Australian Inmate at Guantanamo Prison Charged by Pentagon

[struggle4progress]

David Hicks, an Australian inmate at the U.S.-run prison camp for suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been charged with three crimes by U.S. military authorities, the Defense Department said.

Hicks, 28, will be tried by a military tribunal on charges of conspiracy to commit war crimes, attempted murder by ``an unprivileged belligerent'' and aiding the enemy. He is the third Guantanamo prisoner charged with crimes, the department said in a statement.

The U.S. alleges Hicks attended al-Qaeda terrorist camps in Afghanistan and took an advanced course in surveillance. The suspect used this knowledge to scout the U.S. and British embassies in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to a Pentagon statement.
<snip>

The Australian government said the U.S. would allow Hicks to choose two members of his family to attend the trial. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Hicks may face trial as early as August, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported last month.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a0VeqT5MPV_Y&refer=us

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. War criminals accuse someone else of being a war criminal

And try him in a military tribunal instead of a court of law - still no mention of independent attorneys. What has become of America?

BLAME BUSH FIRST!

Click here for "BLAME BUSH FIRST", and other fair and balanced yet stunning buttons, magnets and stickers

[Miss Authoritiva]

2. Well, as we all know now, if you're going to be belligerently murderous,

it's much better to be an overprivileged belligerent in committing murder, such as Bush and Rumsfeld, than an unprivileged belligerent, such as David Hicks.

[struggle4progress]

6. Well-organized corporate terrorists like *&co do have advantages

[dArKeR]

3. U.S. Charges Australian Linked to al-Qaida

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - An Australian held at the Navy's prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will face a military tribunal for allegedly training and fighting alongside members of al-Qaida in Afghanistan (news - web sites), the Pentagon (news - web sites) announced Thursday.

The military charged David Hicks with conspiracy to commit war crimes, attempted murder and aiding the enemy, the Pentagon said in a news release. Hicks will plead innocent, his military lawyer said.

Hicks is not specifically accused of hurting or killing anyone. In justifying the charge of attempted murder by an unprivileged belligerent, the Pentagon alleges Hicks participated in fighting in Afghanistan as an illegal combatant.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/guantanamo_detainee_charged

Pic of Hicks. Does this mean if we can find Bush or Rumsfeld holding a weapon we can charge them for war crimes?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040610/481/ny19006101756

[tlcandie]

4. So, was this part of the US threat against Australia IF they pulled out?

Haven't they let the British prisoners go? :shrug: Just curious...

[dArKeR]

5. US' charges against Australian terror suspect blasted - TT

AP , SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Saturday, Jun 12, 2004,Page 1

The father of an Australian terror suspect scorned the US military tribunal that his son will face, saying yesterday that his conviction seemed a foregone conclusion and accusing interrogators of abusing him during two years of detention at Guantanamo Bay...

In the southern city of Adelaide, Hicks' home town, his father Terry said he feared charges against his son could be based on information forced from him by interrogators.

"Most of this stuff David has said has probably been said under coercion or threats, so I suppose he could say anything," he said.

Lawyers for Hicks and fellow Australian detainee Mamdouh Habib have claimed both men have been abused while in US custody.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/06/12/2003174719