In the latest round of Gitmo show trials that never quite seem to get going, it looks like “Australian Taliban” David Hicks (whose “crime”, you’ll recall, was being a White Christian Anglo from a cool first world country who dared convert to Islam), will face arraignment today at GTMO on a charge of “providing material support to al Qaeda”, a charge which not only has the virtue of not being true, but that charge did not even exist until 2006. In other words, we are inventing conduct that we can charge Mr. Hicks with over five years after he has been in American custody. The original charges were that he committed a war crime by guarding a Taliban tank position agianst the Northern Alliance… in other words, participating in a war on a side we don’t like was designated a war crime. Well, not now… those (somewhat flawed) charges were dropped in favor of the current (somewhat flawed) charges…
In the meantime, defense attorneys will be doing their own wrangling, aside from having Hicks plead not guilty, perhaps seeking the ouster of the prosecutor Col. Moe Davis for his unveiled threats against defense counsel Maj. Michael Mori for doing his job.
I predict… that nothing will happen for quite a while… the plan is to keep the circus going until early 2009, of course… we will see.
And on the “up close and personal” theme, Dan sends us this video… apparently, while little contact with GTMO detainees is allowed with the outside world (and none directly with the press), it seems MTV Cribs managed to get in there and film this look at David Hicks’ crib. Kind of makes you hungry for some lemon chicken and rice pilaf…
tdog
I read an account in the australian press yesterday that Hicks might not be allowed into his hearing today if he did not properly comb his hair. Seems he let his hair grow out because he has lights on in his cell day and night and he is not allowed to cover his face when trying to sleep. He grew his hair out so it would cover his eyes and allow him a bit of sleep. I guess the military did not like how he got around that little problem.
Anyway he was allowed into his hearing, hair and all.