“It is with regret that I have accepted the resignation of Philip J. Crowley as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

“Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesman for the Department of State,” Crowley said in the statement.

A BBC correspondent reported that Crowley told a small audience at a university in Massachusetts the treatment of jailed former intelligence analyst Bradley Manning “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”