The Howard federal government agreed in just 3 months of the seize of alleged terrorist David Hicks that he experienced been apprehended lawfully by the United States whilst searching at strategies to reduce him from advertising his story.
Cupboard documents unveiled by the Countrywide Archives on Sunday reveal the Howard government also moved quickly to let The us to investigate and start off authorized procedures versus Hicks ahead of Australia would take into account its very own attainable legal steps versus the Adelaide-born guy.
David Hicks leaves Yatala Prison in Adelaide in 2007, immediately after six many years in captivity.Credit score:Shannon Morris
Hicks, captured in Afghanistan in December 2001, was moved with other alleged terrorist fighters to America’s Guantánamo Bay naval foundation in Cuba.
Even though accused of having trained with al-Qaeda and to have achieved terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, he alleged he was subjected to torture through his incarceration at Guantánamo.
The cupboard papers display a verbal briefing was made by then-legal professional-common Daryl Williams in February 2002.
At that conference, the cupboard agreed the federal government “regards the detention of Mr Hicks by the United States as lawful”. It also agreed that Australia was eager to allow the US investigate Hicks in advance of Australia would glimpse at its personal achievable lawful steps.
Cupboard was informed of allegations Hicks experienced been in Kosovo and Kashmir, determining to solution the Global Tribunal for the previous Yugoslavia to establish if it experienced information about the guy.
Just a few months following his seize, cupboard also determined to glance at possible guidelines to stop Hicks at any time advertising his story for financial gain. Federal gains of crime legislation have been altered in 2004 to involve convictions beneath US army commissions.
In his autobiography, John Howard explained the difficulties about Hicks and especially the length of time it in the end took for the US to bring him to trial as a “barnacle”.