The "Obama Administration" isn't prosecuting Manning, except insofar as has hasn't ordered the Commanding General at Ft. Meade sacked (which would be a much different kind of legal system interference).<p>Likewise, (and I hate to sound like the ski instructor) if Manning hadn't wanted his trial to be "shrouded in secrecy" then he shouldn't have leaked classified information while under arms. Closing a trial <i>is</i> something that can be done in a court-martial, and that was true since far before Manning had raised his right hand to fight the war in Iraq and signed his DD-4.<p>Even with the secrecy though, the article itself answers the question of how Manning might be sentenced to life imprisonment: The charge of "aiding the enemy" requires only that Manning knowingly leak the information knowing that it could be directly or indirectly provided to the enemy.<p>If even one page of that had ended up in any AQ or Taliban hands that would seal the deal. As it turns out a bunch was found in Osama bin Laden's possession. Case closed, as far as that goes.<p>I think it's important to note again that Snowden was quite clear in his initial interview that <i>his</i> actions were materially different from Manning's. He went so far as to note that he leaked only a few <i>specific</i> issues, and not just anything that he could grab, which he certainly could have done had he wished.