Witness says Manning assaulted her in Iraq - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Witness says Manning assaulted her in Iraq

FORT MEADE, Md. — Army Pfc. Bradley Manning’s former supervisor testified Tuesday that Manning “punched me in the face, unprovoked” during his Iraq deployment in 2010.

A day later, Manning was barred from the secure facility where he served with former Army Spc. Jihrleah Showman. Showman led the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, team that analyzed the local Shiite threat.

“He … displayed an uncontrollable behavior that was deemed untrustworthy at the time,” said Showman, who testified via telephone.

The testimony took place on the fifth day of the Article 32 hearing to determine whether Manning, accused of leaking sensitive documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, should be court-martialed on more than 20 counts, including aiding the enemy.

Manning, 24, of Crescent, Okla., could face life in prison if convicted at court-martial. He has appeared in court looking slight in his Army combat uniform and dark-rimmed glasses, taking notes and conferring with attorneys.

Capt. Casey Fulton, another former supervisor of Manning’s, said in earlier testimony that the incident led to suspension of Manning’s security clearance and the removal of his weapon.

“I wanted him to not … interact with the soldiers,” Fulton said.

Showman was the latest witness to testify about Manning’s erratic behavior in the days before he was arrested.

Manning’s lawyers have focused on supervisors’ failures to pull Manning’s security clearance in spite of his unstable and sometimes violent behavior, as well as broader security lapses in the facility on Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, where Manning worked.

Fifteen people, including the noncommissioned officer in charge of the facility, were disciplined.