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GI Accused In WikiLeaks Case Thanks His Supporters

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- A U.S. Army private accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified government documents is thanking supporters for their dedication.

Pfc. Bradley Manning issued a brief statement Tuesday through his lawyer. He said, "I am very grateful for your support and humbled by your ongoing efforts."

Manning is being court-martialed for allegedly aiding the enemy by causing government secrets to be published on the WikiLeaks website.

Supporters regard the 24-year-old Oklahoma native as a heroic whistleblower who exposed war crimes and U.S. hypocrisy.

Nearly two dozen supporters attended his three-day, pretrial hearing last week at Fort Meade, Md. Some wore black t-shirts bearing a single word, "truth."

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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