Berkeley may honor Army private accused of leaks © 2010 The Associated Press
Dec. 8, 2010, 11:14AMBERKELEY, Calif. — The Berkeley City Council will consider a resolution that would declare the Army private suspected of leaking classified information to WikiLeaks a hero and call for his release.
The council plans a vote Tuesday on the resolution in support of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who is being held in a military brig in Virginia. A city commission already has approved it.
Bob Meola, who authored the resolution, tells the San Francisco Chronicle that Manning is a patriot who deserves a medal.Federal officials have criticized the leaks, saying they could endanger lives.
Leaders of the famously left-leaning city have weighed in on controversial national issues before, including votes to advise that a Marine recruitment office wasn’t welcome downtown and to force local compliance with United Nations human rights treaties.