In his Army dress greens, Pvt. Bradley Manning looks like most of his fellow soldiers; but beneath the uniform, many suspect, is a man who may be responsible for the leaking of over 90,000 secret military reports to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

Manning was stationed at a base 40 miles east of Baghdad, at Forward Operating Base Hammer. Manning, who enlisted in the Army in 2007, was working as an Army intelligence analyst, pouring through classified information. What he saw with his clearance level, it is believed, left him disillusioned with U.S. foreign policy.

Manning allegedly asked Lamo, "If you had unprecedented access to classified networks 14 hours a day, seven days a week for eight plus months, what would you do?"

Authorities believe Manning had already done plenty.

Manning allegedly said that he had discovered "incredible, awful things that belonged in the public domain and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington, D.C."

The young soldier wrote of how he downloaded the classified information.

"I would come in with music on a CD-RW labeled with something like 'Lady Gaga'," he told Lamo.

While pretending to sing along to Lady Gaga's hit "Telephone," Manning would actually be erasing the music from the CD and recording intelligence onto it instead.

Lamo says weak computer security let the disgruntled soldier copy confidential military reports that would soon be part of one of the greatest leaks of government information in 40 years.

ABC News talked with Lamo, the hacker on the other end of the online conversations with Manning.

"Yes, that is how he would do it," Lamo said. "Faking he was listening to Gaga."

During all of this, Manning also wrote to Lamo of feeling socially isolated and at times, getting in trouble with his supervisors as he questioned the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lamo said he grew increasingly alarmed. When Manning claimed to have a quarter million classified embassy cables, Lamo went to the FBI fearing that the soldier's leaks could put lives at risk.

"Had I not acted, I would have always wondered, had I gotten someone killed," Lamo said.

Manning was arrested in May of this year and is being held in Kuwait. He has been charged with releasing classified information.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assangeto refuses to confirm Manning's involvment in the massive leak.

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WikiLeaks Case: Pvt. Bradley Mannings's Alleged Role in ...

Obama's Justice Department has brought more than twice as many prosecutions for the crime of leaking confidential information to journalists as the combined total of all presidents back to Woodrow Wilson. Whether you agree with Obama's track record of such prosecutions, you'd have to admit that treating Petraeus differently would be indefensible hypocrisy and elitism.

Hopefully today's name change, so meaningful to me personally, can also raise awareness of the fact that we trans* people exist everywhere in America today, and that we must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are.

Chelsea Manning

Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, military whistleblower and democracy advocate

The amorphous nature of wars since at least the dawn of the Cold War in the mid-1940s has meant that the U.S. has more or less been at war for generations. This, in turn, has precipitated the ever-burgeoning war-industrial-intelligence complex.

"Listen, all these kids here with a piece, I'd written a line in a song on my last record about "Kids with Uzis, ice suckers, Death is a always thing." You can't get away from that mess. Whatever the kids got, the adults put them in their hands. They don't know what the hell they're doing, the kids."

I have tended to see whistleblowers as courageous individuals performing an often useful function, but also as slightly crazy vigilantes who were participating in that conspiracy against confidentiality, and thus against privacy.

Our state of affairs goes against a pinnacle of American justice, equality before law, facilitating everything from war crimes, to torture, to domestic spying, to a predatory, ravenous Wall Street that feeds on the middle class with impunity.

My fellow Americans: I deliver this address at a time of great distress in our nation. Never before have we faced challenges of such severity as we d...

C. Robert Gibson

Independent journalist published in Guardian, the Washington Post, Al Jazeera America, NPR, and other publications

It is one year since the death of 26-year-old Aaron Swartz, the renowned computer programmer, writer, political organizer and Internet activist. People all around the world are remembering Swartz

Ruair McKiernan

Social innovator, campaigner, and presidential appointee to Irelands Council of State

Snowden, in a larger sense, in a good way, doesn't matter as a person. What matters is what he has revealed to us about a national security state that has clearly gone quite insane, violating our liberty and our freedom to live without unwarranted search and seizure of our private lives.

Peter Van Buren

Author of "Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the #99Percent" and "We Meant Well"

This week's Real Talk With Rob Smith takes on homophobia in hip-hop, Russia, and Chelsea Manning. ...

Rob Smith

Iraq war veteran, author, public speaker and LGBT activist

Miley Cyrus! Okay, now that I have your attention, we can talk. What happened to the dream, the democratic experiment, that was the United States of A...

"Music, absolutely, without question, put me in a direction that you can say saved my life, although to me, my life was already safe."

On the day HuffPost Hawaii launched, I had the chance to sit down briefly -- nine minutes, to be exact -- with Honolulu Civil Beat publisher and CEO P...

Jon Letman

Independent journalist living in Kauai, HI

Should the army pay for Bradley (aka Chelsea) Manning's sex reassignment surgery? If he'd been acquitted, the responsibility for any operations would ...

The original concept of a hero, at least to the ancient Greeks, was that of a demi-god, the child of a god and a mortal, in other words a human with god-like characteristics of bravery and self-sacrifice.

Lyric Hughes Hale

Editor of Econvue, a forum for independent voices and expert opinions on the global economy

When most of the media refused to recognize Pfc. Manning as a woman, there was an outpouring of criticism of that action. Subsequently, both the Associated Press and The New York Times decided to violate their previous editorial policies. Here's the problem.

Dana Beyer

Executive Director, Gender Rights Maryland

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Bradley Manning: Pictures, Videos, Breaking News

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Remember Bradley Manning? The guy who turned against his own country, got tossed into the clink, and declared himself a woman? Hes back in the news. No fairy tale about a beautiful, persecuted princess is complete without a wicked villain, and in this case that villains name is Leavenworth.

The following story, by Eric M. Johnson at Reuters, contains a number of typos. Ive taken the liberty of fixing them:

Chelsea Bradley Manning, a soldier imprisoned for leaking classified U.S. information to pro-transparency site WikiLeaks, could face solitary confinement on charges she he violated prison rules by having prohibited reading material, her his attorney said on Wednesday

The former intelligence analyst, who was born a man but identifies as a woman, is serving a 35-year sentence at an all-male military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

Manning has been charged with a number of disciplinary infractions and will attend a hearing before a three-person discipline adjustment board on Aug. 18 at the prison, attorney Nancy Hollander said.

The alleged disciplinary infractions on July 2 and July 9 included attempted disrespect, the possession of prohibited books and magazines while under administrative segregation, medicine misuse pertaining to expired toothpaste and disorderly conduct for pushing food onto the floor, Hollander said.

I dont know what attempted disrespect means, and the toothpaste thing seems silly. But can you guess what was among that prohibited reading material? Go ahead, guess.

Yep:

Keeping such contraband out of Mr. Mannings hands which no amount of hormones or surgery or nail polish will ever magically transform into the hands of a woman is an act of mercy. Enabling Mannings delusion that hes a woman doesnt help him. It only prolongs his misery.

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Bradley Manning Might Get Solitary Confinement For Bad ...

Story highlights Chelsea Manning is the former U.S. Army soldier who was convicted of violating the Espionage Act. She faces four charges including disrespect, disorderly contact and medicine misuse after officials discovered an expired tube of toothpaste in her cell.

Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman, be known as Chelsea

Manning faces four charges including disrespect, disorderly contact and medicine misuse after officials discovered an expired tube of toothpaste in her cell, according to a statement on ChelseaManning.org out Wednesday.

Manning is currently facing 35 years in prison after leaking a trove of classified documents to Wikileaks.

Chelsea Manning sues to get transgender medical treatment

The statement said Manning received the books legally through the prison's open mail system.

"The catalyst for this attack on Chelsea seems to have been an incident in the mess hall where she may have pushed, brushed, or accidentally knocked, a small amount of food off of her table. She then asked to speak to her lawyer when confronted by a guard. The absurd charges were tacked on later," the statement said.

Chelsea Manning tweeting from prison

Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning and was born male, said two years ago that she is female. She eventually filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming she "has been denied access to medically necessary treatment" for her gender disorder.

The statement said Manning regularly publishes op-eds in the Guardian writing about transgender rights, the prison system and government transparency. She recently won the ability to begin hormone therapy after threatening to sue the military.

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Chelsea Manning facing solitary confinement - CNNPolitics.com

A military judge on Wednesday sentenced Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison, bringing to a close the governments determined pursuit of the Army intelligence analyst who leaked the largest cache of classified documents in U.S. history.

The long prison term is likely to hearten national security officials who have been rattled by the subsequent leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Mannings conviction might also encourage the government to bring charges against the man who was instrumental in the publication of the documents, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

Manning, 25, was acquitted last month of the most serious charge he faced aiding the enemy but was convicted of multiple other counts, including violations of the Espionage Act, for copying and disseminating classified military field reports, State Department cables, and assessments of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The message wont be lost for everyone in the military, said Steven Bucci, director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation. When you sign a security clearance and swear oaths, you actually have to abide by that. It is not optional.

Civil liberties groups condemned the judges decision.

When a soldier who shared information with the press and public is punished far more harshly than others who tortured prisoners and killed civilians, something is seriously wrong with our justice system, said Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. This is a sad day for Bradley Manning, but its also a sad day for all Americans who depend on brave whistleblowers and a free press for a fully informed public debate.

Manning will receive 31/ 2 years of credit for time served in pretrial confinement and for the abusive treatment he endured in a Marine brig at Quantico, making him eligible for parole in seven years. He will serve his sentence at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

On Wednesday, Manning stood at attention, with his attorneys at his side and his aunt behind him, as he listened to Judge Denise Lind read the sentence aloud. He did not appear to react to her decision.

Lind, an Army colonel, also said Manning would be dishonorably discharged, reduced in rank to private, and forfeit all pay. He had faced up to 90 years in prison.

As Manning was escorted out of the packed courtroom at Fort Meade, more than half a dozen supporters shouted out to him: Well keep fighting for you, Bradley! Youre our hero!

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Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in WikiLeaks case ...

Chelsea Manning #39;s First Interview With "Cosmopolitan"
Chelsea Manning, the U.S. Army soldier formerly known as Bradley Manning, has given her first interview to the media since she was convicted of espionage and sent to military prison. Her publicatio...

By: wochit News

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Chelsea Manning's First Interview With "Cosmopolitan" - Video

Chelsea Manning, the transgender Army private formerly known as Bradley Manning, has given her first interview since she was convicted of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks.

The interview, done by mail because the military does not allow prisoners to speak with reporters by phone or in person, appears in Cosmopolitan magazine -- a womens magazine best known for its fashion, sex and dating advice.

In the article, Manning, convicted and sentenced to 35 years in a military prison in July 2013, shares details of her time in the Army and her struggles with the lifelong desire to live as a woman despite being born male.

Manning focuses on her struggle with gender dysphoria, telling the magazine she would sneak into her older sister's room to secretly spend time dressing as a girl when she was 5 or 6.

"I had always known that I was 'different.' I didn't really understand it all until I got older," Manning tells Cosmopolitan. "But there was always this foreboding sense something was 'wrong.' I never knew how to talk about it. I just remember feeling terrified about what would happen if someone found out. It was a very lonely feeling."

Manning also touches on her quest for medical care for gender dysphoria, which was diagnosed by military doctors. After more than a year without medical care, Manning and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the military. Manning is optimistic, but told the magazine she feels like a joke to officials in the military.

I am torn up. I get through each day OK, but at night, when Im alone in my room, I finally burn out and crash, she says.

Just four days ago, it became known that Manning apparently joined from prison. In her posts, Manning revealed her plans for Twitter, thanked her supporters and shared the difficulties of tweeting while incarcerated.

"I'm hoping to stay connected with this account as much as possible but would rather tweet about more meaningful things than not #lessismore," she said in one tweet. Tweeting from prison reqs a lot of effort and using a voice phone to dictate #90sproblems.

Today, Manning tweeted out the Cosmopolitan article.

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Chelsea Manning Gives 1st Interview Since Sentencing - to Cosmo

The Army made her feel like a joke but they couldnt keep her silent.

Chelsea Manning formerly known as Bradley E. Manning the ex-Army intelligence analyst sentenced to 35 years for leaking a treasure trove of secret documents to WikiLeaks, has given her first public interview with the press from military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Bradley Manning, now known as Chelsea Manning, in 2013.Photo: Getty Images

Speaking through the mail to Cosmopolitan magazine, Manning opened up about her recent experience behind bars and her lifelong desire to live as a woman.

I dont know how [this struggle] shaped my life and who I am, but its absolutely a factor in the decisions that I made before and including when I enlisted in the Army, she explained.

Manning who began transitioning into a woman last year through the use of hormones, makeup, and female clothing also describes feeling disconnected most of her life.

I had always known that I was different. I didnt really understand it all until I got older, she said.

Manning tells Cosmo that she joined the Army with hopes that the macho environment would distract her from thoughts of living as a woman. But she got a rude awakening in 2007 during basic training in Missouri.

I absolutely was caught off guard by the intensity, she remembered. There were points when I was humiliated pretty badly.

Serving in Iraq, though, would prove to be a turning point emotionally for Manning.

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Chelsea Manning breaks silence from behind bars

Chelsea Manning gave aninterviewto Cosmopolitan from Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas, serving 35 years for violating the Espionage Act After being convicted in July 2013 as Bradley Manning, she admitted having gender dysphoria and announced plans to transition into a woman She officially changed her name last year and sued for permission to undergo hormone therapy for gender reassignment from within prison Says it's 'painful and awkward' to be forbidden from letting her hair grow Reveals how being deployed to Iraq made her realize life is volatile

By Joel Christie For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:07 EST, 8 April 2015 | Updated: 01:35 EST, 9 April 2015

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has given in an in-depth interview from behind bars inFort Leavenworth, Kansas, describing the 'painful and awkward' process and conditions of transitioning to a woman from inside a military prison.

Born Bradley Manning, the 27-year-oldformer intelligence analyst was convicted of espionage in July 2013 for sending a trove of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website and was subsequently sentenced to 35 years prison.

One month after being found guilty, Manning announced that he had always identified as female and planned to start living as a woman named Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, officially switching names in April 2014.

In February this year, after suing the Defense Department, Manning was approved for hormone treatment, allowing the former Army private to make the transition into a woman while serving out her sentence.

Speaking:Chelsea Manning, 27, the soldier convicted of leaking a trove of secret documents and sentenced to 35 year prison, has given her first in-depth interview since announcing plans to transition into a woman

Manning, a former army private who enlisted as Bradley, has had her name officially changed to Chelsea and recently received approval to undergo hormone therapy for gender reassignment while in prison

She was also permitted to have some amenities, including makeup and underwear, but is not allowed to grow her hair long, which she sees as a major affliction.

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Chelsea Manning shares gender transition story from inside Fort Leavenworth prison

Chelsea Manning seen in a photo she sent to a military supervisor in 2010.

The article marks the first time Manning has spoken "as an army private who leaked classified documents, went to military prison, and sued for the right to transition into living as a woman in jail," according to the story, which is in the magazine's May issue and online.

Manning was convicted of violations of the Espionage Act in 2013 for turning over a trove of classified data to the website WikiLeaks. Since the conviction as Private Bradley Manning, the soldier has transitioned, in prison and aided by federal funding, into a transgender woman.

"I'm fascinated by the character of Chelsea Manning; I'm fascinated by the fact that Julian Assange was played by Benedict Cumberbatch, the hottest thing in town, in a big Hollywood movie and yet Chelsea Manning disappeared from view," Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles said in an interview with CNN.

She pointedly added that without Manning, there would be no WikiLeaks as it's known to the public today.

Manning has penned opinion pieces for The New York Times and The Guardian from prison. With Cosmopolitan, she shared a more personal side, detailing her experience as a transitioning woman in prison.

Writer Abigail Pesta, an investigative journalist and contributor to the magazine, communicated with Manning through letters since the military does not allow prisoners to speak to the press by phone.

Coles estimated that the piece was in the works for about a year. Pesta brought the idea to Coles.

We "were very interested in the transition to Chelsea and the idea of transitioning to being a women in a men's prison. I couldn't get my head around it," she said.

Coles called it an idea that was "hiding in plain sight," but no doubt a huge get for the women's magazine.

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Cosmopolitan magazine secures first Chelsea Manning interview