BN
smells like wee wee
+159|6768
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21453869-2,00.html

Whats your take on this?

Is he pleading guilty just to "get it over with" ?

is this a case of catching the "drug dealer and not the kingpin"?

There have been some comments on news.com.au

David Hicks was not involved with Al Qaeda he was involved with The Taliban who at the time was the government of Afghanistan. He was a mercanary fighting the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance are either freedom fighters or terrorists, depends whos side of the fence you sit on. When America and its allies invaded and attacked Afghanistan, Hicks along with all the other western mercenary's defended their employer. Bloody idiot? Yes. Terrorist? No. And with no chance of a fair and just trial he has taken a plea bargain and I for one don't blame him.
Posted by: Troy Gallagher of Clayfield 11:53am today

It is about time this terrorist finnally was able to plea Guilty. Do we really want to bring this terrorist home to Australian soil? To all those people that have rallied across Australia to bring Hicks home, they should really think about what they have rallied for, and that is bringing a terrorist home. He does not deserve to step foot on this land myself and millions of other people call "Home".

Posted by: Peter 11:56am today
Turquoise
O Canada
+1,596|6405|North Carolina
Both comments make good points.

I'm generally a pragmatist about these things.  If you fight against us, you should be imprisoned or executed.  I'm sure our enemies would do the same (at the least) if they had won.
BN
smells like wee wee
+159|6768

Turquoise wrote:

Both comments make good points.

I'm generally a pragmatist about these things.  If you fight against us, you should be imprisoned or executed.  I'm sure our enemies would do the same (at the least) if they had won.
Both comments are good points...but one minute the Taliban are the government of a sovereign nation...next thing they are a terrorist organisation.

A bit off topic but Australia also has some weird sedition laws relating to this type of thing. Anti-Terrorism Act (No. 2) 2005 Section 80.2(7) expressly states that the urging of assistance to an organisation or country that is at war with the Commonwealth is an offence whether or not war has been declared.

One minute you are helping a foreign country next thing you are nicked cos they are the enemy whether war is declared or not!
BVC
Member
+325|6695
Whats the legal status of mercenaries?
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6542|Texas - Bigger than France
From the article:
The case against Hicks

A former horse trainer and kangaroo skinner, Hicks allegedly underwent training at an al-Qaeda camp in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan and volunteered to fight alongside Taliban forces during the US-led invasion.

The charge sheet says Hicks conducted surveillance on the abandoned US embassy in Kabul and met Osama bin Laden as well as accused "shoe bomber" Richard Reid.

"One minute you are helping a foreign country..."

It wasn't like he just trained for a while and left when hostilities broke out, like you're saying.  He elected to stay and fight.
Bubbalo
The Lizzard
+541|6561
As a soldier, in a war, which isn't a crime.
Spark
liquid fluoride thorium reactor
+874|6675|Canberra, AUS
I sense a plea bargain.
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
maffiaw
ph33r me 傻逼
+40|6421|Melbourne, AUS
I would say anything after being pwned up like that every day for 5 years in Guantanamo...
Seriously, Hicks is just doing that to get out of the place.
TeamZephyr
Maintaining My Rage Since 1975
+124|6529|Hillside, Melbourne, Australia
Plea bargaining to get him home to Australia as quickly as possible. Not surprised, the whole purpose of these military tribunals was to get a guilty verdict and honestly, I reckon he'd be getting sick of the torture by now.
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6290|Éire
I personally do not give any crediblity to any judicial result that comes out of Guantanamo Bay. I'm not saying Hicks is guilty or not guiilty but rather that the system in which he is being judged is not worth the paper it's written on. Guantanamo trials are no better than the show trials of the Nazi and Stalin regimes.
Spark
liquid fluoride thorium reactor
+874|6675|Canberra, AUS

Braddock wrote:

I personally do not give any crediblity to any judicial result that comes out of Guantanamo Bay. I'm not saying Hicks is guilty or not guiilty but rather that the system in which he is being judged is not worth the paper it's written on. Guantanamo trials are no better than the show trials of the Nazi and Stalin regimes.
All the more reason to get it over with.
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6542|Texas - Bigger than France

Bubbalo wrote:

As a soldier, in a war, which isn't a crime.
Last time I checked, Austrialia sent troops to Afghanistan.  But I guess it's okay to have your own countrymen fighting against your own troops.
Vilham
Say wat!?
+580|6766|UK
Hes a merc. They fight for money. Not causes. He isnt a terrorist. Did he go around causing fear and terror to civilians as is the aim of terrorists? No i strongly doubt it.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6542|Texas - Bigger than France
Does he deserve punishment for fighting against his own country?

You're debating whether he's a terrorist or not, but there is a fact you are ignoring.
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6716
He should still be punished for being a traitor! Fucking mercs... like seriously.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Vilham
Say wat!?
+580|6766|UK
Lets put is this way. You dont blame the US and colilition soldiers for fighting an illegal war. They are just doing their job.

Well he was doing his job too. If he stopped fighting for his employer he would be termed a turn coat, he would never get employment again.
CoronadoSEAL
pics or it didn't happen
+207|6518|USA

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

He should still be punished for being a traitor! Fucking mercs... like seriously.
mercs can be very beneficial to the cause.  you only hear about the bad ones.
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6716

Vilham wrote:

Lets put is this way. You dont blame the US and colilition soldiers for fighting an illegal war. They are just doing their job.

Well he was doing his job too. If he stopped fighting for his employer he would be termed a turn coat, he would never get employment again.
But what's bothering me is, why would he help fight for the Taliban? Why doesn't he like join black water?
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6542|Texas - Bigger than France

Vilham wrote:

Lets put is this way. You dont blame the US and colilition soldiers for fighting an illegal war. They are just doing their job.

Well he was doing his job too. If he stopped fighting for his employer he would be termed a turn coat, he would never get employment again.
First off, "illegal war"?  Austrialia is one of many countries which sent troops.  This means that the country supports the action. 

Ok, let's look at this logically for a second.  Let's say Britain sends troops to Afghanistan.  A British citizen is caught as a member of the Taliban army.  You're saying that he should not be punished, and he did nothing wrong?

British troops are there too - are you saying you were okay with this guy fighting your country's troops?
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6716
I don't see how Afghanistan is an illegal war... Iraq is debatable on the other hand...
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Vilham
Say wat!?
+580|6766|UK

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

I don't see how Afghanistan is an illegal war... Iraq is debatable on the other hand...
That is what i was talking about... you dont blame the soldiers in iraq for doing their job do you. So why blame this guy for doing his?

Comon guys put on your thinking caps. Do people have to spell everything out to you?

Last edited by Vilham (2007-03-27 07:59:14)

Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6716

Vilham wrote:

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

I don't see how Afghanistan is an illegal war... Iraq is debatable on the other hand...
That is what i was talking about... you dont blame the soldiers in iraq for doing their job do you. So why blame this guy for doing his?

Comon guys put on your thinking caps. Do people have to spell everything out to you?
Point is, he is fighting against his own country men, fighting with the so called freedom fighters.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6542|Texas - Bigger than France

Vilham wrote:

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

I don't see how Afghanistan is an illegal war... Iraq is debatable on the other hand...
That is what i was talking about... you dont blame the soldiers in iraq for doing their job do you. So why blame this guy for doing his?

Comon guys put on your thinking caps. Do people have to spell everything out to you?
Seven letter word starting with T?

Is it treason or traitor?
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6716

Pug wrote:

Vilham wrote:

cyborg_ninja-117 wrote:

I don't see how Afghanistan is an illegal war... Iraq is debatable on the other hand...
That is what i was talking about... you dont blame the soldiers in iraq for doing their job do you. So why blame this guy for doing his?

Comon guys put on your thinking caps. Do people have to spell everything out to you?
Seven letter word starting with T?

Is it treason or traitor?
Both.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Flecco
iPod is broken.
+1,048|6665|NT, like Mick Dundee

Spark wrote:

I sense a plea bargain.
Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

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