Bush's oozing sore

GUANTANAMO BAY inmate David Hicks told his father yesterday he did not know whether he would survive another year in the US detention centre, saying he was being "pushed all the time" since three suicides there last month.

The worst of the worst, says Rumsfeld

There have been some interesting reflections since the US decision on Guantanamo Bay. Even prior to that, seventy-six of Australia’s leading lawyers, including judges, insisted that the military tribunals violated international human rights law.

The Howard government has insisted otherwise and refused to intercede in the Hicks case, or any other. Observers say that this ruling poses significant problems for Australia's human rights credibility.

“We, and no one else, have repeatedly supported subjecting our own citizen, David Hicks, to these tribunals. Not even the US did that. And we did so despite warnings from the Australian Law Council's independent observer, Lex Lasry, QC, confirming the blindingly obvious: that a fair trial for Hicks was an impossibility.”

There have been other observations, for instance; if Donald H. Rumsfeld is correct in describing these detainees as “the worst of the worst”, then why do the US authorities shy away from open trial? Perhaps because it is empty rhetoric?

Australia refuses to take responsibility for Hicks’ prosecution, because they say he broke no Australian law. It is becoming obvious that the idiot who went off to train with the Taliban broke no laws anywhere.

But the US charge has nothing to do with his association with the Taliban training camps, they say his crime was ‘shooting at a US soldier.

Not nice perhaps, but when did shooting at opposing soldiers in a war become a crime? Doubtless there are many sitting in Iraq’s US sponsored parliament who either shot at or instigated devastating attacks on US personnel.

Detaining Hicks might prove to be one of the dumber moves of a government desperate to instill fear in its citizens so to give free reign to their dubious objectives.

Hicks might well be a few kangaroos short in the top paddock, but he is no psychopath, no suicidal terrorist. He might be an insignificant pawn in the great game, but so useless even the terrorists refuse to support him or e en to use his situation to their own ends.

Fellow detainees ostracized Hicks so totally that he has not had the dubious benefit of any companionship at Guantanamo Bay.

In short, he is that irritating speck that refuses to go away, and rubs and rubs until there is an oozing, open wound.

One more fetid, oozing sore on the arsehole of the Bush administration...