State Dept. spokesman PJ Crowley forced to resign over Manning case comments

PJ Crowley

Only last Friday, it came as a pleasant surprise to freedom-minded commentators everywhere to hear that State Department spokesman PJ Crowley had condemned the Military’s long-term persecution and humiliation of alleged WikiLeaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning as being “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid”. Many took it as a promising sign that Obama administration officials were finally starting to stand up to this disgusting travesty of justice.

Well, wouldn’t you know it …

Crowley resigns as State Department spokesman

WASHINGTON (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 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.

In other words, Crowley was forced to leave his post for speaking against the Obama administration’s gross mistreatment of a hitherto untried and unconvicted prisoner. More plainly, he was fired for speaking against his bosses … despite these same bosses’ many and long-enduring claims to transparency and accountability.

You know, President Obama really has accomplished a great number of equally great things since taking office. Why must he always undercut himself by doing so many shitty, dishonest and cowardly things as well? The moment we have honest people in his group speaking their minds about clear-cut injustices taking place under his watch, his chosen course of action is to silence them? It’s becoming clearer every day that Obama’s promises of accountability only apparently apply to anyone who dares speak against his executive machine, at least from within.

As usual, Salon’s Glenn Greenwald has more details, including more on the transparent hypocrisy of President Obama and his administration on such matters.