Bradley Manning to face court-martial

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has approved a court-martial for Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.

Maj. Gen. Michael Linnington approved a recommendation from an investigating officer who presided over a weeklong pre-trial hearing in December and suggested all the charges against Manning be referred to a court-martial, ABC News reported Friday.

A trial date will be determined after a military judge has looked over the case, a statement from the Military District of Washington said.

The "military judge will set the date for Manning's arraignment, motion hearings and trial," the statement said.

Manning, 24, is accused of handing over hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. Prosecutors said the private had access to the documents while serving as an army intelligence analyst in Baghdad from late 2009 to early 2010.

He is facing 22 charges, including aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy, theft of public property or records, and transmitting defense information.

Prosecutors said they will seek life in prison if Manning is convicted.