A Marine one-star general has been released from detention his quarters at Guantanamo Bay two days after an Air Force colonel sentenced him to be confined to his trailer for contempt of court.
On Wednesday, Brig. Gen. John Baker was sentenced to 21 days’ confinement for allowing three defense attorneys to resign after allegations arose that the U.S. government was secretly listening to their conversations with the terrorism suspect, who is alleged to have planned the Oct. 12, 2000 attack on the destroyer Cole that killed 17 sailors.
Baker, who oversees the legal defense teams for prisoners charged with war crimes at the U.S. base in Cuba, learned at 1 p.m. on Friday that his sentence had been suspended until the convening authority made a final decision on the matter, said Air Force Maj. Ben Sakrisson, a Defense Department spokesman.
At a tense hearing on Wednesday, Baker tried to argue that Air Force Col. Vance Spath, the war court’s military judge, did not have jurisdiction over him. But Spath would not let him speak, according to a transcript of the proceedings.
“Gen. Baker, this is the last chance,” Spath warned Baker at one point. “I don’t want to – this is really not a pleasant decision. And I know that some of you might think that this is fun or lighthearted, right? I’ve heard commentary out around the base. Alls you’ve got to do is get on the Internet. None of this is fun. None of this is easy.”
Spath was incensed at Baker for allegedly saying that his decision to allow the three defense attorneys to resign could not be reviewed by the war court, the transcript says. The judge was also angry that Baker refused his orders to reverse his decision allowing the attorneys to withdraw from the case or tell the attorneys to return to Guantanamo.
“So, brigadier general, this proceeding, this commission, believing it does have jurisdiction over you based on a clear reading of the rules and based on your contemptible conduct, you’re held in contempt, and you are sentenced to pay the United States a fine in the amount of $1,000 and to be confined for a period of 21 days,” Spath said on Wednesday.
RELATED
