Summary for all: BGen Baker is Chief Defense Counsel, his role is to advise the legal defense team and provide them resources; he does not participate in the proceedings of the tribunals. On the contrary, he's not even allowed to be in court for proceedings. At some point during the USS Cole proceedings evidence came out that the US government was apparently monitoring phone calls and meeting rooms being used for the defense team and the defendant, which is of course a violation of attorney/client privilege. The team asked for the recordings of the illegal wiretaps and asked for a new meeting room...both were denied by Col Spath. So the team went to BGen Baker and asked to be removed due to being incapable of providing adequate legal support to their client. As hiring and firing is part of his job, he approved their request. Spath didn't like it, so he's essentially pouting in response. These proceedings have been a farce, and Spath gets most of the credit.
Summary for all: BGen Baker is Chief Defense Counsel, his role is to advise the legal defense team and provide them resources; he does not participate in the proceedings of the tribunals. On the contrary, he's not even allowed to be in court for proceedings. At some point during the USS Cole proceedings evidence came out that the US government was apparently monitoring phone calls and meeting rooms being used for the defense team and the defendant, which is of course a violation of attorney/client privilege. The team asked for the recordings of the illegal wiretaps and asked for a new meeting room...both were denied by Col Spath. So the team went to BGen Baker and asked to be removed due to being incapable of providing adequate legal support to their client. As hiring and firing is part of his job, he approved their request. Spath didn't like it, so he's essentially pouting in response. These proceedings have been a farce, and Spath gets most of the credit.