By Nancy A. Youssef, McClatchy Newspapers, January 27, 2011

WASHINGTON — Investigators have concluded that Army commanders ignored advice not to send to Iraq an Army private who's now accused of downloading hundreds of thousands of sensitive reports and diplomatic cables that ended up on the WikiLeaks website in the largest single security breach in American history, McClatchy has learned.

Pfc. Bradley Manning's direct supervisor....advised that Manning shouldn't be sent to Iraq, where his job would entail accessing classified documents through the Defense Department's computer system.

But superior officers decided to ignore the advice because the unit was short of intelligence analysts and needed Manning's skills....The commanders hoped they could address Manning's discipline problems in Iraq.....

Also see

Army Commanders Ignored Advice on Manning @ Slate:

...This marks the second time a high-profile case has led to scrutiny over whether Army leaders ignored warnings due to staff shortages. An investigation after Maj. Nidal Hasan allegedly killed 13 people in Fort Hood found that superiors had also failed to take action despite signs that he could become violent. The investigation could lead to changes on how Army commanders deal with discipline issues.