I resent the implication that your stupid voters are smarter than our stupid voters.

Hmmm...well when you put it that way, maybe I should be more concerned.

umm hasn't he been formally charged now? i didnt see anyone else mention it as i skimmed over the posts.

It turns out Spain hasn't charged the Madrid bombers yet.

and if everybody else was jumping off a bridge would you do it?

He was formally charged yesterday Kagen. His trial should be set for August I believe. They're still trying to have it brought home.

If you have a look at the charges, well actually, there's only one now (from what I've heard), and it's no where near as severe as the other one which was dropped along with the previous ones which were also dropped. Actually, I don't think the word 'dropped' is the right word, because they had never formally charged him prior to this. They had just talked about what they thought they might charge him with.

Now they have to prove that he was actually planning on being a terrorist, and not just some wanker who wanted to be a bit more gung ho than was healthy for him.

So now the US government is going to sack Hicks' lawyer for contemptuous language towards the pres and vice pres. This will once again cause delays in bringing him to trial.

What a crock of fucking shit!

No, the US military hierarchy have backed down from these comments. They now say that they have no intention of sacking Major Mori, but I would not give you 2 cents for his career prospects , once the case is over. I think they will pressure him to resign - probably a few months after the case is settled, and assuming there is no appeal. I feel sorry for Mori, because he has been criticised for doing his job. He is a defence lawyer (in this case), and is doing a good job, under extremely adverse conditions. I would hope that some civilian law firm would offer him a job when this is all over. He deserves it.

I am in no way backing David Hicks, by the way, although I think that his being held for five years without charges and a trial is disgusting. He was definitely stupid to support the Taliban, and if what the prosecution alleges - that he returned to Afghanistan briefly, after 9/11 - is true, then that makes him doubly an idiot.

I agree with what you've said here BD. Maybe Mori will be offered a job by us when it's all over? It's got to be a good chance.

Ok, so they've downgraded the charges to "Providing material support to terrorism" and set a hearing date. Is the massive downgrade due to lack of evidence? Probably. If so, does the military commission have enough evidence to prove guilt on the lesser charge? I hope so, 'cause it'll get real ugly otherwise.

I'd wager there'll be a guilty verdict on the PMSTT charge, but that the sentence handed down will be only little more than the five years he's already served.

Even if he isn't guilty, I can not possibly imagine a Not Guilty verdict. It would further undermine the whole GITMO thing beyond belief.

Hicks 'sedated' before charges read

March 19, 2007

AUSTRALIAN terrorism suspect David Hicks was forcibly sedated before he was told of new charges to be bought against him, his US military defence lawyer says.
Hicks, who has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2002, was visited in his cell by an official who gave him the sedative, Major Michael Mori told Fairfax newspapers today.

Major Mori said Hicks was told the liquid medicine was for a chronic stomach problem.

Hicks was knocked out for 24 hours then taken to a room and told about the charges, Major Mori said.

The incident happened the day after Hicks's legal team, including Adelaide lawyer David McLeod, left Guantanamo Bay early last month, the newspapers report.

“They told him they wanted to try a new medicine for his stomach problems,” Major Mori said.

“It sedated him. It basically knocked him out for 24 hours, it was a strong sedative and the next thing he knew he was being dragged into a room and told about the charges.”

I say send him and all of the other marginal captives to their respective home countries regardless of the consequences. Their countries can make the decision to keep them, release them, or chop off their heads. Keep the ones with solid evidence and let them rot in Cuba. Not really all that difficult.

About half of Guantanamo's prisoners (about 400) have been released to their home countries. Most all (if not all) were then released because they were never guilty.

In Guantanamo are maybe 8 or 14 actually guilty and dangerous prisons - in a facility that held 800 for years without even access to a lawyer. But then American citizens who liked this (by their inaction) are so moral. We are not even discussing torture.

About 400 remain in Guantanamo. Curious is one who wants to claim planning for everything including the bombings in Bali - which had nothing to do with Al Qaeda. But then if one wants to be a martyr, then who better to promote martyrdom better than George Jr, Gonzales, and Cheney.

Meanwhile, America was not kidnapping and torturing throughout the world. George Jr told us so; along with denial about Iraq looting. Therefore it must be true? No. Therefore it is probably a lie because the statements are inspired by political agendas.

I am all for releasing them to their host countries. I say have at it. I could really care less.

Apparently he will serve his sentance in Australia - whatever it is as deemed by the one sided military system he's being prosecuted under. I think this is a good thing. If even half of what has been said about Hicks is true, he's short half a brain anyway and will require treatment which is obviously not forthcomming in Gitmo.