Yes, Sage, you've said it before, and each time you've said it, you were wrong.

The Wood Royal Commission was granted the “power under s. 18A of the 1923 Act to cite persons for contempt.” (http://www.pic.nsw.gov.au/PDF_files/VOLUME3.PDF Page a17). For refusing to answer the Commission’s questions, Bruce Galea was charged with contempt, tried and convicted http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/supreme_ct/unrep102.html

It’s clear from the judgement that Galea knew that he was in contempt, and knew that he would receive a custodial sentence if he refused to answer questions.

Therefore this is not a parallel to Hicks’ case for two reasons. First, the due process of law was followed, and second, Galea was aware of his position in relation to the law from the moment he stepped before the Royal Commission. Neither of these applies to Hicks.

Arbitrary detention without trial _is_ allowed in Australia under the new “anti-terrorism” laws, but only for a limited period (I think it’s one week), after which a judicial review must take place.

Your comments are welcome here, Sage, but could you please show the rest of us some respect and check your facts before making wild assertions.

Belly, I wouldn’t bother responding to “fair_go” if I were you – it’s a troll:

“a post that is deliberately incorrect, intended to provoke readers; or a person who makes such a post” www.archivemag.co.uk/gloss/T.html

sad about hicks but this is a red herring, in this case to get the punters to take eye off the ball that USA started this war [the IraK one as Bush calls it] AND there is only muted debate re has he killed 600,000 or a million civilians [sanitised by calling them collaterals]

Hence my ref above to the truth and deja vu in the movie Apoc Now "but we must slaughter them, .." Actually didnt the initial Brigadeer in Iraq invasion resign?? for same reasons as Kurtz

Ironically one of the best red herring instances ie grabbing a rag arse off the street [Timothy McVeigh], put him in a yellow jump suit and parade him before the press was all DONE to deflect the punter from knowing about the "bloke with a beard called bin something", whose fingerprints were all over the Oklahoma bombing [read Others Unknown, but FIRST edition]

the irony is that Bush would not have had his excuse for his war on terror had FBI dealt with bin Laden back in mid 1990s, and remember until 9/11 people were saying George who? [as well as Rodent who?] ie 9/11 MADE both of them, hence my own inclination to believe all the evidence Mike Moore has provided

other thing is that Habib bloke [and his whole family] is getting a far harder time from Howards goons back in "the land of the free" [THIS one, ie Oz, not USA] than he ever got in Camp X ray so I cant imagine Hicks could/would ever live here if released

"And I gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing" Dylan/Byrds

so as I also keep saying, I am not too sure by my being forced to save your ars** from "The Yellow Peril" in Nam that any of us feel free in Howard's Oz [oy oy oy] - I sure don't

It was good to read an alternative view from David Flint re: Hicks given the amount of hysteria being generated in the media about "Our Nice David". Please! It was also interesting to read a number of the comments on Flint's article, which reveal that so much of today's commentary is simply driven by a deep seated anti-Americanism. Oh well, I guess it's just too easy to stir up some mindless populism against the world's pre-eminent power, especially when we speak a common langauage and American culture is so readily "available". For all its flaws, the US represents a far better option than what the anti-Americans offer us...just take your pick from the range of undemocratic dirt bag regimes and other useful "ideologies" floating around the planet...And, BTW, Hicks will get his day in court unlike the victims of terrorism.

OK so D.Hicks is a criminal. Which law did he break?

Was it an International law?
A Pakistan Law?
An Afghan Law?
An American Law?
An Australian Law?

Did the Law(s) that he is supposed to have broken exist at the time of the alleged breaking?

Come I am hardly from the left and not anti American in fact here and in pages now gone I suported the Iraq war, I WAS WRONG.
However in thinking GWB is not fit to run a fish and chip shop ,even with his mate Howard helping I know
David Hicks who may well be a fool, should be free, he is like a mouse taunted by a cat not unlike Americas worst ever leader Bush
John Howard SIR if your much loved Sir Robert Menzeies ruled Australia today Hicks would be home by nightfall, and Mr Howard Sir BOB WOULD TURN HIS BACK ON YOU.

yeah that's real funny about Sir PigIron Bob - he didnt sugar the pill with WMD he just said "we must kill the Yellow Peril", and got the Nat Service Act passed in peacetime. Not even Rodent would try that. So I was FORCED to kill dem Yellow Perils and Sir Pig knocked me back on a $32 text book ["repatriation" application] after my 2 years. Real nice bloke that Bob.

But even funnier was my ex father-in-law was Fat Cat in Canberra as Commiss of War Service Homes and he was "incredulous" that by way of a Vivienne Solon type loophole he had offer a Home [heavily subsidised by Oz taxpayer] to "Herman the German", so we used to do a BBQ stopper on BBQs down the Cotter River after a few beers

Soldier, you fought in the war?

Yes Sir

I am in charge of WSH, do you want a Home?

Yes Sir

Then sign right here - oh sorry you fought for Australia did you? how stupid of you, we only give our homes to the enemy

ha ha ha Oy Oy Oy and a few more beers, but if you compare Hicks to Solon, dont seem much different now under Rodent rule.

If no comprennez, but for the $5 billion p.a. sham marriage industry [aka Mail Order Terrorism] run by blood sucking lawyers, Solon could never have got to Oz in first place