Paul1405,

Where were you and the Greens when Julia Gillard, PM of the Labor/Greens government and her first law officer the Attorney General, told an Australian citizen, Julian Assange, that without even a trial they would render him a Stateless Person by not allowing him back into his own country?

Gillard's horrific, outrageous threat sent shock waves of indignation and disgust through embassies everywhere.

You are over-egging the custard regarding Mohammed Darwood, or is it now simply Hicks, the stories are all so confusing. The SBS championed his interests, which to a taxpayer was strange.

Many agree with Miranda Devine's summation and you cannot say they all want a 'Police State',

"Listening to David Hicks's speech at the Sydney Writers' Festival last weekend you'd think he'd been over in Afghanistan wiping the brow of AIDS sufferers and holding the hands of leprosy victims."
[Miranda Devine HERALD SUN May 26, 2011]

You do better to stick with the more supportable claim that the then Australian government could have been more active like the Brits regarding their nationals, in securing his release sooner to Australian authorities. In view its treatment of Assange, one wonders how a Gillard/Greens government would have handled Hicks. What do you say to that?

The OP questions whether Hicks should be feted as some sort of hero, and some would argue that the taxpayer-funded ABC and SBS have contributed to that image. Why?

It's all very subjective who are viewed as
villains and who are viewed as heroes.
The divide can even
be down political party lines. - for example,
as in the case of Margaret Thatcher, and Richard
Nixon. Many of the French even today
cannot decide whether Napoleon Bonaparte, was
a hero or a villain. His lust for power had left more
than 1 million French dead - yet he also achieved
a great deal.

We've had a few examples of our own -
from Rolf Harris, to Mark "Chopper" Read,
(his book was a best-seller, and they made a movie
about him), and of course - Ned Kelly,
to mention just a few.

And then we have the strange case of David Hicks...

There's an interesting book about the strange case
of David Hicks:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/book-reviews/detainee-002-the-case-of-david-hicks/2007/05/11/1178390533929.html

Some of the points raised were -

1) The face of Australian public indiferrence from the
two major political parties.

2) His detention without a trial by Australia's major
ally had people "ordinary" Australians thinking
electorally that something was rotten in the camps of
Guantanamo Bay.

3) Locking up a person for 5 years without a trial is
wrong.

'afternoon to you ONTHEBEACH...

Firstly, I sincerely hope that 'ALBIE MANTON IN DARWIN' has the opportunity to finish his piece concerning the very sad events leading up to the unfortunate suicide of a US soldier who served in Iraq ? Too many similar stories of the awful effects of PTSD abound unfortunately. Would it concern the 'Left' - I doubt it ?

David HICKS is certainly a hero to some, but a villain to many others. I've heard it said that he was locked up in GITMO for five years without trial, and that's a clear deprivation of his liberty and denial of justice.

However, without further entangling myself into being identified as just another rabid 'Right Wing' crazed aggressor, if Mr Hicks were to be caught in Vietnam, during my tour, attired and armed as he was, as the enemy, the least of his worries would've been, spending too much time locked-up without due process ?

You see ONTHEBEACH, Mr Hicks would've received his punishment, there and then, in country, contemporaneously with how he was actually caught ! Dressed in the uniform of the enemy, and fully armed with the weapons and munitions of the enemy. What other conclusions would any reasonable man draw, faced with exactly the same evidence ? Evidence of a kind, that was completely irrefutable and far beyond any doubt whatsoever ! Beyond that which was even 'reasonable' ! I could only wish that many of the matters that I've had to deal with, was as strong as that of MR HICKS'S guilt !

But hey, ONTHEBEACH what would YOU, MIRANDA DIVINE, and I know ? Me being identified by the LEFT as yet another fanatical and overly aggressive, 'Right Wing' warmonger ? Take it easy ol' fella, and thank you very much indeed for that Link, I appreciate it.

Dear O Sung Wu,

Well you've got me wondering now - who exactly
of the "Left" has made all those accusations
against you.?

I trust you don't think it was me on the other
site dealing with the International Day of Peace -
where I was responding on page 10 - to
the link that was taken from the "frontpage
magazine." That is an American far-right conservative
online magazine and those are the "right-wing warriors,"
to whom I was referring.
They aggressively combat the efforts of anyone they
perceive as the "radical left." I certainly do not
include you in that group - and if you think I meant
you - I unreservedly apologise to you.

Dear FOXY...

I'm sorry. I did think you were referring to me in particular because of my intractable stance on the guilt of Ms Jane FONDA. Vietnam runs very deep through every part of me. That of course is my problem, totally and immutably my problem alone, nobody else is responsible. There I lost God, and later my most dearest and closest friend. I would respectfully ask that this matter is not mentioned again. A misunderstanding nothing more. Thank you so much FOXY.

Dear O Sung Wu,

You are one amazing soul who can fill
me with joy on this forum.

I'm so glad that we've sorted this out.

Take care.