CNN– P.J. Crowley abruptly resigned Sunday as State
Department spokesman over controversial comments he made about the
Bradley Manning case.
Sources close to the matter said the resignation, first reported by
CNN, came under pressure from the White House, where officials were
furious about his suggestion that the Obama administration is
mistreating Manning, the Army private who is being held in solitary
confinement in Quantico, Virginia, under suspicion that he leaked highly
classified State Department cables to the website WikiLeaks.
Speaking to a small group at MIT last week, Crowley was asked about
allegations that Manning is being tortured and kicked up a firestorm by
answering that what is being done to Manning by Defense Department
officials “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”
Crowley did add that “nonetheless, Bradley Manning is in the right place” because of his alleged crimes, according to a blog post by BBC reporter Philippa Thomas, who was present at Crowley’s talk.
“The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law,” Crowley said in a statement Sunday. “My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership.
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