You're kidding me, right? David Hicks confesses to the equivalent of hosting a fundraiser and gets a life sentence?
Remember all the talk from this Administration about how the worst people on Earth are being housed at Guantanamo Bay? What the confession of David Hicks shows is that assertion is false. If the U.S. had information that David Hicks was one of the worst people on Earth, then there would be more evidence to confront him with and he would have pled guilty to something more egregious. Prosecutors would certainly not have accepted such a paltry confession otherwise.
Another thing that David Hicks' confession shows is that it is most likely that some other inmates in Guantanamo won't have adequate derogatory information against them as well. Think about it. Of all the cases where prosecutors will be putting their best foot forward, it will be with the first "trial." And they get a confession for "providing material support for terrorism." No killing, no attempt at killing, no participation in a terror cell. Just "material support."
If this is the beginning, the United States is going to look awful by the end of it. Especially once David Hicks starts talking.
6 comments:
Hi,
do some research on 'Dawood Hicks'.
He's TALIBAN. SHARIA. GAYS STONED TO DEATH.
He's also hot for female genital mutilation.
Are you up for that?
David Hicks doesn't need to talk. His bloody annoying father is on TV constantly here in Australia. You've got to remember that Hicks isn't as innocent as people like to make out right about now. He was caught fighting with Taliban forces in Afghanistan. Prior to that he fought with minority rebel forces in the Balkans. Even his father acknowledges this.
I agree that the trial process has been an incredible joke and that it's making the US look really bad. But a sugar pie David Hicks is not.
Anon - Many people have offensive views that are not being held without trial and horrible conditions.
e:) - David Hicks is not a good man. But if all he confesses to is material support of terrorism, then the underlying facts could not have been that strong.
Are there other people held at Guantanamo Bay who similarly have a lack of strong information against them? How would we know? The process is secret and inconsistent and flawed.
The USA was never supposed to have secret jails and secret courts. Never. Things like trials are supposed to be transparent.
If this guy was busted fighting with the Taliban then charge him with a crime and give the dude a trial. He could be tried for violation of any Australian Law or International Law. Holding him on US Law is shaky as he is not a US citizen nor did he commit any crime on US soil.
There are many issues here. What is a "soldier"? If a soldier is a member of the armed forces of a recognized government, then Taliban fighters ARE soldiers. The USA did not have any formal relations with the Taliban - but we never claimed that they were NOT the government in power in Afghanistan.
Now for the really iffy part - soldiers are usually NOT TRIED with crimes after a war. Officers, maybe - depending on what they knew and what orders they issued. Pretty much we usually go after those responsible to making the policy - not those whose only choice was to follow orders or get shot.
After WWII did we charge low ranking members of the German Army? Maybe - I do not know. But I do know it would have been an exception. The people that were most wanted were those who wore the fancy uniforms and held political office. Not the little guy in the mud with a rifle.
So charge him or not. And if not, send the guy back to Australia to face charges there. The USA is supposed to uphold the law. We are supposed to be a nation of the law.
Right now we are not acting like it.
The US seems to be doing real well at making itself look bad, and terrorists and murderers look good these days.
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