-Caveat Lector- ----- Original Message ----- From: RicK Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 6:46 PM Subject: Guantanamo: Australian Al-Qaeda Militant Ex 'Freedom Fighter' In Kosovo, Kashmir
> http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bs/Qaustralia-attacks-us.RnsH_Dl8.html > > [Note: The second feature, below, is from a > transparently Ustashe Internet site [see: > http://www.cfiva.org/cfiva/home/index.cfm?CFID=345918&CFTOKEN=99319605] > and is only reproduced because it says more than it > intends to, both about David Hicks' involvement in > Kosovo and the Indian state of Kashmir and about the > close - inseparable - ties between the neo-Ustashe in > Croatia and the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army in > Serbia.] > > > Australian held by US military was trained by > al-Qaeda, PM reveals > > SYDNEY, July 8 (AFP) - Australian-born Taliban fighter > David Hicks, who is now in US military detention, has > admitted training with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, > Prime Minister John Howard revealed for the first time > Tuesday. > > Howard's disclosure came as US lawyers protested that > Hicks will not receive a fair trial by a US military > tribunal because he is being denied proper access to > legal representation. > > The 27-year-old former Adelaide poultry process worker > has been held by the US military at Guantanamo Bay, > Cuba, since he was captured fighting with the Taliban > by US forces in Afghanistan in November, 2001. > > Hicks' lawyers have conceded he was a Taliban fighter > but denied persistent allegations he had links to > al-Qaeda. > > But Howard said the government was satisfied that > Hicks would receive a fair trial and that he was > linked to al-Qaeda. > > "What is not an allegation, because the man in > question has admitted it, is that he trained with > al-Qaeda," Howard told ABC radio when asked about > Hicks. > > Howard said the government had lengthy discussions > with US officials about the case and was satisfied > that Hicks would receive a fair hearing, that the > presumption of innocence would prevail and that there > would be access to lawyers. > > One of Hicks' Adelaide-based lawyers, Frank Camatta, > said he was shocked by the prime minister's comments. > "It's a total surprise to us," he said. > > "We have no basis to understand that to be the case. > Maybe the prime minister has had access to briefings > from the security services. > > "We would have been very pleased to have been told > that, rather than hear it through the media. Why he > would say that without at least letting the family > know is disappointing." > > Hicks was named by the US administration last week as > one of an initial group of six detainees eligible to > be tried by a US military tribunal, although no date > has been set for a hearing and no charge has yet been > laid. > > His family has appointed a civilian legal team, > although his lawyers say he is being denied the usual > confidentiality between lawyer and client, which is a > basic tenet of legal representation, and without which > they say it would be virtually impossible for him to > receive a fair trial. > > Hicks' US-based lawyer Joseph Margulies said there was > scant chance of a fair trial. > > "They would never countenance these kinds of > proceedings in an Australian court," Margulies told > ABC radio. > > "One of the real problems with the tribunal is that it > is not transparent. We may never shed light on that > dark corner." > > US National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers > (NACDL) president Lawrence Goldman said the military > court was likely to be biased because the judges, who > would probably be senior officers would find it > difficult to acquit someone whom the president of the > United States has recommended for trial. > > "I would not walk into these trials as a defence > lawyer with the confidence that my client would get a > fair shake," he said. > > Al-Qaeda expert Rohan Gunaratna, who has written > extensively about Osama bin Laden's terrorist network > and who initially described Hicks as a "small fry" in > the terror organisation, now believes he was more than > a foot soldier. > > "There is more recent information to indicate that he > has undergone more advanced and more specialised > training," Gunaratna told The Australian newspaper. > ------------------------------------------------------ > http://www.cfiva.org/cfiva/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=showItem&newsID=13 > > > Croatian Forces International Volunteers Association > CFIVA News > KOSOVO VOLUNTEER LINKED TO AL-QAEDA > > Thursday, August 1, 2002 > > > David Hicks training with the UCK prior to joining the > Taliban > > -The details of his service in Kosova [sic] come to us > direct from the UCK and are as follows: > He joined a group of the UCK circa February 1999. He > was accommodated at one of three UCK training camps in > the Tropolje area in Albania for six weeks. He was > moved to another UCK training camp as a prospective > instructor after he made exaggerated claims about > being in the Australian Army. > -[H]e was placed on active duty near the border town > of Kukes with 139 Brigade, commanded by Radimas > Beshim. > -He was demobilised in June 1999, went back to the > Albanian capital Tirana where the UCK purchased an > aeroplane ticket for the Islamic Republic of Iran (via > Germany) at Hicks' own request. > -He returned to Australia in late 1999 and claimed to > have been through six weeks training, boasted he had > been in the trenches, killed a few Serbs.... > -The Australian government says he...went to Pakistan > and trained with the militant Islamic group > Lashkar-i-Taiba who are fighting in the Kashmir region > against the Indian Army. This group is believed to > have links with Al-Qa'eda and Osama Bin Laden. > -[H]icks has been blacklisted by CFIVA for bringing > the international volunteer movement [sic] in Kosova > into disrepute. > > > > > > More On Terrorist Suspect Hicks - On 1st August the > Australian ex-volunteer failed to obtain a trial. > American judges ruled that because he was being held > at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, United States civilian courts > had no jurisdiction. He therefore remains indefinitely > detained without trial. > The case of Hicks is already being widely mis-reported > as international journalists studiously avoid checking > their information with other sources. Under the > ridiculous label "Soldier of Fortune," CNN state that > Hicks converted to Islam whilst fighting with the UCK > in "Bosnia" (huh??) and mis-labelled a grainy > photograph of Hicks taken in Albania in 1999 as being > in "Bosnia." We can categorically state that Hicks > never served in BiH. > > He surrendered to Northern Alliance forces in > Afghanistan on 9th December 2001 near the Tora Bora > caves complex used by Al-Qa'eda. He has no criminal > record nor was he involved in any military activity > prior to Kosova. In early 1999 he approached Channel 7 > wanting to sell a story about fighting as a mercenary > in South Africa or Afghanistan. > > The details of his service in Kosova comes to us > direct from the UCK and are as follows: > > He joined a group of the UCK circa February 1999. He > was accommodated at one of three UCK training camps in > the Tropolje area in Albania for six weeks. He was > moved to another UCK training camp as a prospective > instructor after he made exaggerated claims about > being in the Australian Army. He had no previous > military experience whatsoever. It soon became > apparent these assertions were false and his claims > were widely dismissed by the UCK. Nevertheless he was > placed on active duty near the border town of Kukes > with 139 Brigade, commanded by Radimas Beshim. His > incompetence soon came to notice and he was relegated > to a training camp away from the border. He was given > a second chance and rejoined the brigade in Kukes but > still couldn't manage (remember, the UCK itself was a > largely untrained citizen army) so he was relegated > again to a training camp and effectively kept out of > the way. After NATO troops entered Kosova Hicks did > not accompany any UCK units into the province. He was > demobilised in June 1999, went back to the Albanian > capital Tirana where the UCK purchased an aeroplane > ticket for the Islamic Republic of Iran (via Germany) > at Hicks' own request. The Kosovan authorities have > heard nothing from him since. He was in Albania for no > more than 14-16 weeks and never entered Kosova. > > Hicks was not a mercenary. He was legally recruited > into a legitimate armed force and at all times abided > by the terms and conditions of the Geneva Conventions. > CFIVA can confirm that Hicks was never paid more than > that of a private soldier of the UCK, if at all. > > Note: It was usual for the UCK to reward its > international volunteers with their passage home, as a > gesture of thanks. > > He returned to Australia in late 1999 and claimed to > have been through six weeks training, boasted he had > been in the trenches, killed a few Serbs and had seen > a few of his comrades killed. The last two points are > a mild exaggeration but have neither been proven or > disproved. > > Upon his return to Australia (not Bosnia)he converted > to Islam and took the name Mohammed Dawood. He was > attending a mosque several times a week but in > November 1999 spoke of going to Pakistan to increase > his knowledge of Islam. Within a week or two he had > left the country. > > The Australian government says he then went to > Pakistan and trained with the militant Islamic group > Lashkar-i-Taiba who are fighting in the Kashmir region > against the Indian Army. This group is believed to > have links with Al-Qa'eda and Osama Bin Laden. > > The Americans say he entered Afghanistan in late 2000 > and undertook "extensive" training with Al-Qa'eda. He > telephoned his family on September 28th to say he was > fighting for the Taliban. > > After his capture, he was handed over to US Special > Forces and transferred via the USS Peleliu to the > detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Two other > white Australians are also being held there. The US > say they will hand him over to the Australian > authorities if it can be promised that Hicks will be > dealt with severely. He could be charged with treason > and murder if he is connected to the WTC attacks in > New York on September 11th. He could also be charged > under the Foreign Incursions Act, which carries a 14 > year sentence for "hostile activities in foreign > countries." Needless to say Serb websites have been > doing overtime on this one. > > Apparently Hicks has now hoodwinked gullible > interrogators into believing he was a "relatively > senior member of Al-Qaeda." true to form, Hicks > completely fails to comprehend the seriousness of his > situation. Nobody of course has bothered to check > Hicks' past with the Kosovan authorities. Regardless > of whether he is found guilty of the charges levelled > against him, Hicks has been blacklisted by CFIVA for > bringing the international volunteer movement in > Kosova into disrepute. > > > The Secretary > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > http://sbc.yahoo.com > www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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