Military rules guide hearing in WikiLeaks case

By DAVID DISHNEAU, Associated Press

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) -- The case of an Army intelligence analyst suspected of passing government secrets to WikiLeaks is turning a spotlight on military justice.

The pretrial hearing for Pfc. Bradley Manning begins Friday at Fort Meade, in Maryland.

The hearing is to determine whether he should be court-martialed for allegedly giving the anti-secrecy website hundreds of thousands of war logs and diplomatic cables, plus classified video of an Apache helicopter attack in which civilians were killed.

The hearing probably will feature long hours, little grandstanding and a number of closed sessions for discussion of classified material.

It's open to the public, but seating for spectators and news media is limited by the courtroom's small size.

Military officials say no civilian cameras or recording equipment are allowed.