Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief spokesman resigned Sunday, three days after he publicly criticized the treatment in confinement of WikiLeaks suspect Army Pfc. Bradley Manning as "counterproductive and stupid." In a prepared statement, P.J. Crowley said his remarks about Manning's treatment, made at an appearance Thursday in Cambridge, Mass., were meant to highlight the effect of actions by U.S. security agencies "on our global standing and leadership."
Bradley Manning before and after torture in 'free America' and his alleged part in the release of the Wikileaks documents that exposed the lies and corruption of world governments, most notably that of the US. (David Icke Website)
Lawyers for Manning, who is charged with unauthorized sharing of classified information, allege that he has been mistreated, including being forced to sleep naked, while in confinement at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va. A Pentagon spokesman has said the conditions of Manning's confinement comply with U.S. laws, and suggested that officials are concerned that Manning might try to hurt himself.
At a news conference Friday, President Barack Obama was asked about Crowley's remarks and said that the Pentagon had assured him that the conditions of Manning's confinement were appropriate. "I can't go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Private Manning's safety as well," Obama said.
In a prepared statement, Clinton said she had accepted Crowley's resignation "with regret." It was unclear whether Crowley offered his resignation first or whether Clinton - or the White House - had demanded it.