Assange may not have initiated data theft

Attempts by the US to legally nab Julian Assange are proving to be unsuccessful as prosecutors have failed to find evidence that the WikiLeaks founder in any way forced Army private Bradley Manning to leak government documents. Manning, the 22-year-old army intelligence operative, suspected of leaking the documents to Assange, is being detained at a military installation in Virginia. New evidence suggests Manning initiated the theft himself, officials told The Wall Street Journal.

A further blow to investigators is that there is reportedly little to find a connection. To make a case against Assange, the US lawyers would have to prove that he encouraged Manning to hand over the documents.