David Hicks freed from jail

David Hicks freed from jail

www.smh.com.au

David Hicks has been released from prison.

Wearing jeans and a green polo shirt, the 32-year-old walked from Adelaide's Yatala Prison at 8.17am (CDT) and was escorted to a waiting car, bypassing the waiting media pack that had been keeping a round-the-clock vigil.

A small crowd of mostly elderly supporters were outside the prison as Hicks left, many holding banners reading 'This could have been your son' and 'David Hicks is no threat'.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
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[edit on 30-12-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Well well, David Hicks finally released. I justed wanted your opinions of his release?

Do you think that he should have been released long ago, or if he should have stayed in prison?

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

I really am sick to death of hearing about this guy.

Every time he farts we are going to hear about it on the tv or read about what he had breakfast.

I hope he can just get on with his life in peace...so that we can be left in peace

AND...it was never proven that he did do anything so I reckon he has done enough time.

Can someone refresh my memory? Who is this guy? What was he charged with?

Finally, thank goodness

This man has been through sheer hell for almost 6 years, the injustices he has had to endure are almost beyond comprehension...

I do hope the media particularly will leave him alone so he may recover and try to live a peaceful, fulfilling life, if that's possible...

Peace

reply to post by CPYKOmega


( Timeline)

David Hicks, an Adelaide man, was captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in early December 2001 while travelling with Taliban soldiers who were defending their territory from the Northern Alliance.

July 3rd, 2003 - The Bush administration names six Guantanamo detainees to be tried before a military commission. They are David Hicks from Australia, Moazzam Begg holding dual British and Pakistan nationality, Feroz Abbasi from the UK, Salim Ahmed Hamdan and Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al-Bahlul, both from Yemen, and Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qosi from Sudan.

June 28, 2004: Supreme Court Rules that US Exercises Complete Legal Jurisdiction over Guantanamo Prison -

In the case Rasul v. Bush, involving petitioners Shafiq Rasul, Mamdouh Habib, David Hicks, and Asif Iqbal, all detained at Guantanamo, the Supreme Court holds, with 6 votes to 3, that the US exercises “complete jurisdiction and control” over Guantanamo Bay, and thus, that the Guantanamo prisoners have the right to challenge their detentions before a judge.


August 2004: 15 Guantanamo Detainees Singled Out for Trial by Military Commission -

The number of Guantanamo detainees charged with a crime and singled out for trial by military commission reaches 15. However, for the time being, hearings are scheduled for only four of them—David Hicks, Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al-Bahlul, Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qosi, and Salim Ahmed Hamdan. All are charged with conspiracy, except for Australian David Hicks, who is also charged with attempted murder and aiding the enemy.

So to cut it short, David Hicks was charged with training/helping Al Qaeda.

Sorry if its not accurate

David Matthew Hicks (born 7 August 1975) is an Australian who, after five years detention without charge by the United States government under suspicion of involvement with terrorism, became the first Guantánamo Bay detainee to be convicted under the U.S. Military Commissions Act of 2006.

In 2001, under the alias Muhammed Dawood (the latter being the Arabic form of "David"), Hicks undertook military training in al Qaeda-linked camps and served with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was captured by the Afghan Northern Alliance, handed over to the US military, designated an unlawful combatant and held at Guantánamo Bay, during which he alleged he was mistreated.[1]

In 2007, under a pre-trial agreement with convening authority Judge Susan J. Crawford, Hicks pled guilty before a United States military tribunal to a newly codified charge of "providing material support for terrorism" and was returned to Australia to serve the remaining nine months of a mostly suspended seven-year sentence.[2] This nine month period precluded media contact and drew criticism for delaying his release until after the 2007 Australian election. Hicks' detention without charge, the subsequent trial process and outcome, and the newly invented legal system and charges backdated under which these events took place, drew widespread criticisms[3] and allegations of political manipulation,[4][5] including the fact that he took a plea deal to 'escape the hell' of Guantanamo Bay.[6] He was released from Adelaide's Yatala Labour Prison on 29 December 2007.[7]

wikipedia

They finally let this sumbag out? well no problem I'm sure that one of our spooks that does the wet work will make sure he has an "accident" or commits "suicide" soon.

reply to post by Dont Hate Rats


Well before a "accident" happens i bet he will write a book, naming names, talking about his "mis-treatment" in Guantánamo Bay, and his trials and make a few $$$ off it.

Other than that, i think he shouldn't have been sent to Guantánamo Bay in the first place. The American Forces should have handed him over to the ADF.

That way he would have probably been a free man a few years ago, but oh well he's out know.
Lets just hope he stays out of trouble.

Originally posted by resistancia
AND...it was never proven that he did do anything so I reckon he has done enough time.

What about that picture of him in Afghanistan with that Ground to air missile launcher on his shoulder? Just a bit of harmless fun? I doubt it

The guy is Taliban.

But on the other hand I am glad he is out, and now maybe we wont hear as much about him

Sure sounds like he committed treason. Why wasn't he shot?

I have no sympathy for the terrorist he is.

reply to post by dizziedame


Because in our country, we believe not killing others is a sign of what seperates us from the killers of this world and to commit murder in response to murder makes us no better than those perpetrating the crime.

It is one of the few Australian laws left we can be proud of.

We are told that David Hicks trained with the Taliban and everyone has seen that pic with the rocket launcher...could not miss it plastered all over as part of the propaganda.

I have a pic of me holding a chain saw...does that make me guilty of murder or intent on murdering??

When it can be proven without doubt that Al Quaeda/Taliban ARE responsible for the attack on 9/11 and that David Hicks had a role to play in that attack, then I will change my opinion.



res

It was an absolute disgrace that the Aussie government didnt pursue the early release to our custody. If he was guilty then he should have been in an Aussie jail, not left in Guantánamo Bay to rot.

reply to post by DrLee

The disgrace is that you aussies are going to welcome this terrorist with open arms. I thought some of you had comon sense. Surely some aussies aren't happy that one of their own was a Taliban???

I give you, your Taliban hero:

reply to post by Dont Hate Rats

I agree with what you are saying.
Not everyone has welcomed him back though, namely the RSL.

Also the reason he will be 'welcomed back' is due to the lack of legal rights he received, eg. he never got a fair trial. And people will be more against this than whether he was guilty or not. so whether he was inoccent or guilty becomes sort of irrelevant.

Also UK had their 'terrorists' released and processed themselves and didnt leave them to rot.

reply to post by DrLee
I can assure you no one at Guantanamo is "rotting" they are treated better than at civilian prisons. Any ex guantanamo prisoner will tell you that.
Besides the guy is lucky he wasn't just shot on site and the Military was merciful by simply arresting him.

reply to post by Dont Hate Rats


As a reply to those that point out the pic of Hicks with the rocket launcher being in Afghanistan.

That photo was actually taken in Kosovo where Hicks was fighting with the KLA against the Serbs.

Hicks was a "Freedom Fighter" in Kosovo and a "Terrorist" in Afghanistan.

All the while he was defending the same faith...









[edit on 31/12/2007 by Beelzebubba]

reply to post by resistancia


I agree! I am in Adelaide and he lives here, so its bla bla bla la de da every day.

I am sick of hearing his name. He is in the paper nearly everyday, so fed up with it. Now they are all raving on about him saying sorry for what he has done.

oh please!!!!!!!

reply to post by Dont Hate Rats


by rotting I mean, not given a fair legal trial, thats all.