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Hicks revelations: Ruddock in damage control
by Kingfisher Friday, Apr 27 2007, 3:15pm
national / injustice/law / opinion/analysis

American military prosecutors admit David Hicks was no threat whatsoever, he would have been a “total liability” to Al-Qaeda prosecutors admitted to Australian journalist Leigh Sales. This information flatly contradicts the ‘dangerous terrorist’ image of Hicks sold to the Australian public by Howard and his ministers, Downer and Ruddock! The already beleaguered Howard has suffered another major blow to his and his government’s credibility and ‘integrity’. Howard’s appalling dereliction of duty to Hicks has been openly exposed by his closest ally, America! Perhaps our ‘fearless’ leader should have thought twice prior to ceding the nation to the Yanks. The only one not heeding the very clear message that he is yesterday’s man, is Johnny himself, but as stated previously the genus of rodent clings to survival to the last dying twitch.

Read it and demand accountability -- arrest Howard!

On the face of it, it would seem that Howard’s fate has already been sealed by the US and media mogul, Rupert Murdoch. Everyone ‘in the know’ knows that it's over for Howard, but the champion of Iraqi holocaust denial seems to be in total denial of the reality that faces him personally. However, dogged persistence in dreamland may also be symptomatic of the dread experienced at the prospect of facing criminal charges for involvement in the illegal invasion of Iraq – Kevin Rudd may spare you but others are not so inclined! As always, it’s the devil you don’t know that destroys you.

Fearing consequences, the Attorney General Philip Ruddock immediately sprang into damage control after revelations of Hicks as foolish/dull and harmless adventurer was published in the local print media, “whether he had diminished capacity or otherwise to make judgements doesn't in any way undermine the seriousness of the matters that the military commission dealt with. The ‘Australian public’ regard them as serious issues. That is why they are offences under our law," Ruddock told Sky News. We would draw the Attorney General’s attention to the fact that it is not ‘the matters with which the [questionable] military commission deals’ it was/is Hicks and his apparent “diminished capacity” that is/was the issue. It is an irony that Attorney General Ruddock introduces the terms, “diminished capacity” as diminished capacity/responsibility is often used as a defence in criminal proceedings. However, the travesty and injustices of the Hicks ‘trial’ are widely known and require no further elaboration here.

Regardless of any excuses the derelict John Howard and his band of questionable colleagues may offer, the principal issues of illegal detention and the assault on human rights remain. The prosecution of known war criminals and others responsible for the horrendous civilian death toll in Iraq would directly confront the major issues of our time. In Australia the process begins with the arrest of Howard, Ruddock and Downer for complicity in the Iraq debacle and for implementing draconian foreign (US neo-conservative) policies in Australia.

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=377258

COMMENTS

Guantanamo spell 'just about politics'
by staff report via rialator - Herald Sun Friday, Apr 27 2007, 5:34pm

THE David Hicks case is one of the most shameful episodes in Australia's political history, South Australia's Law Council said yesterday.

The council said the only welcome aspect of Hicks pleading guilty last month to terrorism related charges was that his nightmare would soon be over.

"Mr Hicks' plea and prison sentence will no doubt be trumpeted triumphantly by the Federal Government as evidence that he was guilty of something very serious all along," Law Council president Tim Bugg said.

Mr Bugg said Hicks' detention for more than five years was about politics, not justice, and would be looked back on as one of Australia's most shameful episodes.

"From the very beginning, Mr Hicks was a pawn in a political game played ruthlessly for advantage in both the United States and Australia," he said.

The Howard Government's complicity in his detention marked a low point in Australian political life, Mr Bugg said.

He said Hicks's nightmare was nearly over simply because it became politically imperative for it to end.

Hicks, 31, will be transferred to a South Australian prison in the next few weeks to serve a nine-month term after he pleaded guilty to a charge of providing material support to terrorism.

The rest of his seven-year jail term was suspended.

© Herald and Weekly Times

http://www.news.com.au/sundayheraldsun/story/0,,21633844-662,00.html

solution is testing
by double standards Sunday, Apr 29 2007, 10:38am

The solution is declare war on a criminal government for contravening numerous international laws and conventions. Impose regime change then hang its leader and his cronies for the murder of 700,000 innocent civilians and the plunder of valuable resources.

Which nation???

If caught justify your actions in the same way the coalition 'justifies' theirs -- with double standards, hypocrisy and denial!!! Got a problem with that???

What's good for the goose is ....

THAT IS THE REALITY THE PEOPLE OF THE 'FREE' WORLD TOLERATE TODAY ... who do 'YOU' think will be next?? I wonder!

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/04/144242_comment.php#144251