Phillips - Australians Are A Bunch Of Cowardly Fuckwits. Now Take Me Roughly Howard You Dirty Boy

So, John Howard gets the kicking he deserves and how does the reactionary right respond?? In typical fashion of course:

Now he is gone, knocked out by a man who copied to the letter the trick pulled by Tony Blair in persuading blue-collar workers who had previously abandoned Labour for the Liberals (the equivalent of the British Conservative party) that it was safe to return to Labour because he was a Howard wannabe in contrast to his rabble of a party. But just as with Blair, no-one really knows what Kevin Rudd actually stands for — and whether he will now move back towards the left. Whatever now happens, the fact that he ran on a platform of pulling troops out of Iraq and endorsing the ludicrous scam of man-made global warming are enough in themselves to tell the jihadis that Australia has now lost its (one-man) nerve. Australia just made itself (and the rest of us) a whole lot less safe.

Mmm, as last seen after the Spanish election. Good work Melanie. Why is it that as soon as an election result goes against them, they suggest that the people have put themselves at greater risk?? It's like a less subtle version of the games played by Blair and Bush in their prime. Looks like Phillips is as big an enemy of democracy as the so-called Islamists.

Oh, I wrote a comment at the end of Phillips' despicable rant, wonder if it gets posted??

John Howard Attempts To Bribe Electorate

Cos that's the only way he'll get in:

HALF-A-MILLION families would pay less in advance for child care if the Coalition is re-elected.

The Government has announced a $652 million plan to pay the child care tax rebate before parents settle their bills, rather than after the tax year ends.

And in an about-face on previous Coalition policy, capital funds of up to $1 million apiece will be granted to help build or upgrade centres in up to 35 areas with no child care vacancies.

Unveiling the pre-payment plan at his election campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday, Prime Minister John Howard said it would provide more relief in the family budget.

Yes, I am an evil totalitarian fuck monkey, but I'm a fuck monkey that can give you extra dough. Come dance with me my pretties while I slap you round the face with the promise of more money. Dance!! Dance I tell you!!! Hahahahahahaha!! You love it you slags!!!

The Howard Government and Work Choices

One of MOA's contributors, Hugh Manatee, has posted on the Get Up! blog page entitled 'Joe Hockey's clever resignation' (and he namechecks MOA as well - good lad!). Go read, you know it makes sense.

David Hicks - Nothing More Than A Political Pawn For John Howard

Hot on the heels of the announcement of John Howard's day of reckoning with the Australian electorate, comes news that is a stark reminder of the what this man stands for. You may remember the case of David Hicks (if not, here is a clip developed by my good friend RickB at Ten Percent) and the appalling treatment he suffered at the hands of the American and Australian governments. It transpires that, what a surprise, his eventual release into Australian custody was a political stunt aimed at securing Howard another election victory. From The Age:

Hicks had been held by the US at Guantanamo Bay since January 2002, a month after his capture in Afghanistan, where he fought with the Taliban.

The father of two was sentenced to nine months jail and, under a plea bargain, was transferred to Adelaide to serve the remainder of the sentence at Yatala, where he remains in solitary confinement.

He is due for release on December 30.

A report in Harper's magazine said it was Mr Cheney and Mr Howard who cut the deal to release Hicks from Guantanamo Bay.

Quoting a military officer, it said a military staffer was present when Mr Cheney interfered directly to secure the plea deal.

"He did it, apparently, as part of a deal cut with Howard," the officer was quoted as saying.

"I kept thinking: this is the sort of thing that used to go on behind the Iron Curtain, not in America.

"And then it struck me how much this entire process had disintegrated into a political charade."

Mr Hicks said if the report was true it was further evidence of how political his son's case had become.

"I've said all along that David's issue was political," Mr Hicks said.

"You're not allowed to go through a court of justice, you've got to be dealt with by politicians."

A political charade indeed. What makes it all the more laughable is that this blatant emulation of Soviet tactics is being carried out by a right-wing administration backed by a highly vocal gaggle of right-wing foot soldiers (not to mention so-called members of the 'left'). This process has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with politics.

John Howard - Condemns Burma Whilst Australian Federal Police Train their Burmese Counterparts

Yet another example of the sheer opportunism at the heart of Howard's posturing. From ZNet:

The current protests and crackdown has created more hypocritical condemnations and “targeted” sanctions (targeted so as not to harm Western corporations). Australian Prime Minister John Howard and foreign minister Alexander Downer have made global headlines with their colourful condemnations of the Burmese junta — described by Howard as “loathsome” — while at the same time the Burmese security forces receive training in “criminal intelligence” from the Australian Federal Police at the Australian-run Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation. This is ostensibly to fight the illegal drugs trade. However, the Burmese military are major participants in this trade.

The Canberra Times reported on September 28 that John Kaye, president of the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma, said: “One thing we can do immediately is to withdraw the Australian Federal Police who are currently training police in Burma.” “We can downgrade the military delegation in Australia [at the embassy] from Burma”, he told the paper.

A September 26 statement by the Asian Centre for Human Rights argued that it is “the hypocrisy in Asia-Pacific which endured the military regime in Myanmar [Burma]. Foreign Minister of Australia, Alexander Downer already made it clear that Australia will not impose economic sanctions on Burma.

“The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has done little to address the present situation. ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong merely stated that ASEAN hoped that ‘the situation remains peaceful’. The ASEAN failed to issue a public statement condemning the Burmese junta for using force on the peaceful protestors, including the monks.”

On September 25, Greens Senator Bob Brown, calling for the suspension of military training and trade with the Burmese regime, noted: “Alexander Downer’s fear that the military will subject the pro-democracy protest leaders to ‘very harsh treatment’ is in absurd contrast with the Howard government’s twin policies of training the Burmese military and keeping open unrestricted trade. Mr Downer is all description of the Burmese events and no action.”

Alex Bainbridge, a Sydney-based anti-war activist and Senate candidate for the Socialist Alliance, argued that “The Australian government should immediately withdraw its ambassador in protest and halt all cooperation with military regime in Burma … the Australian government should halt the training provided by the Australian Federal Police for the repressive Burmese police force.”

While the Howard government rails against the Burmese junta’s repressiveness this does not mean that its victims are recognised as fleeing persecution. Seven refugees from the Muslim Rohingya community, Burma’s most oppressed minority, have been held by Australia in Nauru since September 2006.

So, whilst noisily attacking the Burmese regime, Howard's government trains the police and locks up those that are trying to flee persecution in Burma. There's words for leaders like John Howard - Hypocritical c....

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rejected By Usual Suspects

Finally, after 22 years of debate, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. According to the BBC:

The treaty sets down protections for the human rights of native peoples, and for their land and resources.

The General Assembly passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with 143 countries voting in favour and 11 abstaining.

Four countries voted against the measure, can you guess who? Well, unsurprisingly the opponents were Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. That these countries have large indigenous populations tells you all you need to know about their contemptuous regard for human rights. And who takes a large share of the blame? Why, our old friend John Howard of course. According to one report, Canada actually supported the declaration until Howard lobbied the Canadian government to reverse their position. Just another reason to give Howard a good kicking in the upcoming election. Mmmm, I feel a slideshow coming on.....

Howard a 'Racist Bastard' Says Maori MP

About time someone gave Howard what for.

An MP for New Zealand's Maori Party has labelled Australian Prime Minister John Howard a "racist bastard" for his radical intervention aimed at stopping child abuse in Aboriginal communities.

Hone Harawira's comments will screen on New Zealand television tonight.

"If I was an Aboriginal man in the Northern Territory I would feel like absolute shit right now," the Maori Party MP said today.

"I would have the leader of my country saying I am an alcoholic, I am into pornography, I am into sexual abuse. All I would want to do is go out and smash someone."

This is all due to Howard's crackdown on the Aboriginal community (recently raised by Germain Greer). This crackdown includes:

bans on alcohol and pornography, quarantining welfare payments, abolishing a permit system that limits access to remote communities, and mobilising extra police and troops to help address abuse and other problems.

Harawira also claimed that this was blatant electioneering by Howard:

"The report that he is basing his recommendations on is already 10 years old. Why didn't he do something about it back then?" he said.

"He never sat down with the land councils. He never said to them 'there is a problem here but we recognise that the best people to sort it out are yourselves, and here are all the resources'," he said.

No wonder Harawira added:

"I said John Howard is a racist bastard trying to impose racist policies on a people who can't fight back."

He won't get any argument from me.

Brendan Nelson Lets The Cat Out of the Bag

Who? Nelson is Australia's Defence Minister. Here is what he had to say on Iraq on the wider Middle East:

In comments to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Nelson admitted that the supply of oil had influenced Australia's strategic planning in the region.

"Obviously the Middle East itself, not only Iraq but the entire region, is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world," he said.

"Australians and all of us need to think what would happen if there were a premature withdrawal from Iraq.

"It's in our interests, our security interests, to make sure that we leave the Middle East, and leave Iraq in particular, in a position of sustainable security." [BBC]

Oooops.

(h/t War Within a Breath)

John Howard Attacks Aboriginal Settlements

Melanie Phillips' object of affection gets a well deserved dressing down from Germaine Greer in today's Guardian. She examines his disgraceful policies in the Aboriginal homelands. Here's a little taster:

The name of the game, as usual, is bad faith. Everything Howard does is calculated to win him votes. The suffering of Aboriginal women and children at the hands of their deranged menfolk has been going on all Howard's life. For most of that time whitefellas made a joke of it. At this late hour, on the eve of a general election, he is suddenly taking it seriously. It is of no consequence that what he is doing is illegal. His treatment of asylum seekers and boat people is just as illegal, and it is widely admired by Australians and people who should know better.

To read the full article, click here.

Happy Birthday Mad Mel!

I understand that it was Mad Mel's birthday a couple of days back and I would just like to take this opportunity to wish her a very happy birthday. Yes, I know I have not exactly held back in attacking the poor old love, but I would like to put that to one side as she celebrates her birthday. In the spirit of the occasion, I have even bought her a little present:

Yes, that's right, a one-way ticket to Australia to be with her beloved 'wizard of Oz'. Here's hoping she fucks off at the earliest opportunity.

Dedicated to Ten Percent

David Hicks Back in Australia

So at long last, David Hicks has returned to Australia. Although this is clearly fantastic news, it doesn't mean that his fight is over. As long as Hicks is incarcerated in Australia, he remains a potent reminder of Howard's blatant support for the principles of Guantanamo Bay. The very same principles that he abhors in Zimbabwe, a country who's dictator he willingly props up. Howard has shown his true colours. He does not believe in a 'fair go' for Australian citizens. He does not truly believe in fighting grubby dictators. While the campaign for David continues, so must the campaign to remove Howard step up a gear. Justice will be served when he is thrown out of office. That should be the overriding goal of the next 9 months.

As for David himself, it is an absolute disgrace that this man has to spend the rest of his life branded as a terrorist. This very notion was laughably exposed as a fraud when he was sentenced to only nine months further imprisonment in Australia. NINE months??? Surely if he was that much of a danger, the Australian government would have pressed for a longer sentence? The fact that they didn't speaks volumes about the level of threat that Hicks possesses. They know he is no serious threat to the people of Australia, but they want to be seen to be 'tough on terror', just like Howard's ideological ally in the White House.

As for David's press ban, I am quite willing to publicise his story if he so wants to talk to me. So, if anyone representing David is reading this, feel free to email me and I will happily oblige.

Mad Mel, John Howard and the 'Grubby Dictator'

Remember Melanie Phillips working herself into orgasms over the 'principled' stand by John Howard over Zimbabwe? It was an almost sickening piece of lust for the Australian leader. One wonders how she manages to sleep at night with thoughts of the wonderful Mr Howard swimming around her head. Anyway, Melanie was clearly very proud that Howard is the only leader to actually take a principled stand over Zimbabwe, but just how true is this? How deep do Howard's principles go?

It would appear that it isn't very deep at all. The following is a chart taken from the Australian government's website, detailing trade between Australia and Zimbabwe:

As you can see, there is a rise in 2006. That line represents imports into Australia from Zimbabwe. Despite the apparent human rights abuses, and Howard's righteous indignation, it seems that Australia is quite happy to continue doing business with Mugabe. In fact, on closer inspection of the figures, we discover that trade has increased quite dramatically on 2005. According to the Australian government, imports from Zimbabwe have increased by a staggering 87.4% year-on year. And total trade has increased by 33.6% overall compared to last year. This is quite an astonishing rise. Although Australia isn't a major trading partner with Zimbabwe, it has increased trading with the African nation despite the continuous human rights abuses. So much for Howard's principles.

If John Howard really was serious about Mugabe, if he really believes that he is a 'grubby dictator', why is he so happy to do business with him? By doing so, he is helping to prop up the regime. The biggest winner from the trade between the two countries is tobacco. In fact, it is fair to say that the money from tobacco crops is what is keeping the regime afloat. According to The South African Institute of International Affairs, one economist declared that:

‘More than two-thirds of the country’s 1,500 commercial tobacco growers have been run off their land. Some have sought refuge in the urban areas. Many more have been lured by neighbouring governments competing for Zimbabwe’s spoils and big tobacco companies looking for more stable places to do business.

'There is no doubt about the pivotal role tobacco plays in the economy. A drop in tobacco earnings means loss of revenue for the government to pay for fuel, electricity and other essential imports. Downstream, other industries will also be seriously and negatively affected.’

A 'pivotal role'. And yet, Australia has increased trading in tobacco. So, Mugabe may well be a 'grubby dictator', but he is a 'grubby dictator' that Howard helps keep in power.

Does this mean that the love affair between Mad Mel and John Howard is over? I very much doubt it. Facts and figures are alien to Mad Mel, she prefers hard rhetoric and aggressive posturing to any real sense of values and principles. One only has to read the never ending stream of rubbish that she continually spouts about the Iraq war. No, the facts will be brushed aside as Mad Mel maintains her campaign to spread untruths around the globe in her bid to consolidate her rather twisted right-wing ideology.

Melanie Phillips - Soft Brainlessness in Action

Good old Melanie Phillips, you can always rely on her to fail to get to grips with the most basic points about terrorism. In a piece entitled The soft brainlessness of denying ‘Islamist terror’, Phillips displays soft brainlessness of her own inimitable kind. In her 'article' (such as it is), she claims the following:

The recruitment to Islamist extremism and terror of large numbers of British Muslims long predated 9/11 let alone Iraq.

Really? Fuck me, this woman is a genius. How did I not see this before? No wonder she is the leading intellectual light in modern Britain. Such incredible insight. Oh no, hang on a minute, let's look at that again:

The recruitment to Islamist extremism and terror of large numbers of British Muslims long predated 9/11 let alone Iraq.

Has anyone ever actually claimed that there was no extremism before Iraq?? I have never heard anyone make such a claim. If anyone can find a quote of someone actually claiming that there was no extremism before Iraq, please post it in the comments section. This is typical Phillips distortion. The point is, and always has been, that the Iraq war has seen an increase in radicalisation. An INCREASE. Got it Mel?? Notice the subtle difference?

soft brainlessness adj. relating to statements that are based on a distortion of fact to suit a particular agenda. See Melanie Phillips.

Idiot. Still nice to see that Mel hasn't given up on achieving Australian citizenship. She is still happy to prostrate herself in front of her beloved John Howard. Pass the sick bucket, I think I'm going to vomit.

Pots, Kettles and John Howard

John Howard has demanded that the Australian cricket team puu out of a scheduled tour of Zimbabwe in September. Criticising the human rights abuses of Mugabe, Howard said:

"The Mugabe regime is behaving like the Gestapo towards its political opponents."

That's John Howard ladies and gentlemen. The very same leader who refused to stand up for the basic rights of an Australian citizen.

More Orgasmic Fury

Interesting piece from Mel 'I get horny over World War III' Phillips (although there appears to be no acknowledgement of Easter - is she getting all politically correct all of a sudden???). Here's a few hints as to how her argument is as weak as her previous attempts at constructing an intelligent polemic:

1) Replace the word 'Iran', with the word 'America'.
2) Replace the words 'sailors' or 'Royal Marines' with the words 'David' and 'Hicks'.
3) Replace the word 'Britain' for 'Australia'.
4) Replace the words 'Tony' and 'Blair' for 'John' and 'Howard'.

And then compare with her glowing comments on that bastard Howard.

Australia Ripe For Electoral Stitch-up?

Keep a close eye on this one in the run-up to the election in Australia, particularly given the way Howard abandoned David Hicks and the subsequent anger in this most compliant US franchise.

From the Sunshine Coast Daily (spotted thanks to a comment on Wish Hounds' MySpace page):

Although the Federal Election must be called in 2007, the call is unlikely to come before July with many hedging their bets that the Howard Government will announce an election sometime around October.

Mr McKenzie warned that a Sunday election announcement would allow un-registered voters only 24 hours to get their name on the roll.

Meanwhile, registered voters who had failed to update their current details would be allowed only three days to check whether or not they had been removed from the electoral roll and re-register.

Australia’s compulsory voting regime potentially puts registered voters who fail to arrive at the ballot box at risk of a fine but Mr McKenzie said the biggest penalty was missing out on the chance to have their say on election day.

According to Get Up!:

In the last election, 83,000 first-time voters enrolled in the first week after the election was called. Hundreds of thousands more registered at their new address.

This cunt will try anything to shit on the people of Australia (with the full backing of some particularly vile fascists). And he will be even more determined after being revealed to the world as a vicious totalitarian. It's time this bastard was kicked out. Australia - YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS.

You can also visit the Australian Electoral Commission website to check your enrolment, register for the first time or update you details. More information is available at: www.myspace.com/getupaustralia.

Balancing The Scales

Ladies & gentlemen of the jury, what I am going to tell you may shock you, but justice demands that a jury of peers must hear the charges, weigh the evidence and to freely and fairly reach a verdict. The court of public opinion has heard many representations by the defendants defence team, their many television channels, newspapers and websites. I seek to balance that deluge of rhetoric and present the case against the administration of Mr. George W. Bush & it's many officers and employees. Also the administration of a Mr. J Howard and Mr. John Reid, under orders from a Mr. Anthony Blair. None of them right or honourable as you will see. The charges stem from the sworn affidavit of Mr. David M Hicks and it is to that document I now turn:-

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.
First charge, kidnapping and denial of proper legal representation.

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.
Second charge, assault causing actual bodily, multiple counts.

6. I have been menaced and threatened, directly and indirectly, with firearms and other weapons before and during interrogations.
Third charge, assault with a deadly weapon, multiple counts.

7. I have heard beatings of other detainees occurring during interrogations, and observed detainees' injuries that were received during interrogations.
While this does not directly concern this case these other instances are now being looked into, although the jury should bear these in mind so as to construct a picture of the perpetrators and their propensity for violence.

8. I have been beaten while blindfolded and handcuffed.
Assault causing grievous bodily harm, multiple counts, false imprisonment,

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.
Torture, a count with multiple elements as described in the Geneva accords and United Nations international declaration of human rights.

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.
Assault with a deadly weapon, grievous bodily harm, further multiple counts.

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

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.
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, multiple counts.

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.
A most serious charge, assaults where medical treatment is forced on a subject can occasion attempted manslaughter or attempted murder charges. We ask the Jury to consider the possible worst-case scenario of this assault with regard to a manslaughter charge.

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

15. I have been deprived of sleep as a matter of policy.
Again this is Torture under the aforementioned treaties and statutes.

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.
Again not directly relevant but should be considered as to the disposition of the perpetrators.

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.
Demands with menaces. Multiple counts.

18. Interrogators once offered me the services of a prostitute for fifteen minutes if I would spy on other detainees. I refused.
Possible solicitation charges, we are looking into this and also attempting to ascertain the age of any woman involved.

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).
False imprisonment, assault, multiple counts.

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.
As per last indictment.

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.
Sexual assault charges are being examined in this instance in regard of other detainees; again consider this information to provide a picture of the characters and intentions of the perpetrators.

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.
False imprisonment, cruelty.

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

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.
Extortion.

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.
Extortion and assault, goes to establishing the character of the assailants.

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.
Cruel and unusual punishment, false imprisonment.

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.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case.

David Hicks - Enters Guilty Plea

This from the BBC:

Australian detainee David Hicks has pleaded guilty at a military court at Guantanamo Bay to a charge of providing material support for terrorism.

The 31-year-old Muslim convert was accused of attending al-Qaeda training camps and fighting with the Taleban.

Other charges against him, including attempted murder, have been dropped.

Of course they have been dropped, they were complete bollocks. His charge sheet is really pathetic to say the least. No-one deserves five years of detention without trial, but certainly not for 'material support'. As for the guilty plea, it is hardly surprising given the treatment he has endured. Any other plea would only have resulted in a longer detention period and even more abuses. Although I have no confidence in the trial process, there is a real chance that David could be on his way back to Australia (although whether he is released is a different matter). What really made me laugh when I read this article (if 'laugh' is the right word) was this paragraph on the BBC's website:

He faces a maximum sentence of life but after strong pressure from the Australian government there is speculation that he will receive a shorter sentence.

Yeah, that Australian government have really worked thier socks off to get David back to Australia, haven't they? I wonder if it has anything to do with upcoming elections and the damage that Hicks' continued detention would have on Howard's campaign? Nah, couldn't be.

Into Our Arms - A Song For David

Into Our Arms is a beautiful song by Wish Hounds in response to the continued incarceration of David Hicks in Guantanamo Bay. It is part of a growing campaign to see David released from Guantanamo and returned to Australia. Despite the lack of action by John Howard and the Australian government, many people care desperately about David's plight and the precedent that has been set by his treatment. If you want to learn more about David's situation, you can view the YouTube video devised by my friend Rick B at Ten Percent. I'll leave it to singer/songwriter Justin Parker to explain the background to the song.

‘Wish Hounds’ is the nom de plume of Melbourne, Australia singer/songwriter Justin Parker.

The new single ‘Into Our Arms’ sounds the frustrations and despair that many fellow Australians feel over the plight of David Matthew Hicks. David, himself an Australian, has been in US custody at the Guantanamo military prison in Cuba and held for more than five years without trial since being captured in Afghanistan. On March 02, 2007 David was finally charged, retrospectively, with "material support for terrorism" and referred to trial by a special military commission at Guantanamo Bay.

After suffering a debilitating trauma accident early in 2006, and subsequently thrown into a long and arduous rehabilitation program, Justin was presented the opportunity for lengthy self-reflection. Feelings of resentment, despair, and abandonment were frequently common. Whilst not condoning David Hick’s alleged actions, his treatment by the current Australian Government, with their disregard of national and international law and justice for one of their own citizens, became intensely personal.

The complex and painful mechanics of relearning the guitar was instrumental in the healing of Justin’s injuries. ‘Into Our Arms’ was written, foremost, as a personal outlet; recognition of the many things that we can all take for granted. Hopefully, it finds its way to those blessed with the gift of empathy and aid those who struggle against adversity and who campaign to uphold habeas corpus and the rule of law...

You can listen to the song at Wish Hounds' MySpace page here, visit the homepage here or view the lyrics here.