Hello to forum members,
I am very upset that the Australian Prime Minister, media corporates, and their loyal followers, have, play acted, judge and jury against David Hicks and his family.
It is ironic that over 600,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq, since the invasion by the coalition of the willing in 2003. David Hicks was being punished and tortured over about the same amount of time, and he did not kill one soldier or civilian.
David Hicks has suffered without any legal decision against him, except at the hands of the powerful American Military, at the behest of George Bush.
It is like we in Australia, are in an American back water, and being governed by the White House.

Communicat, I can think of something to say about the $520,000.

The total would be a lot more if you take all of the other security measures into account. What did it cost to get the entire South Australian police force out for the occasion?

The decision to spend all that money bringing Hicks back was not made by either taxpayers or Hicks. He could just as easily have been escorted on an ordinary flight by a handful of security people and whisked off in an ordinary paddy wagon.

Who released information of his arrival to the media? Who decided to stage an event bigger than a visit from the queen? And who decided it was worth all that tax money to stage such a grand media event?

On the subject of taxpayer money, I hope everyone enjoyed the deluge of government advertising over the same weekend. We paid for the Hicks spectacle on the news and the ads in between. Overall we've had a massive spend in the last couple of days. Was it worth it?

Sarah101,
I know that it rained recently so I will forgive you as you
must have come down in that shower.

He spent time in Kosovo with their moslem army then went to
the Afghan Al Quaida training camps. Just for a holiday and physical
excercise ? I can't see them allowing that.
Met up with Osama bin Laden, so it is said, but does not change anything
if he didn't meet him.

Was captured, not in uniform, no pay book, no serial number and was armed.

What do you think he was ? A tourist ?

The US should have given him a transit visa to get out through
Los Angeles airport and saved us a lot of money.
Perhaps the airlines refused to carry him.

Ah but no airline would have taken him on board. It is easy to blame the government. They were working behind the scenes before the whole thing blew up. If the idiots who made all the fuss in the media had kept their mouths shut he would have been back here far earlier and would not have been turned into some sort of hero. It would also have cost far less - as it is it has cost the taxpayer millions because individuals with no knowledge of international law became instant experts in the subject and the media printed their views rather than seek out the facts in an objective fashion. Of course the idiots were also street smart - they saw this as a potential media issue which might help bring down a democratically elected government.
Hicks human rights are the same as any other person - and those do not include being turned into some sort of hero for political purposes. His supporters should now at very least be asked to pay for his fare home.

I suppose people unable to get medical treatment that they need to stay alive will be pleased that we spent the money to save Hicks from a further period in US custody. Kids sweltering during summer in classrooms that are not air conditioned will be pleased that the money went to save Hicks from some more months over there.

People who's communities are running out of water will be pleased to see the money used on something so much more important. Somewhere one or two workers will be pleased to thing that their entire lifetimes income tax has gone on a flight to help Hicks.

Women slaughtered by the Talliban (that most perfect of Governments according to Hicks) would if they still lived be pleased that he has been saved further discomfort.

The USA did the wrong thing and so to did Hicks. I'd much rather have seen my tax dollars spent helping with real causes.

R0bert

SARAH 101-: "He did not kill one soldier or civilian"

Hicks wrote in his letters home how he and his muslim friends converted Cashmere a village in India over to the Muslim faith. This was done at the point of a gun and was reported on the news with villagers being killed in the process. Prove that Hicks wasnt there and killed civilians.

-: "Ironically there have been 600,000 killed in Iraq"

The largest percentage of them by the muslims who think nothing of driving a car with a loaded bomb in amongst 50 Arab children.