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New account adds weight to interrogation claims

Common Law | 17.02.2005 21:29 | Anti-militarism | London | World

After ASIO and the AFP made further allegations at the Senate Estimates Committee, pro-govt media done just the same CH/7 accusing Mr Habib of meeting David Hicks in Afghanistan, CH/10 running a flawed poll with it's viewers suggesting 80 per cent say his guilty. Ch/7's flawed poll suggesting 52 per cent of its viewers said it's okay to torture people under certain circumstances? But 48 per cent don't think so.



No difference: Mr Kay
says interviews and
Interrogations are the
same. (Rooters)

Australia/Cuba/Iraq: The fascist Federal Government is under further pressure today because Australians were involved in the interrogation of tortured Iraqi prisoners.

The fascist HoWARd Government has consistently maintained that Australians interviewed prisoners but did not interrogate them, regardless of the fact that they were prisoners and regardless of the fact that those prisoners were being tortured.

It insists there is a clear distinction but the only distinction is between those who are morally bankrupt and those who know what common sense is. For instance these detainees had been bashed around the head, were in orange jump suits, and guarded by a militant with a gun and held in a jail within a jail. Only a brain-dead idiot would argue that they were being interviewed of their own free will.

The Government has spent this week rejecting allegations by a former intelligence officer, Rod Barton because they are guilty of war crimes and this means a lot to not happy John HoWARd whose trying to duck and weave the harassment, kidnap and torture allegations made by citizen and community member Mumdouh Habib.

After ASIO and the AFP made further allegations at the Senate Estimates Committee, pro-govt media done just the same CH/7 accusing Mr Habib of meeting David Hicks in Afghanistan, CH/10 running a flawed poll with it's viewers suggesting 80 per cent say his guilty. Ch/7's flawed poll suggesting 52 per cent of its viewers saying it's okay to torture people under certain circumstances? But 48 per cent don't think so.

Now this is nonsense! When is Australia going to hold its government and pro government-media accountable for their crimes against the community?

Mr Barton is adamant he was involved in the interrogation of Iraqi prisoners and he told that to the Defence Department about his concerns last year.

David Kay, the former head of the Iraq Survey Group that searched for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), believes Australians did interrogate detainees.

"Anyone that was in a room with a prisoner was engaged in interrogation," he said. "You weren't playing bridge."

He said he does not think there is any difference between an interview and an interrogation.

"If I was talking to someone [I] would have said I've had an interview, I've had a discussion.

"I didn't often use the word interrogation but that's what it was."

Mr Kay says he did not see any evidence that prisoners were mistreated.

Labor's spokesman on defence, Robert McClelland, says Mr Kay's comments discredit the Government's argument that there is a difference between an interrogation and an interview.

"The Government is absolutely playing with semantics," he said.

"Anyone can pick up any dictionary and look at a definition of interrogation if they want.

"In circumstances where someone is brought before the interviewer, if you like, to use the Government's language, in prison overalls, shackled, someone behind them holding a gun, that is for all intents and purposes an interrogation."

Related:

Senate accused Govt of war crimes

Did you hear the one about David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib having a Barbeque in Afghanistan with Bin Laden? Yeah it was reported on Channel Seven's Sunrise this morning! But they don't know if it was a sheep or a goat, but sources say it was most likely a goat. So I don't think I love them, so what am I so afraid of? I'm afraid that I'm sure of, the lies that there's a cure for. So why do they lie to you?

More:  http://www.adelaide.indymedia.org.au/newswire/display/7965/index.php

UP, UP AND AWAY WITH JA THE FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY WAY...

Channel Ten reported yesterday that 80 per cent of its viewers say Mumdouh Habib is guilty of being a witch in a flawed opinion poll taken by the station. Yet Mr Habib's harassment, kidnap and subsequent torture by the authorities both here and abroad is a crime against humanity and he and his family have suffered both directly and indirectly from that treatment. The community suffers as well because the authorities have chosen to lower the standards of our humanity. Let Mamdouh Habib have his day in court.

Fascist Australian Govt torture exposed

Labor's Nicola Roxon suggests the evidence against Mr Habib was tainted. "I think it defies belief that they haven't asked the US the reasons that they released Mr Habib without charge," she said.

More:  http://www.sydney.indymedia.org.au/front.php3?article_id=51867&group=webcast

Federal Police discounted Habib torture?

The fact that Keelty and his mob set about taunting Mr Habib well before the alleged notification of torture in Pakistan and subsequent kidnap to Egypt means that Keelty is a blatant liar. So what is a blatant liar doing as head of AFP?

More:  http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/87685.php

DPP to appeal innocent man's bail

Victoria's Chief Magistrate Ian Gray said Thomas had been psychologically damaged by his incarceration and did not pose a significant flight risk.

More:  http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/02/87714.php

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