The Haneef release: an international view - National Social/Political

John Howard’s Australia has become dysfunctional, myopic, inward looking and seems to be completely oblivious to the image it presents to the rest of the world, particularly in the Asia Pacific region inhabited by a variety of racial groups and cultures. The treatment dished out to a dark-skinned, highly educated, Indian medical doctor borders on the overt racism experienced by numerous cultures in the 19th century – such is the retrogressive ideology of John Howard!

The entire Asian World waited in vain for Dr. Haneef to receive an apology or some other gesture of regret from the Howard government; however, as is now internationally known no apologies were forthcoming – Howard viewed the whole affair purely as a failed political strategy.

Media commentary revolved around responsible parties running for cover and buck-passing. The whole nation -- including the media -- ignored the severe injustice and trauma Dr. Haneef experienced. The racism of this pathetic little nation is so ingrained it has become normalised or ‘natural’ – it hadn’t occurred to senior officials and others who should know better that WE OWE THIS MAN AN APOLOGY! Australia seems far too busy navel-gazing to even recognise the fact. John Howard, his ministers, senior public servants and supporters can gloat over the biased and unfair treatment a dark-skinned foreigner received. We should therefore not be surprised if the international community treats Australian citizens in similar fashion -- the recent stabbing of an Aussie tourist in Europe may be evidence of the world reacting to the overt racism of John Howard and his government.

But the worst is yet to come. The totally inept manner in which the case was brought to the courts and the incompetence displayed by Australian regulatory authorities invites (begs) terrorists to make their ‘statements’ in Australia – especially, one would think, at the forthcoming APEC summit.

Consider this and consider it well – the whole beat-up and debacle of the Haneef case centred on a ‘SIM card’ – the nation was thrown into media hysteria over a SIM card! Contrast this inoffensive artefact with real bombings and killings committed by real Croatian terrorists in the sixties and seventies in downtown Sydney and understand that the nation rightly interpreted those acts as CRIMINAL and not deserving of the ‘terrorist’ hype that a SIM card receives today. I reiterate for the few slow to comprehend real blood, death, bombings and terrorist training camps in rural NSW compared with John Howard and Philip Ruddock’s SIM card!

Australia’s encounter with real terrorists was dealt with not by the AFP, ASIO, ASIS, ONA, ADF or any other bureaucratic department. The NSW State police in the form of the Special Branch effectively eliminated the threat utilising EXISTING LAWS, surveillance methods and undercover police work. The Labor Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, deported the offenders to their country of origin where they were dealt with according to their own laws and culture.

[A ‘S-I-M card’!]

John Howard and his failed State Institutions have advertised to the entire world (of real terrorists) that we are a bunch of cowering, cringing, incompetent buffoons; furthermore, our agencies and security organisations begin to unravel if placed under the slightest pressure – that is how the Dr. Haneef case presents to the world!

Well done Aussie -- Oink, Oink, Oink!

[Gag order placed on Haneef but couldn't get him out fast enough regardless of how it may appear. What does the government have to fear (Truth) if it feels it necessary to place a gag order on Haneef? No doubt, without an option to respond the governemt will go into extreme damage control in the vain attempt to save Howard from CERTAIN defeat at the forthcoming elections.

The people will take Hicks and Haneef to the elections with them.

The most interesting aspect to this election is that Howard has done more to destroy his chances than anyone else - good work, John, should've done it sooner! Ed.]

Mohamed Haneef will fly home to India tonight after the Immigration Department returned his passport.

Dr Haneef was freed yesterday after almost three weeks in custody on a terrorism-related charge that was dropped yesterday.

The doctor, who was working at the Gold Coast Hospital before his arrest, says he is homesick and anxious to be reunited with his family.

His lawyer, Peter Russo, says tonight Dr Haneef will fly out of the Brisbane International Airport - the same airport at which he was arrested by Australian Federal Police on July 2.

Mr Russo says immigration authorities helping Dr Haneef return to India have banned him from speaking to the media before he leaves.

Dr Haneef is said to be disappointed with that decision.

Although Dr Haneef's passport has been returned to him, his Australian work visa was not.

He has vowed to keep fighting to have the visa reinstated.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews says the cancellation of Dr Haneef's visa means he needs to leave Australia.

Despite criticism of the decision, Mr Andrews says the solicitor-general has indicated the move to cancel the doctor's visa was open to him, on the evidence he was presented.

"He believes, that's his advice as the solicitor-general, that the proceedings to appeal my decision will ultimately fail in the Federal Court," he said.

"But he's gone further than that and said even if I made that decision now, at a time when the charge had been withdrawn having reviewed all the material, it was still open to me to come to the conclusion which I did."

Mr Andrews has confirmed Dr Haneef's lawyers contacted his department last night, asking if their client could leave Australia as soon as possible.

Mr Andrews says he now hopes to release the information that led to his decision to cancel Dr Haneef's visa.

He says he believes some of the information provided to him was different or more detailed than that given to the magistrate.

"There's always been the question that releasing information which could in some way jeopardise an ongoing investigation has to be taken seriously into account," he said.

"Now all I'm saying is if there's no reason now why that information should remain protected, then it would be my intention to be able to release that information."

© 2007 ABC

Trust is gone
by ST Editorial via reed - Sunday Times au Saturday, Jul 28 2007, 11:46am

WHEN the Federal Government introduced tough anti-terror laws in the aftermath of September 11, there was broad support among the Australian population.

But for that support to be maintained, the general public had to be sure the laws were not being abused in any way, particularly for politcal gain.

That trust is now in tatters because of the inept handling of the case of Mohamed Haneef.

Dr Haneef was freed on Friday night from a Brisbane jail after the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions dropped a charge against him of providing support to a terrorist organisation.

An innocent man had spent a month in custody and been painted as a terrorist on what amounted to phantom evidence.

In a few weeks, the Australian Federal Police, DPP and the Federal Government have done more damage to their cause than any opponent could have hoped for.

They have undermined public confidence in their ability to protect Australians from terrorism and have weakened the case for the anti-terror laws they regard as a key tool in this fight.

Public sentiment has swayed from fear of Dr Haneef to sympathy to his cause and anger at his treatment.

The federal government has this week made unconvincing attempts to distance itself from the debacle.

The Australian public accepts that tough anti-terrorism laws are necessary for our own protection. But they can only operate if we have total confidence in those who have been handed the power to enforce them.

With this confidence now gone, Australia stands more vulnerable than ever before to those who wish to wreak terror. The federal government, AFP and DPP have no-one to blame for this situation but themselves.

© 2007 The Sunday Times

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