Wikileaks row: US spokesman Crowley quits over gaffe

LONDON. March 14. KAZINFORM US state department spokesman PJ Crowley has resigned after calling the treatment of the man accused of leaking secret cables to Wikileaks "stupid;" Kazinform refers to BBC News.

He said he was taking responsibility for the impact of his remarks about Bradley Manning.

Private Manning is being held in solitary confinement at a maximum security US military jail.

He has been on suicide watch at the Quantico marine base in Virginia and is shackled at all times.

He faces 34 charges relating to the leaking of 720,000 diplomatic and military documents.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she accepted Mr Crowley's resignation "with regret".

She said he had served his nation "with distinction", "motivated by a deep devotion to public policy and public diplomacy;" Kazinform cites BBC News.

See www.bbc.co.uk for full version