Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

ACTION: Bring David Hicks back from Guantanamo [w/poll]

by myriad
Wed Nov 15th, 2006 at 10:07:27 PM EST

Dear Bootribbers,

The Australian Howard Government is a key supporter of the Bush regime. By sycophantically mirroring and advocating for Bush foreign policy in the international arena, Australia's credibility has added considerable weight to Bush's many illegal and immoral actions.

This has been particularly the case when it comes to Guantanamo Bay. Australia has been the only western nation to willingly leave its citizens in Gitmo, and most critically, to agree that Australian citizens can be treated and tried by any means the Bush regime sees fit.

Here is your chance to take action to pull the plug out of Australia's support for Gitmo, thus denying Bush a key international ally. It's also your chance to help bring justice to a man comprehensibly denied it for nearly 5 years. In doing so, you can also honour an American Hero
.

Australian citizen David Hicks has now been imprisoned in Gitmo for nearly 5 years. David Hicks has been left to rot by his government in order to aid and abet the Bush administration's policy. During his time, he has been repeatedly beaten, regularly deprived of sleep, regularly kept in solitary confinement, once for a period without any exercise or access to sunlight lasting 8 months. He is currently being kept in solitary confinement and has been since January, and if he's lucky, gets one hour of exercise, spending 23 hours a day in his cell.

He has been denied any form of basic legal due process. David was not allowed to speak to a lawyer until 2 years after his capture. Like all detainees he has been denied access to the evidence against him. He has been able to contact his family less than half a dozen times in 5 years. Letters he receives from home are censored to remove any reference to love. He is slowly going mad.

It has taken time, but just like in the USA, Australian support for the Iraqi war and our close alliance with the Bush administration has significantly soured, and with it, there has been a huge increase in anger and protest at the treatment of David Hicks. Over 100,000 Australians (population 20 million) have signed petitions demanding that the Howard Government bring David home. But our Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has refused to even meet and accept the latest petition with over 50,000 signatures. When the Attorney Generals of all the States and Territories recently met to discuss David Hicks, the Federal Attorney General, Phillip Ruddock, walked out.

So what can you do? Getup.org.au, a non-party affiliated, progressive political organisation is funding massive billboards demanding Hicks be brought home along the commuter routes for Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and Attorney General Phillip Ruddock. Help fund them!

The momentum is gathering behind this campaign - see the billboard and make a donation here. (I have checked and Getup can legally take overseas donations, don't bother filling in the postal details, just a name & email will suffice - the dollar amounts shown are Australian dollars, which means it costs you even less! -go to www.xe.com to see exchange rates)

As well, or if you've got no cash to spare, send a letter to John Howard via Amnesty.

Why should you help?
- To honour Major Michael Mori, an American hero, who has fought with courage, compassion and integrity for justice.
- To help rescue a man, who no matter what he has done, deserves a fair trial and not to be tortured.
- To help defeat one of the most critical and consistently underestimated enemies of a progressive America, a progressive Australia, and a progressive world -the Howard Government of Australia.
- Because nearly 70,000 American expats living in Australia have donated significantly to rescuing the USA from the GOP via Moveon.org, and it would be wonderful to get a reciprocal arrangement going between progressives around the world.

John Howard's Australia is the silent partner in the Coalition of the Willing. Howard has aided and abetted the illegal invasion of Iraq and the legitimisation of Guantanamo. Howard has offered critical support to Bush's doctrine of pre-emption and the War on Terror, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and the brinkmanship with Iran, and Bush's refusal to ratify Kyoto.

Howard has legislated to strip Australians of basic human rights in a mirror the Patriot Act, is similarly homophobic, racist and focussed on pandering to wealthy corporations. Howard is the last credible bastion of neo-conservative thought in the Western world. Howard is colluding with Bush to sell uranium & uranium enrichment technology to India, and is directly undermining American security by selling uranium to China without any real safeguards to ensure it is not used for military purposes, or that is not sold on to North Korea. He is your enemy, and mine.

For Bush's appalling vision for the world to fail, the Howard Government must also be brought down. Here's a place to start.

Help us. Thanks.

Poll

Votes: 9
Results	\|	Other Polls

ACTION: Bring David Hicks back from Guantanamo [w/poll] | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

let me know in this thread if you decide to act (4.00 / 3)

and if you feel strongly about not acting, let me know that too.

I'll pledge $50 if you will. :-)

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Wed Nov 15th, 2006 at 10:21:49 PM EST

that's only $38 American! n/t Bargain! (4.00 / 3)

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Wed Nov 15th, 2006 at 10:22:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Top Ten List (4.00 / 2)

And the number ONE reason to support this effort?

it would be wonderful to get a reciprocal arrangement going between progressives around the world.

Yes, we must broaden our reach and embrace progressive causes world-wide. We must do this, because the PTB does it in their own dastardly ways and we have to fight back.

Thanks for posting this. I would love to see more diaries like this one, that show us how we can do more for progressives around the world, by linking our on-line communities and by coordinating our calls for help and for mutual support.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead

by blueneck on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 05:10:56 AM EST

Re: Top Ten List (none / 1)

Oops, I'm not sure I meant that exactly the way it reads... I didn't intend to belittle or ignore the very real plight of this particular individual. His case is certainly justification enough to support this cause, whether there is any other reason to support the cause or not. It just struck me that there was, perhaps, an even bigger idea in this diary that deserves some attention, like, for instance, a concerted and coordinated call by the progressive citizenry of all countries who have citizens detained at Gitmo...

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead

by blueneck on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 05:24:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

no problem, I didn't misunderstand you (none / 1)

And I wholeheartedly agree. It's made difficult when it comes to money - eg Australians other than American expats couldn't donate because of your donation laws (interestingly - well, actually appallingly, Australia has courtesy of Howard the laxest political donations laws in the western world, and our major parties will HAPPILY accept overseas money).

But what we can do si swap information, ideas, strategies.

When I say that Howard has holus-bolus adopted right wing evangelical GOP tactics, I mean it quite literally. So I've been following how American progressives are organising and working together, looking at what might work here. I have to take into account major differences, such as Australians aren't anywhere near as net-savvy or simply as 'on the net' (again, thanks to Howard, we have the worst broadband network in the western world).

But for eg, I'm really interested in getting more info on the Lamont campaign's great strategy for GOTV by letting people send personalised postcards to friends. I am involved in the Australian Green party, and one of our biggest problems is that the right-wing attack against Greens is so sustained and viscious that I often joke (but seriously) that it's much easier for me to be openly gay than Green. Greens are largely in the closet, so getting the word-of-mouth voting recommendations that are the bulwark of voter influence going can be really challenging. Hence the postcard idea instantly struck me as relatively cost-effective and the next best thing to a face to face.

But back to David Hicks. There's no doubt he is a convert to Islam, he was in Pakistan studying, and then phoned his fatehr to tell him he was going to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban and fight. However he hasn't been charged with any crime remotely related to hurting anyone. Have a read of the interview with Major Michael Mori that is my first link.

The Howard Government has ruthlessly manipulated and bolstered the lies about Hicks, branding him one of the 'worst of the worst' at Guantanamo. Yet there is absolutely nothing to support this. He hasn't done anything that he could be charged with an offense back in Australia. He has been left to rot for nothing other than political expediency. It is beyond inhumane, how he is treated and viewed.

So let's see if this works. Sign the Amnesty letter for me. I'm probably going to put this up at Kos too - what do you think? Any recommendations for how to go about it?

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 03:29:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

the form won't take a donation (none / 1)

with postal information blank.

But no problem doing the petition.

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit - Edward Abbey

by AndiF (ferguson1461 at gmail dot com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 09:26:08 AM EST

wel the nice lass at Getup (none / 1)

said the bit about the postal info - I suspect she was just thinking that they didn't need it, as opposed to it being essential.

So if you don't mind putting in your address info and wanna up the ante with me, go for it. :-)

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 03:31:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: wel the nice lass at Getup (none / 1)

I can't put the address info in -- it only allows for Australian addresses.

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit - Edward Abbey

by AndiF (ferguson1461 at gmail dot com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 04:18:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

ah ok - thanks very much for trying Andi (none / 0)

When I called Getup it was pretty clear they hadn't even considered the possibility of overseas donations (for I think fairly reasonable reasons), and she had to go ask some questions and call me back.

I'll let them know, and again, I really appreciate your willingness to donate. Thank you. :-)

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Fri Nov 17th, 2006 at 05:16:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ah ok - thanks very much for trying Andi (none / 0)

It's critically important to not let people forget what is happening at Gitmo and there's no better way to do that than to put a human face on it. And to use a billboard is to put an inescapable human face on it. I hope it inspires people worldwide to consider doing something similar.

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit - Edward Abbey

by AndiF (ferguson1461 at gmail dot com) on Fri Nov 17th, 2006 at 06:37:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: David Hicks (none / 1)

In all candor, I know zip about the current government under Prime Minister Howard. It is how the U.S. treats any people, including detainees, that burns and burns and burns.

The Parliamentary Library of the Australian Parliament has an on-line comprehensive chronology about the two Australians captured in 2001 and transferred to Guantanamo Bay. One, Habib, was released in 2005 on the basis of lack of evidence to try him. David Hicks is the other. Both Habib and Hicks have described how they were subjected to cruelty and torture by Americans.

Hicks was finally charged in June 2004 with conspiracy to commit war crimes. In August 2005 the Law Council of Australia sent Prime Minister Howard an open letter stating why a fair trial for Hicks was virtually impossible.

By now Hicks has been in U.S. custody nearly 5 years, with no trial scheduled. If the Australian government could have shelled out $1500 to refurbish the gravesites of Morant and Handcock (see Wikipedia's page on Breaker Morant) it could have done more, and sooner, for its citizens detained by the U.S. Surely, it doesn't react only if citizens are scapegoated and executed by the POME's.

by latanawi on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 02:01:28 PM EST

Re: David Hicks (none / 1)

Surely, it doesn't react only if citizens are scapegoated and executed by the POME's.

We normally spell that'Poms' :-)

I know exactly why how the US administration treats people is burning you so bad. Believe me, as someone who knows in detail both the current US and Australian governments, the Howard government is just as bad.

Really.

Habib was tortured extensively in Egypt as part of the 'rendition' program. He and his family made a home video where his children acted out what was done to him. It made me violently nauseous, and it wasn't acted out graphically. Since his return, the media have colluded to ensure his virtual silence.

Here's some titbits for you -Australia has the most concentrated media ownership in the western world, and under the Howard government, this has just been intensified. Ditto under Howard, Australia has fallen from the top ten to 44th in indepenent ratings of press freedom.

Check out some of my earlier diaries, I've not been regular, but I've blogged here and there about Australia.

check out diaries by Canberra Boy too, and his new blog, another like-minded Aussie.

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

by myriad (imogenk at wildmail dot com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 03:36:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: David Hicks (none / 1)

Could you describe more about the issues with the Australian immigration detention system?

Kiwis I know always pronounced it "pomees," and said that POME possibly stands for Prisoner of Mother England.

by latanawi on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 05:14:04 PM EST

this is myriad (none / 0)

just realised I forgot to log out my partner.

Here's a very good resource, including front-page summary, of all the many and terrible ways Australia's mandatory detention and other forms of treatment of refugees violates international treaties and human rights:

http://www.refugeeaction.org/policy/violates.htm

A 'pom' is somewhat rude slang for an English person; it is sometimes diminutised, ie "pommy" - hence perhaps the confusion.

You are probably correct on the derivation; I'd suggest in typical Australian fashion the joke has been turned onto the English in how the term is now typically applied to them.

by keres on Fri Nov 17th, 2006 at 09:10:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

still myriad (none / 0)

I forgot to add that Australia's abysmal treatment of refugees just got a lot worse

In case you're wondering, yes, Howard has stacked the High Court with activist conservative judges.

They also just handed down what has been named in the top 3 of constitutional decisions of all time - one that essentially, by dent of the Commonwealth's corporations powers, has handed the Federal Government the ability to strip the states and territories of their governance of education, health you name it - basically anything that involves a corporation is now up for grabs for Commonwealth interference. I am not a fan per se of the state/federal system we have, nor am I a fan of centralisation. This power could be devestating.

but I digress.

by keres on Fri Nov 17th, 2006 at 09:16:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

ACTION: Bring David Hicks back from Guantanamo [w/poll] | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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