The Australian Al Qaeda terrorist who became a cause celebre to the international left, David Hicks, has pleaded guilty in a military court in Guantanamo Bay.

He’s looking a little “puffy,” according to this report. Must be all the torture.

David Hicks has entered a guilty plea, after an initial hearing which was immediately thrown into disarray when the judge effectively disqualified two of his three lawyers.

Hicks appeared in court wearing an olive green outfit, and thongs on his feet. The judge warned his defence counsel that in future he should not appear in prison-type clothes, in order to make sure that his presumption of innocence was maintained.

Hicks’s hair was long, reaching down to his shoulder blades, but he had shaved off a long beard for his first court appearance in two and half years.

He looked in reasonable health, although, as his father Terry said, he looked puffy. He was unrecognisable from old photographs of him, although the extra weight has made him resemble his father.