US WikiLeaks Feature: The Persecution of Private Bradley Manning --- State Department Spokesman Resigns

UPDATE 13 MARCH: The case of Bradley Manning has claimed a victim today, albeit not of anyone who has been responsible for his detention.

On Thursday, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley dared to say that, while "Bradley Manning is in the right place" for his actions, his forced-nudity treatment by Department of Defense officials was "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid".

The remarks were documented by a BBC reporter, and by Friday afternoon, President Obama was having to hold the line, explaining that the handling of Manning was justified and appropriate. Asked "whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of the confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards", Obama replied that Pentagon officials "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."

Crowley has now paid the price for the criticism, resigning because White House officials are reportedly furious that he dared refer to mistreatment.

Crowley had told friends that he was deeply concerned that mistreatment of Manning could undermine the legitimate prosecution of the solider, and he worried that the case could damage the US reputation around the world after Obama had said he would end abuses of detainees.

Click to read more ...

Israel-US Analysis: West Jerusalem Runs Settlement Circles Around Washington

The responses came quickly to Israel's announcement on Monday that 1,300 Jewish homes had been approved for construction beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem and another 800 homes had been endorsed in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.

The State Department conveyed its "disappointment". The European Union urged Israel to reconsider its decision, and President Obama warned that the construction  in East Jerusalem could obstruct the pursuit of peace in the Middle East: "This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations."

Click to read more ...

Israel Analysis: Netanyahu in New Orleans on Iran, De-Legitimisation, and a "Secure Peace"

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America in New Orleans. His issues were simple: the greatest threat of Iran and the attempt to "de-legitimise" Israel.

Netanyahu first set out the menace of Tehran:

The greatest danger facing Israel and the world is the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. Iran threatens to annihilate Israel. It denies the Holocaust. It sponsors terror.  It confronts America in Afghanistan and Iraq.  It dominates Lebanon and Gaza. It establishes beachheads in Arabia and in Africa. It even spreads its influence into this hemisphere, into South America.  

Now, this is what Iran is doing without nuclear weapons. Imagine what it would do with them. Imagine the devastation that its terror proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas and others, would wreak under an Iranian nuclear umbrella.

Click to read more ...

Video and Transcript: US State Department on Israeli-Palestinian Talks (14 September)

QUESTION: Envoy Mitchell told reporters today that we are making progress. How substantive is this progress? How is it different, let’s say, from two weeks ago? And what was discussed as first item on the agenda? Was it the settlement or the Jewishness of the state?

STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN P.J. CROWLEY: I had the opportunity to converse with the team this morning. I think we would characterize the discussions today as serious and direct discussions on the core issues. Those discussions will continue tomorrow.

Click to read more ...