WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley resigned yesterday after reports that he labeled as “stupid” and “ridiculous” the Pentagon’s treatment of a U.S. soldier accused of leaking secret documents that appeared on the WikiLeaks website.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement issued by the State Department that she accepted P.J. Crowley’s resignation with “regret.” He has served as the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs and chief spokesman.
Crowley said in the statement he submitted his resignation “given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility.” His resignation came two days after President Barack Obama was asked about Crowley’s remarks during a televised news conference.
A BBC correspondent reported last week that Crowley, a retired Air Force colonel, told a small audience at a university in Massachusetts the treatment of jailed former intelligence analyst Bradley Manning “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”
Manning, 23, is being held at a Marine base in Virginia during the investigation of charges involving documents he is accused of leaking while posted in Iraq. His lawyers have complained that he is being mistreated at the Marine brig.
Kept alone in his cell 23 hours per day, the Pentagon has said Manning has been forced to sleep naked and is awakened repeatedly during the night to ensure he is safe.
The publication on the WikiLeaks website of the documents Manning is accused of leaking was a blow to U.S. diplomacy, as allies and adversaries saw themselves mocked or second-guessed in secret diplomatic cables.
In his statement yesterday, Crowley said the unauthorized disclosure of classified information was a “serious crime under U.S. law.”
