P U L S E

Despite all of the nonsense that has come out of the mouth of suddenly ex-U.S. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley, what forced his resignation today was a recent comment made in regards to the inhumane treatment of US Army Private Bradley Manning, held in solitary confinement in Quantico, Virginia, for allegedly leaking classified government cables to WikiLeaks.

CNN reports:

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.’”

Salon’s Glenn Greenwald has already weighed in on the resignation:

So, in Barack Obama’s administration, it’s perfectly acceptable to abuse an American citizen in detention who has been convicted of nothing by consigning him to 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement, barring him from exercising in his cell, punitively imposing ‘suicide watch’ restrictions on him against the recommendations of brig psychiatrists, and subjecting him to prolonged, forced nudity designed to humiliate and degrade. But speaking out against that abuse is a firing offense. Good to know.”

Tagged: Barack Obama, PJ Crowley, state dept.