US told: deliver Hicks proof (Aust govt getting nervous about Gitmo guy)

The Federal Government has sought urgent assurances from the United States that it has enough evidence to prosecute the Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks.

It is growing increasingly anxious about whether the Adelaide man will ever face trial.

Australia's ambassador to the US, Michael Thawley, was dispatched to the Pentagon last week amid delays in scheduled hearings, as well as reports of miscarriages of justice in the US military tribunals.

The New York Times has reported that US officials are considering significant changes in the military tribunal system, which was set up by President George Bush under his "war on terrorism".

Hicks, the Adelaide man captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and accused of links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban, is one of the four prisoners of the 540 at Guantanamo Bay to have been charged.

The Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, said representations had been made last week to the US at a "very senior level", noting he had been repeatedly told by the US that there was a case against Hicks.


http://www.smh.com.au/news/Global-Terrorism/US-told-deliver-Hicks-proof/2005/03/27/1111862260055.html

It is far more likely that Hicks was in Afghanistan to cop some Surfboard hash or a few keys of smack.

but it looks like he was nothing more than a minor errand boy. He had no weapon when he was captured, apparently.

Why is it American's can hold anybody they like without "fronting" them in an American court. Not one of the "Bush Gang's" pretend court's!! America claims to be a Democracy!!! Your courts have put more people in "jail" than any other country. They work, and very well!!! So how come people like OZZIE David Hicks, and that other "dirty bomb" bastard Padilla can't face real American Democratic justice! What the ****! is wrong with the American Legal System. These people have been in jail without a fair trial for nearly 4 years. You had better hope your government wins the "fair" case! I see a massive legal suit against "The Bush Gang" brewing!! In OZ we are your third best supporters after Israel and Grand Brittania. But you have an OZZIE in Gitmo!!! If he's committed some crime against you then get him into your courts and try him fairley!! If you can prove he's committed a crime against America fairley, then he'll have to be locked up. But if you can't prove he's committed a crime against America then watch out!!! This will be "huge" in OZ! Everybody in our country knows David Hicks like you American's know Terri Schiavo, Scott Peterson, Michael Jackson and O J Simpson!!!

Thanks for your perspective from down under. I hope your govt goes to the wall against the USA on this.

The USA should not stand for unjust perpetual imprisonment on executivve opinion alone. That is so totally unAmerican! But most of what Bush does is treasonous and us American's can't get enough of the guy?

-85%

because the man has no spine at all, he's a born crawler. It's
taken four years so far for the government to ask about evidence
against Hicks, and that's only because there is a small but growing
feeling in the country that we're just a bit too subservient to the
US.

Hicks did join the Taliban, and he's certainly misguided, and perhaps
even a bit of a nutter, but Al Qa'eda? I don't think they're that
hard up. He's a silly boy who was in the wrong place for the wrong
reasons at the wrong time, that's all. Ruddock has admitted there's
nothing he could be charged with in Australia, and I doubt the US
can charge him with anything either.

...I am American and I agree with you completely. I don't understand why we are bullying the rest of the world and most of all, why we don't face severe sanctions from other nations. I sincerely hope that this case will "bring our chickens home to roost" politically.

PS Please keep in mind that many (if not a majority- can't trust election results anymore)of us don't in any way support this global thuggery and are as outraged by it as you are.

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they hold people for YEARS without rhyme or reason

Just "we think he's a bad guy"

and they hide you away for years ??

gawd

I hope what ever is spreading around in the US ain't catching up here in Canukistan . . .

Maybe I'll move a little further away from the border

again . .