Bradley Manning sentencing to happen Wednesday

FORT MEADE, MarylandA U.S. military judge on Tuesday started considering the sentence of soldier Bradley Manning for the largest leak of classified information in the country's history - and she said it will be announced Wednesday morning.

Manning faces up to 90 years in prison for giving the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks more than 700,000 U.S. military and diplomatic documents and battlefield video documenting civilian deaths.

On Monday, a prosecutor said Manning should spend 60 years in prison because he betrayed the U.S.

The soldier's defense attorney didn't recommend a specific punishment but suggested any prison term shouldn't exceed 25 years, saying the classification of some of the leaked documents expires in 25 years.

The 25-year-old Manning leaked documents including Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports and State Department diplomatic cables while working in early 2010 as an intelligence analyst in Iraq.

Defense attorney David Coombs said Manning, who was 21 when he enlisted, had limited experience in life and in the military. His youthful idealism contributed to his belief that he could change the way the world viewed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and all future wars, by leaking the secret files, Coombs said.

"He had pure intentions at the time that he committed his offenses," Coombs said.

Prosecutors have called Manning an anarchist computer hacker and attention-seeking traitor. The soldier's supporters have hailed Manning as a whistleblower.

Prosecutors did not say why they were not seeking the maximum punishment for Manning, who was convicted last month of 20 offenses, including six violations of the Espionage Act and five counts of stealing protected information.

The prosecutors' request for 60 years likely reflects their view that Manning's offenses were less egregious than if he had specifically sought out foreign agents and given them information, said Michael Navarre, a former Navy judge advocate.

The government was unable to show that Manning knew the documents would get to al Qaeda, and Manning has said he only leaked information that he believed would not be harmful.

Manning took the stand last week and apologized for hurting his country, pleading with the judge for a chance to go to college and become a productive citizen.

Family members and a psychologist testified for the defense, saying the soldier felt extreme mental pressure in the military because of his gender-identity disorder during the era when openly gay people were not allowed to serve in the military.

Coombs presented evidence that Manning's unit needed intelligence analysts so badly that a supervisor failed to report to commanders his concerns about Manning's deteriorating mental health.

Manning must serve at least one-third of any prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He will get credit for about 3 1/2 years of pretrial confinement, including 112 days for being illegally punished by harsh conditions at a Marine Corps brig.