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Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon

By Jeralyn, Section Terror Detainees
Posted on Sun Jun 19, 2005 at 08:44:49 PM EST
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In May, 2004, TChris wrote about Sean Baker.

Sean Baker was a member of a Military Police company assigned to Guantanamo Bay in January 2003, when he was ordered to play the role of a detainee during a training exercise. Baker quickly learned how detainees are treated when things go wrong.

Baker says what took place next happened at the hands of four U.S. soldiers - soldiers he believes didn't know he was one of them - has changed his life forever. "They grabbed my arms, my legs, twisted me up and unfortunately one of the individuals got up on my back from behind and put pressure down on me while I was face down," said Baker. "Then he - the same individual - reached around and began to choke me and press my head down against the steel floor. After several seconds, 20 to 30 seconds ... when I couldn't breath, I began to panic and I gave the code word I was supposed to give to stop the exercise, which was 'red.'"

The beating stopped when the soldiers saw Baker's army boots.

Baker sustained a traumatic brain injury that left him with a seizure disorder. Military records confirm that his injury "was due to soldier playing role as a detainee who was uncooperative."

As TChris wrote,

A "training" exercise implies teaching and supervision. Who supervised the senseless beating of a soldier? And what, exactly, was being taught?

In June, 2004, the Army acknowledged it was "partly" responsible for his medical discharge.

Reversing itself, the Army said Tuesday that a G.I. was discharged partly because of a head injury he suffered while posing as an uncooperative detainee during a training exercise at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The Army had previously said Specialist Sean Baker's medical discharge in April was unrelated to the injury he received last year at the detention center, where the United States holds suspected terrorists.

Today, via Billmon, we learn that Baker has sued the Pentagon for $15 million and asked to be reinstated to a position that will accomodate his injuries.

And right wingers are angry at him. Billmon continues:

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh dismissed Baker's claim that the repeated crushing blows to the head inflicted by his fellow guards had left him with permanent brain damage. The American POWs tortured at the "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp during the Vietnam War would have been delighted to have their skulls fractured so carefully, Limbaugh argued.

"Maybe those blows seemed crushing to a whiny ACLU whimp like Baker, but I'm sure a tough American soldier like Spc. Baker was fully capable of absorbing them," Limbaugh added. "When are these crazy liberals going to get it through their heads that we're at war?"

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    Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#1)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:14 PM EST
    That is not a big deal, its happened to me here in the land of freedom and has happened to millions of people. this M.P. Is he a woman? or a little boy or girl? its normal in the Army to play games like that all the time, i once almost beat a guy to death for fun back in 1970. i hope he gets something from the V.A. Have fun Baker dealing with the V.A. AND Baker you will never get one dollar from the government.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:14 PM EST
    It appears that Billmon is trying to put one over on us. He doesn’t give sources for any of the quotes he attributes to the “[c]onservative activists and TV pundits.” That always makes me suspicious. Since he refers to Michelle Malkin as a blogger, I searched her blog (current and archive) and could not find any discussion of this story. I didn’t search her weekly column, so her quote could have appeared there. But, the most interesting thing is that each of the three quotes Billmon chose as examples, obviously refers to two different people, both named Baker. In each quote Spc. Baker is PRAISED, while the other Baker in criticized. Here is part of the quote from Brit Hume. "They're demanding that Baker retract his allegations and offer a full apology to Spc. Baker." Rush Limbaugh’s quote implies that Spc. Baker received the blows, while the other Baker is from the ACLU. This is partially cancelled out by Michelle Malkin’s quote, which calls the other Baker, “Sean.” Until Billmon provides sources or, at least, dates for these quotations, I am forced to conclude that he is trying to trick us and that his accusations are completely unsupported by the facts.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#3)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:14 PM EST
    From the post:
    soldiers he believes didn't know he was one of them
    So what we have is a belief. No proof beyond that. As for billmon, it is obvious that he has made quotes up out of whole cloth.
    Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh dismissed Baker's claim that the repeated crushing blows to the head inflicted by his fellow guards had left him with permanent brain damage. The American POWs tortured at the "Hanoi Hilton" prison camp during the Vietnam War would have been delighted to have their skulls fractured so carefully, Limbaugh argued.
    The last phrase, in italics, pretty well proves that it is fake. billmon is no scrappleface, and my guess is that the soldier was injured in a training excercise accident. He would have us believe that he was a "bad guy" in a training excercise who was walking around unsupervised and jumped by four soldiers, who were also unsupervised but thought he was a Moslem who they thought was uncooperative, and who didn't know the release code word was "red." I don't know what happened, but I don't believe the soldier's version. Perhaps the lawsuit will clear the air.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:15 PM EST
    I believe wholeheartedly that the soldiers caused his injuries, I have seen it happen in training. However, I also find it completely implausible that the other soldiers did not know this was a training exercise and that the prisoner was an american.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:15 PM EST
    Posted by Jlvngstn at June 20, 2005 07:46 AM I believe wholeheartedly that the soldiers caused his injuries, I have seen it happen in training. However, I also find it completely implausible that the other soldiers did not know this was a training exercise and that the prisoner was an american. ----- BINGO!!! I don't know if soldier(the one who psted the comment) beleives that SPC Baker is just a liar or what, but training exercises like that DO occur. Anyone who spent any time in service would know that. Jlvngstn hit it on the nail. The soldiers that beat that kid knew he was an american soldier, you never walk into a training exercise not knowing the neccessities. I hope he gets his money for the lawsuit, and he should have no problem getting the money from the VA. I assume his discharge will reflect the medical discharge caused by the army and will not have a problem getting the comp from the VA. The only problem he should have would be going back in. I don't know why he wants to stay in, but I salute him for still wanting to contribute to his country. Hopefully he gets what he wants, he deserves it.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:15 PM EST
    Rex, what about my post, causes you to question whether or not I think Spc Baker is lying?

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:15 PM EST
    The army confirmed what happened to him after originally trying to deny it:
    Army Now Says G.I. Was Beaten in Role By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: June 9, 2004 LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 8 — Reversing itself, the Army said Tuesday that a G.I. was discharged partly because of a head injury he suffered while posing as an uncooperative detainee during a training exercise at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
    Of course the lamebaughs on the site have a feith based reality so don't confuse them with facts.

    Re: Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:17 PM EST
    Actually, TChris, your statement assumes facts not in evidence (perhaps as sarcasm?): "Baker quickly learned how detainees are treated when things go wrong." When things WENT wrong, maybe, but as far as anyone can tell, this kind of 'things going wrong' is not an event -- it's POLICY. Baker quickly learned how detainees are treated. Full stop.

    Guantanamo Military Policeman Sues Pentagon | 8 comments (8 topical)