The Army private charged in the biggest leak of classified material in U.S. history
pleaded guilty Thursday to lesser charges and said he wanted the public to
know how the American military was fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with little regard for human life.
His goal, Manning said, was "to make the world a better place." He said he thought the leaks "might be embarrassing" but wouldn't harm the country.
Manning said he initially approached The Washington Post and The New York Times, but the former didn't take him seriously and the latter didn't return his call.
After his guilty plea on 10 charges, Manning faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Manning's defense lawyers hope prosecutors will decide that's enough punishment and will dismiss the remaining 12 charges to avoid a public court-martial with 140 witnesses discussing a deeply embarrassing breakdown in the military's system for safeguarding classified information, says the
Los Angeles Times.