What Will Be Edward Snowden's Punishment If Convicted Of Espionage?

People hold portraits of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden (L) and U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning in front of their faces during a protest in front Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, July 4, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

What Does the Manning Verdict Mean for Edward Snowden? -- Elias Groll, Passport/Foreign Policy

Watching the verdict handed down against Bradley Manning Tuesday, Edward Snowden had his worst fears confirmed.

With a litany of guilty verdicts, the judge, Col. Denise Lind, all but certainly condemned Manning, the man accused of providing WikiLeaks with a huge trove of classified documents, to spend the majority of his adult life behind bars. And it's all bad news for Snowden.

Though the military court acquitted Manning of the most serious charge -- aiding the enemy -- it convicted him on five charges of espionage under a legal rationale similar to the one presented by prosecutors in indicting Snowden under the 1917 Espionage Act.

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My Comment: If Manning is looking at 136 years, I can only imagine what Edward Snowden's sentence will be. My guess .... 20 to 30 years in jail (minimum).