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From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
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This week, a U.S. military judge |
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ruled in the case of Army Private Bradley Manning. |
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The soldier was found guilty of espionage |
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for providing secrets |
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to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. |
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The court also found him guilty of |
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several other charges. |
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The punishment for these crimes |
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could add up to more than 100 years in prison. |
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The Oklahoma native was found |
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not guilty of aiding the enemy. |
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That charge could have resulted in a life prison sentence. |
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Manning had admitted to what is called |
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the largest leak of secret U.S. documents in history. |
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The documents included secret diplomatic messages |
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and military reports |
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about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
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The case was tried at Fort Meade, Maryland, |
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close to the grounds of the National Security Agency. |
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That is where intelligence contractor |
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Edward Snowden once worked. |
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He recently leaked secret documents |
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on government efforts to collect information |
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about American citizens. |
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On Wednesday, members of Congress |
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met with intelligence and law enforcement officials. |
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The officials said |
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the U.S. government's information gathering |
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does not violate the privacy of citizens. |
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And they said these activities |
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help to identify and defeat terrorist threats. |
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The officials spoke after the Obama administration |
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released documents |
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that described the government's telephone data collection programs. |
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Patrick Leahy is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. |
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"The patience of the American people is beginning to wear thin. |
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But what has to be of more concern |
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in a democracy is, the trust of the American people is wearing thin." |
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On Wednesday, the administration released |
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what once were secret documents |
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about the government's collection of telephone records. |
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Deputy Attorney General James Cole |
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spoke to the Senate committee. |
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"These are telephone records maintained by the phone companies. |
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They include the number the call was dialed from, |
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the number the call was dialed to, |
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the date and time of the call and the length of the call. |
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The records do not include the names |
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or other personal identifying information. |
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They do not include cell site or other location information, |
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and they do not include the content of any phone calls." |
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The government must have special court approval |
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to get names or addresses linked to phone numbers. |
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It also needs a court order to listen to phone calls. |
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Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse |
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questioned the lack of voluntary public disclosure by the government. |
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"We have a lot of good information |
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out there that helps the American public understand these programs. |
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But it all came out late. |
| [03:43.71]It all came out in response to a leaker [Edward Snowden] |
. |
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There was no organized plan for |
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how we rationally declassify this, |
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so that the American people can participate in the debate." |
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The American Civil Liberties Union, |
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an organization that supports individual rights, |
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has criticized the government |
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for collecting so much information. |
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The group says this will change the way people act |
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and prevent them from enjoying their freedoms |
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under the U.S. Constitution. |
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The top lawyer |
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for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, |
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Robert Litt, told lawmakers he disagrees. |
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"Collection of this kind of telephone metadata |
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from the telephone companies is not a violation |
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of anyone's constitutional rights." |
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Mr. Litt told the Senate committee that |
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public disclosure of the programs |
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has damaged the government's ability to protect the nation. |
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And that's In the News from VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember. |
