Australian prisoner at Guantanamo

[eve]

After four years imprisonment at Guantanamo without a trial, and spending most of his time in solitary confinement, including well over 150 days in sensory deprivation, he is hoping to become a British citizen. This is mainly because our PM, John Howard has washed his hands of Hicks, as well as the fact that the UK managed to get all 9 of their citizens released.

However it has emerged today that the US is refusing Britain access to him so he can take an oath to become a British citizen. A high court judge last December ruled that he was entitled to citizenship, and yesterday the government promised in court that the foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, will this weekend consider lobbying the US for Mr Hick's release, and the US will consider allowing one of its officers to administer the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

It is surely about time.

[boombalada]

Happy Birthday, David! (Aug 7)
I heard that John Stanhope (ACT Chief Minister) nominated your dad, Terry, for Father of the Year. He surely deserves it. Hope you'll be home with your family soon.

[eve]

Yes boombalada, I hope that everyone recognises what a great dad he has been throughout this whole episode, now over 4 years. The AG wasn't too happy though, but can you imagine his being happy about ANYTHING?

Seems that David Hicks will remain in Guantanamo for quite some more time. It is utterly disgusting.

[veganblue]

A couple of weeks ago I went to see In the shadow of the palms (http://www.intheshadowofthepalms.com/) and the film maker andTerry Hicks got up to speak about the plight of David and his recent conversations.

He no longer has any representation by anyone apart from the Australian lawyer and the family are at a loss as to what happens next. They have not been told.

David asked for a cat for company but they said no as it would be too cruel...!

I highly recommend the film - it looks at life in Iraq weeks before the invasion and during the bombings of Bagdad, then the film maker returns and looks at the aftermath and visits the survivors.

There is a very sad bit where before a girl laughs at the camera, with her family and says ''you cannot show this if I live''. :(

[claireyveg]

Not saying that he is guilty or his treatment isn't shocking and disgraceful, but surely there is more to the whole David Hicks situation then we the general public are being told? I mean they can't really lock someone up under terrorist suspition unless they are pretty damn sure, and I mean as much as John Howard is a dickhead would he really stand by and watch an innocent man be treated so inhumanely?

[Mr Flibble]

I mean they can't really lock someone up under terrorist suspition unless they are pretty damn sure

You're talking about the US right? :confused:

[kriz]

Not saying that he is guilty or his treatment isn't shocking and disgraceful, but surely there is more to the whole David Hicks situation then we the general public are being told? I mean they can't really lock someone up under terrorist suspition unless they are pretty damn sure, and I mean as much as John Howard is a dickhead would he really stand by and watch an innocent man be treated so inhumanely?

Innocent people are being put to death in United States, so I think ANYTHING is possible here.:(

[eve]

... and I mean as much as John Howard is a dickhead would he really stand by and watch an innocent man be treated so inhumanely?
Are you kidding? As Prime minister he stood by and watched hundreds of innocent families being drowned in Australian waters in the SievX incident. The same for the people aboard the Tampa, and many, many other incidents. In the case of David Hicks, Howard so desperately wants to be loved by George Bush, that he allows the US military to do anything at all to this Australian citizen. The horrible thing is that the stupid population still vote for him. :(

[berta_the_aspie]

...autistic kids are treated just as badly at the Judge Rotenberg Centre with sensory deprivation and constant electro shocks - and they didnt even commit a crime... except being autistic. its a sick sick world at least in the US...:(

[BlackDog]

My sympathy for David Hicks went out the window yesterday, after reading the following extract from Leigh Sales (ABC national affairs correspondent) book 'Detainee 002':
'Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and rodeo rider, quickly learned to stave off boredom with mindless distractions such as catching mice and stringing them up in his cell.
Sometimes he caught three or four a night, entertaining the other prisoners with his skill' :mad:

[ricky]

I understand, BlackDog, and Hicks is no favourite of mine either; he is proudly antisemitic, violent, etc. However, even a mass murderer is given defence, and he was supposed to be returned to Australia for imprisonment after his trial, but no sign of him yet.

Sadly, people like Bush, Blair, and Howard, brought incredible violence to the people of Iraq, and will they ever go on trial?