One of my biggest disappointment about the Obama Administration has been their response to whistle blowers in general and to the Wikileaks situation in specific. The mistreatment of Bradley Manning has been what I would expect from Republicans, and it pains me to see Democrats endorsing it. I am please to report that when Phillip J. Crowley resigned, under pressure I’m sure, he refused to take back his statements critical of Manning’s treatment.
The State Department spokesman, Philip J. Crowley, resigned on Sunday, three days after publicly criticizing the Pentagon as “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid” in its treatment of Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, the soldier imprisoned on charges of leaking classified government documents to the antisecrecy group WikiLeaks.
Mr. Crowley’s comments, which were made to a small group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stirred a political tempest in Washington and were rejected by President Obama at a news conference on Friday. Mr. Obama said the Pentagon had assured him that its procedures in Private Manning’s confinement were “appropriate and are meeting our basic standards.”
White House officials were infuriated by the episode, administration officials said, which one described as “the last straw” in a series of incautious remarks by Mr. Crowley. A retired Air Force officer, Mr. Crowley, 59, had a rocky tenure at the State Department, failing to establish close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
In a one-paragraph statement, Mrs. Clinton said she accepted Mr. Crowley’s resignation with regret and praised him for his “deep devotion to public policy and public diplomacy.”
Mr. Crowley, in his statement, did not retract his critical comments about the Pentagon, which he said “were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discrete actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership.”
His remarks were first reported in a blog by a BBC correspondent, Philippa Thomas, who said Mr. Crowley had added that Private Manning deserved to be in jail. Mr. Crowley declined to comment further.
Private Manning’s lawyer has complained about his treatment, including sometimes being deprived of his clothing, as a maximum security prisoner under restrictions intended to prevent self-injury, even though his supporters said there was no evidence that he was suicidal… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
I will say one thing in Obama’s defense. The pentagon and the upper military chain of command were highly politicized during the Republican Regime under Bush. That nest of vipers has been cleaned out, because Obama kept Bush’s SecDef. I think there is an excellent possibility that people responsible for Manning’s abuse are lying to Obama about Manning’s treatment, condition, or both. While this may absolve Obama of blame, it does NOT absolve him of the responsibility to see to it that Manning receives the humane treatment that is a universal human right.
I commend Mr. Crowley for his integrity.
11 Responses to “State Official Quits over Manning Treatment”
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I’ve (don’t know why) have never been in the brig but this guy has lost the most basic of American rights which is even in the UCMJ–the presumption of innocence. What door of demons did Cheney and Bush open up with their “Sure torture is legal” policy and why in the hell is this CinC allowing it to remain in place?
My point exactly, Mark. If we act like Republicans, how can people tell the difference?
That Pvt. Manning has been held for as long and for the way he has for that length of time is unforgivable. For the massive attack his human rights and dignity have suffered over these long months, he should be given a full and immediate pardon with an unconditional release. I wouldn’t treat a dog like this, much less even a true traitor or even a POW or spy!
I agree. The buzz that his is a capital offense is absurd!
I agree with you Jack.
That’s easy to do.
“I think there is an excellent possibility that people responsible for Manning’s abuse are lying to Obama about Manning’s treatment, condition, or both. While this may absolve Obama of blame, it does NOT absolve him of the responsibility to see to it that Manning receives the humane treatment that is a universal human right.”
If indeed Obama is being lied to ; he is ignoring the one piece of advice Every CEO needs to have engraved on their brain— ‘ TRUST – BUT VERIFY!’
Obama is essentially a CEO– he needs to remember that– when there is so much smoke concerning Manning’s treatment ; it does seem time for verification.
I think that he probably knows they are lying, but that feigning ignorance is an easy way to duck yet another contentious issue.
Glad to see Crowley did NOT retract his critical comments. Then I guess someone who authored the DHS report, “Safe at Home, A National Security Strategy to Protect the American Homeland” in 2008 that was highly critical of the Bush administration probably wouldn’t back down on his principles.
In that Dept. of Homeland Security report chastising Bush, Crowley wrote:
Ooops – forgot the citing for blockquote:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/02/safe_at_home.html
Thanks, Nameless. The background shows consistency.