Judge may decide general’s fate today
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A general who broke military law repeatedly during a three-year extramarital affair with a subordinate should be thrown out of the Army and lose his benefits, prosecutors said Wednesday during closing arguments at his sentencing.
The defense argued that dismissing Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair from the military would do the most harm to his wife and children, calling them the only innocent people in the case.
After both sides finished, Judge Col. James Pohl adjourned the hearing until this morning – meaning Sinclair will have to wait at least one more day to learn his fate. Sinclair’s sentencing comes as the military and Congress grapple with sex crimes in the ranks.
Prosecutor Maj. Rebecca DiMuro disputed the notion promoted by the defense that Sinclair made an uncharacteristic mistake in an otherwise stellar career.
The defense had called a host of character witnesses to laud Sinclair as a selfless leader in hopes of getting a lenient punishment.
U.S. complains about Israeli’s remarks
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration Wednesday vented its anger at the Israeli defense minister’s public criticism of the U.S. and his personal insults of Secretary of State John Kerry.
In a new sign of tension between top officials of the two allies as Washington tries to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program, Kerry called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest recent remarks by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.
Yaalon this week accused the Obama administration of being weak on Iran and questioned its commitment to Israel’s security. Previously, Yaalon has criticized Kerry for being unrealistic and naive in trying to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
Associated Press
