- Philip J. Crowley
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P.J. Crowley 
Philip J. Crowley, ca. 2009. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs In office
May 26, 2009 – March 13, 2011Nominated by Barack Obama Preceded by Sean McCormack Succeeded by Mike Hammer Personal details Born Phillip J. Crowley
July 28, 1951
Brockton, MassachusettsNationality American Spouse(s) Paula E. Kougeas Children Mary, Christopher Residence Alexandria, Virginia Alma mater College of the Holy Cross Military service Allegiance United States Service/branch Air Force Years of service 1973–1999 Rank Colonel Philip J. “P.J.” Crowley (born July 28, 1951) is the former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, having been sworn into office on May 26, 2009. He resigned[1] on March 13, 2011, following comments he made about the treatment of Bradley Manning. Crowley was named the 2011-2012 recipient of the General Omar N. Bradley Chair in Strategic Leadership,[2] a joint initiative among the United States Army War College, Dickinson College and the The Pennsylvania State University — Dickinson School of Law. While in residence, Crowley will conduct classes at the three institutions.
Contents
Biography
Crowley was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. His mother, Mary Crowley, was a homemaker. His father, William C. Crowley, was a vice president for public relations with the Boston Red Sox, and a B-17 pilot, who spent two years as a POW in an East German prison camp.[3]
Crowley was educated at the College of the Holy Cross, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1973. He joined the United States Air Force in June 1973. He spent 26 years in the Air Force, and was stationed in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington State, Turkey, and Germany. During the Gulf War, he was stationed at Incirlik Air Base for four months. In 1997, he was named senior director of public affairs for the United States National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President for national security affairs. During the Kosovo War, he worked with Javier Solana, Secretary General of NATO from April to June 1999. He retired from the Air Force in September 1999 at the rank of Colonel.
In 2001, Crowley became a vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, specializing in the impact of terrorism on insurance in the wake of the September 11 attacks. He then joined the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow in 2003, later becoming the Center's director of national defense and homeland security.
Public service career
In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Crowley to be Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. Crowley was sworn into office on May 26, 2009.
He was noted for his dry wit: when reminding Americans on the ban on visiting North Korea, he pointed out on Twitter that "we only have a handful of former presidents" to visit North Korea and retrieve captured Americans.[4] He was forced to apologize to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi after telling an interviewer that Gaddafi's speech to the United Nations did not make "a lot of sense".[5]
Bradley Manning controversy
On March 10, 2011, Crowley publicly criticized the Pentagon for the alleged mistreatment of military prisoner Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier suspected of providing whistle-blower website WikiLeaks with classified diplomatic cables.[6]
Crowley told an audience of about twenty people at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Future Civic Media that while Manning was "in the right place," he was being "mistreated" by the United States Department of Defense. Crowley called the Defense Department's treatment of Manning "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid."[7][8] When asked "Are you on the record?" by British journalist Philippa Thomas, Crowley replied "Sure."[9]
On March 13, 2011, Crowley resigned from office.[10] In his resignation letter, Crowley wrote that while the "unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law," the "exercise of power in today's challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values."[11]
References
- ^ "P.J. Crowley resigns after Bradley Manning comments". The Washington Post. 2011-03-13. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/pj-crowley-resigns-after-bradley-manning-comments/2011/03/13/AB1CvgT_blog.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ Dickinson College (2011). P.J. Crowley Named Bradley Chair. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ Greenwald, Glenn (2011-03-14). "The clarifying Manning/Crowley controversy". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/14/manning/index.html. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-25758723.html
- ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23814034-libya-forces-us-official-forced-into-apology-for-gaddafi-joke.do
- ^ Pilkington, Ed (2011-03-11). "Bradley Manning being mistreated, says Hillary Clinton spokesman". guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/11/bradley-manning-clinton-crowley-comments. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ Davidson, Amy (2011-03-11). "Ridiculous and Counterproductive and Stupid". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2011/03/ridiculous-and-counterproductive-and-stupid.html. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ Mandell, Nina (2011-03-13). "State Dept. spokesman P.J. Crowley out after controversial comments on Bradley Manning". Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/03/13/2011-03-13_state_dept_spokesman_pj_crowley_out_after_controversial_comments_on_bradley_mann.html. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ Greenwald, Glenn (2011-03-10). "Amnesty calls for protests over Bradley Manning's treatment". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/10/amnesty/index.html. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ "Wikileaks row: US spokesman Crowley quits over gaffe". BBC. 2011-03-13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12728315. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- ^ "Clinton, Crowley statements on Crowley's resignation". The Miami Herald. 2011-03-13. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/13/2113231/clinton-crowley-statements-on.html. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
External links
Government offices Preceded by
Sean McCormackAssistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
May 26, 2009 – March 13, 2011Succeeded by
Mike HammerCategories:- 1951 births
- Center for American Progress
- Clinton Administration personnel
- College of the Holy Cross alumni
- Living people
- Obama Administration personnel
- People from Brockton, Massachusetts
- United States Air Force officers
- United States Assistant Secretaries of State
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