David Hicks receives Sentence

by Anarchy Rules Sat Mar 31, 2007 13:37

Hicks pleaded guilty to the charges against him. This will no doubt cause much glee for the crusaders and their cheerleaders. It must be remembered that Hicks was illegally detained for four years in that hell hole in Guantanamo Bay. For most of this time, nobody knew whether he was alive or dead and indeed Hicks himself didn't know whether the world at large was aware of his plight.

Is there any wonder that he'd plead guilty, in the hope of getting some lenient treatment?

Unfortunately as part of the 'lenient' deal he got in the American military kangaroo inquisition, Hicks had to agree to a non-disclosure pact as part of the deal.

The only bit of light that shines out of this blatant disregard to human dignity, is that Hicks will be able to serve his 9 months sentence in Australia.

by Ciaron - Catholic Worker Sat Mar 31, 2007 14:25

When I served time as a federal prisoner in a Texas County Jail, I was one of the few prisoners that had been to trial. Most prisoners had been threatened with a huge sentence if pleading not guilty and failing would do a deal for a reduced sentence often pleading guilty to a crime they had not commited. As one prisoner in Oklahamo Frd Pen remarked to me "in America you get the justice you can afford..."

A fair trial is not on opition in Gitmo. It looks like the plea bargain was offered because of the growing domestic pressure on the Australian government. This campaign was enhanced by Hick's excellent military lawyer Mori who campigned for him in Australia.

by captain cook "sure he just planted a flag". - pirates of myriad tongues knew the coasts of Oz. Sun Apr 01, 2007 22:19

UK, France, Spain and Germany not to mention Italy got people back. They didn't all admit to being let in to see the people they got back and others in the camp to the public or even media. I don't know how many of you know how to play the guantanamo game. I'm sure quite a few of you have got the rumours and the dungeon and dragon feel of the game & what it does to people who get mixed up in it. I think it is fair to speculate that Mister Hicks will get a very thorough medical and not want for conversation much once he touches down in his native (if not ancestral) land. I'm sure "the cleaves crew" will let us know what things happen all across the australian system when he gets to look at telly cameras.

"In many ways it is all very interesting" to see how precedent for transfer established by this first "tribunal" case, noting its plea, obviously aware of its bargaining, not forgetting its basis being the US supreme court's ruling of illegal detention - compares and contrasts with the other cases of such people "brought out of the camp" who we were told about before.

We all know we want the camp and all the other places without name which it can only cause us to wonder about - to end. & I don't think any of us (who never accepted the crimes which led to "the camp") will soon agree to leave off this theme. Mister Hicks really should find many people waving brightly coloured "welcome to Australia" demonstrations. I suppose telly and radio and dj's and stuff are covering the whole gitmo thing? I suggest a cartoon - ned kelly goes into gitmo like magneto from the x-men goes into alcatraz.

by iosaf Mon Apr 02, 2007 15:19

that's not exactly putting Hicks in the Birmingham 6 box. Magneto was a guilty partner. It was the only way he thought that all his fellow brother and sister mutants could survive the federal government's policies on mutants. When I dwell on it, Ned Kelley was guilty too. It was the only way he thought his fellow brother Kelley's could survive the australian government's policies on kelleys. I'm sure most nature photographers don't carry kaleshnikovs, that would bring them closer to "taxidermy monthly" rather than "national geographic" - but we've long gone past simple "wrong and right" when discussing Gitmo, arbitrary detention without trial and so on.
I reckon we should all put magneto on the dock. But I can only accept doing it by the book. If magneto and the other rebel mutants are moved about the planet in unmarked aircraft and then held secretly or as near to secretly in some US detention centre - then it is our normal non-mutant law and rights which are being trounced. I won't stand for that. & so now Hicks has his sentence. He'll serve his time. That's called justice. Which is why I think "welcome to australia" banners are a good idea. It shows both ozzies of today, mutants of far far away land & people like you and me (the normal ones) why Ned Kelley is worth remembering. He was lynched. Sent to the annals of mythical hero because the legal system of his day & its agents were flawed.

by Francis Xavier (professor) Mon Apr 02, 2007 16:39

to say Hicks is not in the same box as the Birmingham 6 and cite the metamorphosis of Kelley & brag about your raid on Alcatraz is not the same as answering

were the Birmingham 6 in the Hicks box?


..................(bit of scowling......posh voice......real baddie this one)

Oh my dear Francis - arbitrary detention, prisoners of war, appalling vistas and special measures...
(doing his usual posh baddie working up to a rhetorical question it's an oratory thing.)
Can you not see why I am playing chess where I am & why you can't get up steps without a ramp?

JOIN US.