Australian terror suspect tortured in Egypt, Australian TV station claims

[Fozzledick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1512&ncid=721&e=12&u=/afp/20040707/wl_afp/australia_attacks_us

SYDNEY (AFP) - A suspected Australian terrorist was tortured during interrogation in Egypt where he was taken while in the custody of US authorities, an Australian television station claimed.

The SBS Dateline program, due to be screened late Wednesday, quotes a senior Qatar politician as saying he knows alleged terrorist Mamdouh Habib was tortured during six months in Egypt before he was transferred to the US Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.

...

SBS released excerpts of the program which includes an interview with a former Qatari justice minister, Najeeb Al-Nauimi, saying Habib was tortured in Egypt "in a way in which a human cannot stand up", and to the point where Habib "would admit to anything".

...

US lawyer Steve Watts, from the Centre for Constitutional Right in New York, reportedly says the United States routinely engaged in a policy know as "rendition". He explained rendition as "state-sponsored abduction" and a process in which US authorities remove people to countries such as Egypt where the use of torture as an interrogation technique is allegedly commonplace.

[Djinn]

1. Apart from getting him tortured

there was no reason to send Mamdouh to Egypt. He was/is an Australian.

That our spineless weaselly government did not object at all to this, let alone Mamdouh and David Hick's incarceration without charge, is sickening.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Four years of lies, vicious violence and corruption. Time to move on.

Stacks of lies upon lies to cover up their treachery. Then they all dare to smile sweetly while wrapping themselves in the flag and claiming God's blessings.

Cheney every last one of _Bush's slimey, greedy vampires.


The wife & sons of the guest of honor (our treat) at his own customized torture sessions in Egypt.

[the Kelly Gang]

3. Howard supports war crimes

[struggle4progress]

4. What did Howard's government know about this?

And will Congress investigate any of the growing number of cases involving US "renditions" leading to torture?

[Djinn]

6. The Howard government is claiming

that they "don't know" if Habib was taken to Egypt or that if he was whether he was tortured there. They say the Egyptian government has not admitted to having him there. They avoid questions about whether they have asked the Americans if THEY sent him there and if so why.

The Attorney General has this to say...

"What we have asked for, and been assured, is that in relation to not only Mr Habib's treatment in Guantanamo Bay but also his treatment at all times that he was in American custody or care or control, that those matters be the subject of investigation," Mr Ruddock said.

"We have been assured that they will be, but we've had no reports at this stage on the nature of those investigations."

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/07/1089000228113.html?oneclick=true

Given that he has now been in custody for nearly 3 years one wonders how getting an answer like this from our coalition ally is so difficult.

For a transcript of the Dateline program aired last night about the "rendition" of Habib, see http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/#

[struggle4progress]

7. Thanks. It looks like Ruddock practiced spewing meaningless bilge.

<edit:> It's clear Howard's government has known about the allegations for several years.

[rooboy]

8. I saw the interview...

and Ruddock couldn't/wouldn't answer the most basic of questions. The most vile thing about him is the way he insists on wearing his Amnesty International badge on his lapel.

[struggle4progress]

9. It doesn't sound like he wrote a letter a month about Habib. eom

[rooboy]

11. That would be a very reasonable assumption to make...

he didn't get his nickname of "The Cadaver" for nothing.

[Djinn]

10. He got plenty of practise

when he was Minister for Immigration (AKA Minister for the demonisation of Iraqi and Afghan refugees)

[Fozzledick]

5. Don't forget to rate the story on Yahoo

It's now rated 4.5 but with only 8 votes. Two more will put it on the "Reader ratings" page.

[struggle4progress]

12. kick

:kick: