State dept spokesman resigns after criticizing Bradley Manning detention

[Kuya]

U.S. Official Resigns After Criticizing Treatment of Bradley Manning

The U.S. Department of State’s chief spokesperson resigned on Sunday just days after he criticized the military’s treatment of suspected Army whistleblower Private Bradley Manning. Last week, P.J. Crowley spoke before a small group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and accused the Pentagon of being "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid" in its treatment of Manning. Manning has been held in solitary confinement since June on a Marine brig and has been forced to be naked for up to seven hours at a time. In his resignation, Crowley said his comments "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." Crowley went on to say, "The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values." On Friday, President Obama defended the military’s treatment of Manning.

President Obama: "With respect to Private Manning, I have actually 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 assure me that they are. I can’t go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Private Manning’s safety, as well."

Media now starting to criticize the Obama administration as well:

Major Papers Join Former U.S. Spokesman in Decrying Manning’s Prison Conditions

The New York Times and Los Angeles Times both published editorials today condemning the treatment of alleged whistleblower U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning. The editors of the New York Times write: "The military has been treating him abusively, in a way that conjures creepy memories of how the Bush administration used to treat terror suspects." Last Friday, then-State Department Spokesperson P.J. Crowley accused the Pentagon of being "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid" in its treatment of Manning. Crowley was forced to resign from his post over his comments.

Manning's father:

Bradley Manning’s Father Speaks Out Against Son’s Treatment

The father of accused whistleblower U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning has spoken out for the first time since Manning was arrested for allegedly leaking classified information to WikiLeaks. Since June, Manning has been held in solitary confinement on a Marine brig in Virginia. In an interview with PBS Frontline, Brian Manning said he was shocked by the conditions under which his son was being held.

Brian Manning: "I mean this is someone that has not gone to trial or been convicted of anything. And that’s prompted me to come out and go forward. They worry about people down in a base in Cuba, but here they are, have someone at a base on our own soil, under their own control, and they’re treating him this way. You just can’t believe. It’s shocking enough that I would come out of our silence as a family and say, ‘Now then, you’ve crossed the line. This is wrong.’”

Some liberal Obama cheerleaders are also turning on the administration:

Denunciations of the President from his own supporters are as intensive and pervasive here as they have been for any other prior incident, if not more so. Matt Yglesias wrote that "to hold a person without trial in solitary confinement under degrading conditions is a perversion of justice" and that it's a "sad statement about America that P.J. Crowley is the one being forced to resign over Bradley Manning." Andrew Sullivan -- writing under the headline "Obama Owns the Treatment of Manning Now" -- said that Crowley was forced out "for the offense of protesting against the sadistic military treatment of Bradley Manning," that "the president has now put his personal weight behind prisoner abuse," and that "Obama is directly responsible for the inhumane treatment of an American citizen." Meanwhile, Ezra Klein previews his denunciation of the President's treatment of Manning and Crowley by announcing that it's his first ever lede "that isn’t about economic or domestic policy" but rather is "about right and wrong," and then questions "whether the Obama administration is keeping sight of its values now that it holds power." Those strong words are all from supporters of the President.

Elsewhere, The Philadelphia Daily News' progressive columnist Will Bunch accuses Obama of "lying" during the campaign by firing Crowley and endorsing "the bizarre and immoral treatment of the alleged Wikileaks leaker." In The Guardian, Obama voter Daniel Ellsberg condemns "this shameful abuse of Bradley Manning," arguing that it "amounts to torture" and "makes me feel ashamed for the [Marine] Corps," in which Ellsberg served three years, including nine months at Quantico. Baltimore Sun columnist Ron Smith asks: "Why is the U.S. torturing Private Manning?," while UCLA Professor Mark Kleiman -- who only last year hailed Obama as "the greatest moral leader of our lifetime" and eagerly suggested on Friday (before Obama's Press Conference) that Crowley was speaking for Obama -- mocked Obama's defense of the Manning treatment as "clueless on the Bush level" and now says of Crowley's firing: "The Torturers Win One," while lamenting Obama's overt support for a policy that he calls "unconscionable and un-American and borderline criminal."

His treatement seems downright punitive for someone not charged with, or even convicted of anything yet. And i speculate whether this constitutes a normalization of policy used in Guantanamo and transfered into the US proper.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/14/headlines
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/15/headlines#8
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/gl...ing/index.html

[Demosthenes11]

this made me so mad. Just in the last 2 months, Obama has avoided Wisconsin against his campaign promise, continued the bush tax cuts, extended the patriot act, resumed gitmo, and now continues to condone the torture of an american, on our own soil, that has yet to be convicted of anything.

The worst part is, Obamabots are still alive in strong all over. People fold and say "well at least he isn't bush." Fuck that. I think Obama is proving to be Bush.

[Dimmauk]

this made me so mad. Just in the last 2 months, Obama has avoided Wisconsin against his campaign promise, continued the bush tax cuts, extended the patriot act, resumed gitmo, and now continues to condone the torture of an american, on our own soil, that has yet to be convicted of anything.

The worst part is, Obamabots are still alive in strong all over. People fold and say "well at least he isn't bush." Fuck that. I think Obama is proving to be Bush.

How about the question, "Who will you vote for?"

[Salodin]

Is there no way to petition the gov to see what is going on with his trial, etc?

[Demosthenes11]

Is there no way to petition the gov to see what is going on with his trial, etc?

it's under the military's jurisdiction so not really, no. America: we guarantee you rights. unless you are in the military. then fuck you.

[Demosthenes11]

and BG shows the problem so well. Threads like "glenn beck says stupid thing!" explode in outrage for a few pages. Threads about real things that are actually happening but looks bad for liberals? who cares

[Salodin]

I don't know who to blame for this =( Even if Obama tried to do something contrary to what he is now, I think a lot of internal military people would be very very upset...

[guartz]

You know, I'm pretty sure I was laughed at and called a crazy conspiracy anarchist when I said that Obama will change nothing. Im pretty sure it was by you Demos.

Hmph. maybe not.

If only I could figure out how the goddamn search works on this forums.

[Demosthenes11]

You know, I'm pretty sure I was laughed at and called a crazy conspiracy anarchist when I said that Obama will change nothing. Im pretty sure it was by you Demos.

Hmph. maybe not.

If only I could figure out how the goddamn search works on this forums.

absolutely not by me lol. I was saying the same shit.

I don't know who to blame for this =( Even if Obama tried to do something contrary to what he is now, I think a lot of internal military people would be very very upset...

you blame the people in charge, and the people that promised things like this wouldn't happen. Obama is the commander-in-chief. please don't say he can't do anything.

[aurik]

Certainly I can't say I don't blame Obama for failing to follow through with his promise to close Guantanamo Bay and give the folks there real trials, but you've also gotta be mindful of the facts:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/0...uantanamo.html

Handcuffed by his own party.

[Demosthenes11]

Certainly I can't say I don't blame Obama for failing to follow through with his promise to close Guantanamo Bay and give the folks there real trials, but you've also gotta be mindful of the facts:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/0...uantanamo.html

Handcuffed by his own party.

I agree - democrats are huge pussies except for a few (like weiner lolgetit). But Obama hasn't really even given vocal support for any of the shit he campaigned on since he won in 08. I mean, at least try to be a leader and stand up for the damn convictions americans voted you in for. If you lose the battle, we will be much more sympathetic than if you never fight the battle at all.