Dear rehctub,

They were not regarded as "terrorists" until
after 9/11 - and then the US declared "war
on terror," and Australia - thanks to John Howard
got involved big time. However, as stated in my
earlier post it is perfectly legitimate to
ask David Hicks tough questions about his
background, his beliefs, but none of this justifies
long-term jailing, torture, and psychological abuse
of an Australian citizen without being charged or
a fair trial.

We should seek for accountability, a Royal Commission, and
a full judicial review about the David Hicks case.
Heads should roll. Careers should end. And this case would
finally be put to rest. If I was David - I would demand
restitution for what I was put through.

David Hicks big mistake was that he was too slow and could not keep up with the speed at which the Americans and the west keep changing sides. In the 1980's the Americans where supporting Bin Laden, Al-Quenda, and Saddam Hussein.

http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=0228

Instead of worrying about some guy who was not too sharp, never killed anyone and probably never fired a shot in combat. How about the simple fact that America tortured an innocent man, without any evidence against him and kept him in jail, with no charge for over 5 years, be very clear that without fair laws fairly implemented you will end up the situation, that arose in Germany, Italy and Russia before during and imediatly after the second world war.

Hi Foxy,

Not really - after the first bombing of the World Trade Centre in 1993, and the jailing of some terrorists for that, the Yanks were well aware of the aims and dangers of al Qai'ida, don't kid yourself. After the blowing up of their ship in Sana'a Harbour in 1998, the massacre of hundreds of Africans in the blowing-up of the embassies in Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi in 1998 (?), they were under no illusions.

Hicks might be a half-wit but he must have known about all that, it's what might have attracted him to seek out his brother, Osama bin Laden, and to train in Bosnia, then Pakistan, then Afghanistan. He got pinged guarding a Taliban tank in Afghanistan (you remember the Taliban ? The ones that blew up the Buddhist statues at Bamiyan ?) This was after he had been fighting with the Bosnians (good on him for that, by the way) and then for the Pakistani terrorists against India, and then with al Qa'ida.

Let's not kid ourselves, he's been around the terrorist traps. If I had the keys to Guantanamo, I would be still fighting like buggery to keep him in.

Joe

Dear Joe (Loudmouth),

I agree, let's not kid ourselves.
David Hicks spent nearly six years in Guantanamo where he
was abused and tortured.
While it is crucial to question his background his treatment
by both our government and at the hands of the US - as Amtony
Loewenstein points out was not justified.

David Hicks was interrogated, tortured, and held in isolation
for nearly six years in Guantanamo including as Loewenstein
says for 244 days in solitary confinement in a closet-sized cell
without sunlight. David Hicks was also experimented on by the
US military doctors during his incarceration (a new study
by the Task Force on Preserving Medical Professionalism found
that doctors tortured suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay).

Amnesty International maintains that Hicks was illegally detained
without a fair trial for years and that when he did have one -
the military commission he appeared before never met international
standards for fair trials.

It is very disappointing in the extreme that you apparently
do not believe in the rule of the law or due process.
I would have thought that this was the kind of society that
you would want to live in - the kind that supports the rule
of law and due process for all of its citizens.
Apparently not. Sad really.

'Sweeping generalisations don't do you any credit.
Please back them up with evidence.'

not long back Foxy the progressives were sticking by a unionist who spent cleaners money on prostitutes.

rehctub,

"I seriously can not believe the do-gooders position here as this guy joined and trained with an Islamic terrorist group who's motives were to rein terror on innocent law abiding citizens."

Here's a guy sitting and chatting with the Mujahideen - the funding of which some critics have cited as contributing in part to the formation of al Qaeda....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Reagan_sitting_with_people_from_the_Afghanistan-Pakistan_region_in_February_1983.jpg

I suppose it's okay with you guys if you're backing a ragtag army of militant Islamic insurgents when they're belting the Russians

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone