Hick's nice little earner..

[Lord Jim]

And if you used such drugs on prisoners that would be a war crime.

How so?

[Scooter]

Um, because drugging prisoners for non-medical reasons is a war crime. Was that not obvious?

[The Hen]

He should have been provided with the support we give all countrymen whilst they are waiting to be charged with a crime. It used to be the Australian way.

[Lord Jim]

Um, because drugging prisoners for non-medical reasons is a war crime. Was that not obvious?

That would be true, if the detainees at Guantanamo were afforded the full range of protections under the Geneva Conventions afforded to Prisoners Of War; it has been the publicly stated position of the US government, (under two Administrations) that they are not.

The detainees at Gitmo are classified as "unlawful combatants" not POWS...

The US Supreme Court has taken issue with some aspects of the detainee's detention, like access to legal representation, (again, under both the Bush and Obama Administrations) but it has never overturned this basic designation, and demanded that the detainees be treated as Prisoners of War....

[Scooter]

Fine. If it's not a war crime, then it's a crime, period. Happy now?

[Gob]

Hen, why should the Australian government have supported a guy who joined the Taliban, and was picked up on the battle field fighting against coalition forces, (including his fellow countrymen?)

Because it is the duty of the government to assure that all citizens get justice?

[Lord Jim]

Looks to me like he got justice. More than justice...

The man joined a terrorist organization, took up arms against his own countrymen and those fighting along side them;

He wasn't killed, and not only that, after a mere six years in detention for these actions he was freed, looking no worse for the wear, and now he's being allowed to profit financially from his despicable actions....

Seems to me he got way more than justice....

Seems to me he's gotten far better than he deserved...

[The Hen]

If we consider Hicks claim that he was coerced into an a guilty plea under the 2006 Military Commissions Act which the President has recognised as ‘fatally flawed’, then the medications he was administered could have resulted in that guilty plea.

Also, to my knowledge, it has never been proven by the former US administration that David Hicks committed any crime; this includes the allegation that Mr Hicks trained in al-Qaeda linked camps. Mr Hicks maintains that he did not receive any terrorist training, or hear of al-Qaeda until Guantanamo Bay.

Perfect folk-hero material.

David (Hicks) v Goliath (US).

[Lord Jim]

Mr Hicks maintains that he did not receive any terrorist training, or hear of al-Qaeda until Guantanamo Bay.

The claim that a man who had joined The Taliban during that period "had never heard of Al-Qaeda" doesn't pass the laugh test, given the extent to which Al-Qaeda was involved in training Taliban fighters in their war with the Northern Alliance....

Perfect folk-hero material.

Ignorant people will make "folk heroes" out of all sorts of undeserving folks...

There were people in this country who tried to make "folk heroes" out of The Rosenbergs....

A nation should not formulate its policies and decisions based on what ignorant people are going to do...

[The Hen]

Mr Hicks maintains that he did not receive any terrorist training, or hear of al-Qaeda until Guantanamo Bay.

The claim that a man who had joined The Taliban during that period "had never heard of Al-Qaeda" doesn't pass the laugh test, given the extent to which Al-Qaeda was involved in training Taliban fighters in their war with the Northern Alliance....

Hicks is a simple Bogan. He was going through an acrimonious seperation at the time.

He isn't the sharpest tool in the box.

It is perfectly acceptable for me to believe he didn't have the foggiest idea of what was going on.

Perfect folk-hero material.

Ignorant people will make "folk heroes" out of all sorts of undeserving folks...

There were people in this country who tried to make "folk heroes" out of The Rosenbergs....

A nation should not formulate its policies and decisions based on what ignorant people are going to do...

.... Or what ignorant people didn't do, which was to provide him with exactly the same support as they would to any other Australian overseas being held without charge.

[Lord Jim]

Hen, I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one...

[The Hen]

Fair doos. But history will not record the Australian Government's lack of support to a national being held uncharged kindly.

[loCAtek]

In the meantime, all this controversy over what we never heard of till Hicks wanted to sell a book, is creating what the thread title suggests.

[The Hen]

This might explain why you had never heard it .

Australians will not need an introduction but the rest of the world probably does. David Hicks is one of two Australians held by the USA at Guantanamo Bay's prison under terrorism allegations, having been caught at Afghanistan shortly after the events of September 11. Public opinion first had him a terrorist: that's what we've been told, a decent guy won't be hanging about at Afghanistan, and besides - the guy converted to Islam. However, as the years went by it became obvious the Americans are unable to put Hicks on trial; public opinion in Australia started to change. There was the feeling that something fishy is going on here, and that perhaps we are being tricked by the Howard & Bush Corporation. Then came the military trial that stunk of being rigged, after which that dangerous terrorist Hicks was finally brought to Australia - but only to serve a few more months at an Aussie jail. After his release he was still under orders to keep quiet, and only a while later could he start telling us his version of the story without the threat of penalization.

Or so he thought. Hicks wrote Guantanamo: My Journey, but shortly afterwards that book saw its own fiasco. Since terrorists are not allowed to make money out of their ill bearing acts, Hicks was not allowed to go on selling his book and make profits off it. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the government dropped the case against Hicks and his book was allowed to thrive (see here). However, one major question was not answered: if Hicks was indeed innocent, at least in the sense that his guilt could not be proven, then how come those that kept him in one of the most notorious jails ever for so many years are allowed to walk free? And if the case against Hicks has been dropped here, then why don't they just announce his innocence out loud?

http://r-views.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/ ... hicks.html

Hence the story in the OP.

[loCAtek]

Repeating what I just said, nice.

[The Hen]

Repeating once more ... You wouldn't have heard it as there was a gagging order on him (which explains what you never heard of before the book for you).

Who else would have said it? The US Government, or the Australian?

[Gob]

Oh ignore her....

[loCAtek]

Um, Hick's said it- unsubstantiated for his book, 'eh?


Are his allegations substantiated anywhere else?


Pls post them.

[The Hen]

The David Hicks affidavit
December 10, 2004


This is the full text of the affidavit lodged by Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks asserting that he has been tortured during his detention:

DAVID M HICKS, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

1. I am David M Hicks, a Petitioner in the abo e-captioned action, and I make this Affidavit, submitted under seal (*), in support of my of my Amended Complaint, and my applications for injunctive relief.

2. I am a native and citizen of Australia, born in Adelaide August 7, 1975. I have completed the 9th Grade in the Australian school system.

3. This Affidavit provides an outline of the abuse and mistreatment I have received, witnessed, and/or heard about since I have been detained by the United States in Afghanistan, aboard US Naval vessels and US military aircraft, and at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (hereinafter "Guantanamo Bay"). I have been detained by the United States Armed Forces from December 2001 until present. I arrived in Guantanamo Bay in January 2002. I does not detail all of the abuse I have received, or witnessed, or heard about, but merely sketches some of it. I have been careful to specify what happened to me, what I saw happen to others, and what I have heard about. During the course of my interrogations, I have repeatedly asked for a lawyer and why I am not being treated as Prisoner of War.

4. Since I do not have access to either a typewriter or computer, this Affidavit has been prepared by my attorneys based on information I have provided to them. I have reviewed the Affidavit carefully, and verify that it is completely accurate.

5. I have been beaten before, after, and during interrogations.

6. I have been menaced and threatened, directly and indirectly, with firearms and other weapons before and during interrogations.

7. I have heard beatings of other detainees occurring during interrogations, and observed detainees' injuries that were received during interrogations.

8. I have been beaten while blindfolded and handcuffed.

9. I have been in the company of other detainees who were beaten while blindfolded and handcuffed. At one point, a group of detainees, including myself, were subjected to being randomly hit over a eight hour session while handcuffed and blindfolded.

10. I have been struck with hands, fists, and other objects (including rifle butts). I have also been kicked. I have been hit in the face, head, feet, and torso.

11. I have had my head rammed into asphalt several times (while blindfolded).

12. I have had handcuffs placed on me so tightly, and for so long (as much as 14-15 hours) that my hands were numb for a considerable period thereafter.

13. I have had medication - the identity of which was unknown to me, despite my requests for information - forced upon me against my will. I have been struck while under the influence of sedatives that were forced upon me by injection.

14. I have been forced to run in leg shackles that regularly ripped the skin off my ankles. Many other detainees experienced the same.

15. I have been deprived of sleep as a matter of policy.

16. I have witnessed the activities of the Internal Reaction Force (hereinafter "IRF"), which consists of a squad of soldiers that enter a detainee's cell and brutalize him with the aid of an attack dog. The IRF invasions were so common that the term to be "IRF'd" became part of the language of the detainees. I have seen detainees suffer serious injuries as a result of being IRF'ed. I have seen detainees IRF'ed while they were praying, or for refusing medication.

17. I was told repeatedly that if I cooperated during the course of interrogations, I would be sent home to Australia after the interrogations were concluded. I was told there was an "easy way" and a "hard way" to respond to interrogation.

18. Interrogators once offered me the services of a prostitute for fifteen minutes if I would spy on other detainees. I refused.

19. Failure to cooperate meant the loss of the ordinary necessities of living, such as showers, sufficient food, relief from the prospect of IRF'ing and other regular abuse visited upon non-cooperative detainees, access to reading material, and social contact (including receiving mail).

20. During Ramadan, food was withhold from detainees after the break of the daily fast in order to coerce cooperation with interrogators. Detainees who refused to cooperate were punished regularly, and denied the ordinary necessities of living.

21. I have been told that strobe lights and extreme cold were also used to disorient detainees in order to soften them up for interrogation. I have also heard that religious detainees were exposed to pornography, and were dragged around naked in order to break their will.

22. Detainees were not allowed to know the date, day, year, or time. We were deprived of any and all information and news from the world. Detainees were permitted very little exercise.

23. At one point during 2003 alone, my weight dropped by 30 pounds (and I was not overweight to start).

24. Other detainees also informed me that interrogators attempted to turn them against me by spreading rumors about me. In any event, due to the way interrogations were conducted, and the physical layout of the camps, it was obvious to all of the detainees who was being interrogated, for how long, and whether that detainee emerged abused or not (with the latter signifying cooperation). Thus, any detainee would know who was cooperating with the interrogators.

25. The interrogation process ruled the detention camps and the lives of detainees. Cooperation with interrogators offered the only means of relief from the miserable treatment and abuse the detainees suffered. Those who failed to comply suffered abuse until they gave in.

26. My conditions changed after I was moved to Camp Echo (as did the treatment afforded me by the military personnel on duty there) July 9, 2003, and then again after the visits from my attorneys began. However, at Camp Echo, I have been held in a solitary cell and have been so since arriving at Camp Echo. I was not allowed outside of my cell in Camp Echo for exercise in the sunlight, from July 2003 until March 10, 2004.

27. As noted earlier, the above catalogue of abuse and mistreatment is not complete. It is but a summary of some of the abuse I suffered, witnessed, and/or heard about since my detention began. I would be able to provide further information and detail if the Court so desires, but a complete account would require a substantially longer document. In fact, at my request and due to the persistence of my lawyers, I have recently met with US military investigators conducting the probe into detainee abuse in Afghanistan. Also, this is not the first time I protested my mistreatment, since on several occasions - in Afghanistan, and later at Guantanamo Bay - I informed representatives of the International Red Cross of the abuse.

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully respected that the Court grant the relief sought in my Amended Complaint, and for any such other relief that the Court deems proper.

DAVID M HICKS

Sworn to before me this

5th day of August, 2004.

MD MORI

Major

United States Marine Corps

Judge Advocate

[Sean]

1. I am David M Hicks, a Petitioner in the abo e-captioned action...

It's amazing the difference that one missing letter can make to a sentence...