“Ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid” is how one US official described the treatment of alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning.
Manning, a private in the US army, has been held in solitary confinement for nine months at Quantico Marine Corps Brig while awaiting a pre-trial hearing.
Breaking government ranks, spokesperson for the US State Department PJ Crowley criticized on March 10 the reported mistreatment of Manning. This mistreatment has included Manning being forced to strip and remain naked in his cell.
The White House has rejected Crowley’s statement and defended Manning’s treatment.
The day after making his comments, Crowley resigned from his position.
Crowley was speaking at an event of about 20 people hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Centre for Future Civic Media to address “the benefits of new media as it relates to foreign policy”.
Crowley was questioned about the treatment of Manning. He said: “I don’t know why the Department of Defense is doing it.”
BBC News journalist Phillipa Thomas attended the event and reported the news of Crowley's comments on her blog, Philippathomas.wordpress.com, on March 10.
Thomas said that she had asked Crowley whether his remarks were “on the record”, to which he responded “sure”.
Despite his criticisms, Thomas said Crowley went on to say: “None the less Bradley Manning is in the right place.”
This indicates that while Crowley is critical of some of the dehumanising treatment Manning has been subjected to, he still believes it is right to jail of Manning while he awaits trial for leaking government documents .
Ethan Zuckerman, a researcher from Massachusetts who also attended the MIT talk, reported on March 11 at Ethanzuckerman.com that Crowley also said that government secrets were necessary.
Crowley gave the example: “If we’re negotiating between the Israelis and the Palestinians, there will be compromises that are hard for each side to sell to their people — there’s a need for secrets.”
He did not elaborate on why “selling” a deal would be preferable to open and transparent negotiations.
However, it was the comments condemning the US government’s treatment of Manning that were reverberated in the world’s media.
CNN’s “Political Ticker” blog reported on March 12: “P.J. Crowley is abruptly stepping down as State Department spokesman under pressure from the White House, according to senior officials familiar with the matter.
“White House officials are furious about his suggestion that the Obama administration is mistreating Manning.”
Crowley stood by his comments when announcing his resignation, saying: “Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation.
“The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law.
“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.
“The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.”
This is not the first time Crowley has raised concerns about US policy not matching its stated “values”.
In a 2008 counter-terrorism strategy report, Crowley wrote: “Too often since 2001, U.S. policies have neither matched our values, nor what we preach to the rest of the world.
“We are perceived, accurately or not, as operating secret and illegal prisons, condoning torture, denying legal rights, propping up autocratic regimes, and subverting fair elections.”
Associated Press said on March 12 that US President Barack Obama told the media that he had been assured by the US military that Manning’s treatment was “appropriate”.
Obama said: “I asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards. They assured me that they are.”
Investigative journalist and filmmaker John Pilger noted in a January 19 New Statesman article: “‘Government whistleblowers,’ said Barack Obama, when running for president in 2008, ‘are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal.’
“Obama has since pursued and prosecuted more whistleblowers than any other president in American history.”