugs.

Lamo told Coombs that he had not been offered immunity in return for his testimony: “I am here to ensure that the truth is presented,” he said.

What ensued was a detailed discussion of Lamo’s contacts with Manning that ultimately led him to contact federal authorities about what he had learned from Manning.

Manning’s defense attorneys are expected to call three witnesses on Wednesday when the hearing resumes.  Final arguments could come right after that.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

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