Defend Australian Rights

To be honest, while I thought David Hicks got the 'raw end of the deal' I never gave it any more thought, that is until I read 'Enemy Combatant' by Mozzam Begg, a British Muslim who was accused of terrorist crimes against USA, had his freedom taken away was tortured and abused then released 2 years later without charge when the British Government intervened.

David Hicks is not so lucky, he is a citizen of Australia which has a spineless government in power when it comes to our relationship with the USA, David Hicks has not been charged with any crime, yet he has been denied freedom and many civil liberties for almost five years. I don't consider myself and activist, but I will be attending the candelight vigil being organised by GetUp and would encourage everyone to make a stand, no one deserves to be punished without being found guilty of a crime.




If you plan to attend, RSVP using this link http://www.getup.org.au/campaign.asp?campaign_id=41

Not that I agree, but even if he is a POW his treatment breaches the Geneva Convention.
Also having a quick read of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_of_war would indicate that he is not in fact a POW.

how can you be a prisoner of a pronoun?

maybe you should watch V for Vendetta sometime ...

from Wikipedia

"A prisoner of war (POW, PoW, or PW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, or any combatant who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict"

how is david not included in the above??


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:David_hicks.jpg

This post has been edited by Evo: Aug 21 2006, 09:20 PM

Because if he was a POW, then he would be afforded Geneva conventions and the right
to a trial.

The US government decided he was an enemy combatant and thus void of all human rights.

Are you wilfully ignorant or just the other alternative?

If you read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hicks the US are not claiming he is a POW, otherwise they would have breached the geneva convention when they tortured him


Look I'm not saying he's innocent, nor guilty as all the 'facts' I have are those from the media, I just feel strongly about the fact that he is being detained and treated poorly for almost 5 years with no charge, even more so since British and French citizens who were accused of being senior members of Al-Qaeda were released without charge once their respecitve governments stood up and protected their citizens' rights.

so wats the difference between an enemy combatant and a soldier?


im not interesting in what the US says. he should be changed as a pow. he was captures aiding the enemy, so he loses all his rights. so its ok if i try and bomb australia then when captures ask for asutralian help cause im a citizen. sounds pretty stupid to me. this is war ladies and gentleman, no a cotten candy festivle. he was captured aiding an enemy, i bet he was thinking of the geneva conventions. oterwsie i agree with wat u have said

A soldier is a human being, an enemy combatant is a political prisoner
in an orange jumpsuit who is less than human and afforded no human
rights.




You are peddling the worst of the fear and loathing that John Howard and George Bush like to spread about. I can see how a nation of mild mannered people can quickly endorse genocide against an entire race if people like you are any example.

You have gone from "aiding the enemy" to "bombing Australia" in a very short gap -> showing your petty fear mongering. When has Hicks been alleged to be attempting to bomb Australia?

The US government has detained Hicks on these grounds :

"The indictment prepared for the previously scheduled trial had alleged that Hicks had trained and conspired in various ways, and was guilty of "aiding the enemy" while an "unprivileged belligerent". No specific acts of violence were alleged."

And you think those charges are enough to treat Hicks in the deplorable way he has been treated?

You think our Government should not say "This is a Citizen of ours, and he should be tried or released!" ?

I truly fucking despair sometimes with the Nazi jackboot mentality being displayed in some sections of our society.

[Sorry, Wojtek, for invoking Godwin's principle]

hmmmmm..... another year older yet still getting DUMBER! happy birthday tequila boy

he was not thinking this at all. i have seen an interview years ago about him. he was a troubled liitle fella who has trained and been overseas fighting in all sorts of wars just to get his cheap thrills and now it has backfired .

would love to know where you get this info about his "political/religious beliefs mate??? i guess you have spoke to him.

HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THE SHOW I MEEN? WHERE THEY WENT THROUGH HIS WHOLE LIFE AND TALKED TO PEOPLE HE TRAINED WITH? AND HIS FAMILY?

in your opinion

dont know about like? but ....................


and the fact of the matter is this guy was seeking excitment he has been in the australian army(i think) travelled over to either cosivo AND chechna(sp) and when he didnt see any action there he was dissapointed so he went and trained in afganastan.

THE DUDES A KNOB!

and DBB do you just like arguing with me? read the bottom of my first post mate.rather than start another argument that you cant win "you know " like the gas thread

This post has been edited by metal head!: Aug 22 2006, 10:04 AM

I agree to an extent... I personally dont see why anyone would want to do such a thing to the degree he did but he made his own decision because he felt that was best for him (ie in his opinion).

No he does not... I dont think anyone thinks he deserves that.