The Torture of an Australian in the War on Terror: Hearing Continues with shock revelations.
February 18th 2008 23:37
The Torture of an Australian in the War on Terror: Hearing Continues with shock revelations.
The compensation case of Mamdouh Habib is still being heard with claims that he was subjected to torture in Egypt at the request of CIA agents. This probably means I can only report the facts at this stage.
What we know about Habib is the he was picked up on suspicion of terrorism in Pakistan as part of the mass arrests after the 9-11 attacks. After his arrest he disappeared and eventually turned up in Gitmo where a total of 5 years passed before he was released without charge.
What we also know is that Habib was a very unhealthy man in comparison to when he was arrest and health was one of excuses given for his release.
Doctors who examined Habib after his return to Australia have stipulated that Habib had sustained injuries that were consistent with extremely harsh treatment. Here is an extract of an interview with ABC television after his return to Australia:
In a nutshell Habib’s accusations of torture match the physical injuries on his back just above his kidney. The passing of blood in the urine and the deep old bruising indicate the intensity of the beating. Such injuries are impossible to self inflict whilst in custody. So who did it?
Habib claims that after meeting with ASIO(Australian Secret Intelligence Organization) and CIA agents who knew that he was an Australian citizen he was sent to a ‘Black Site’ in Egypt where the torture was inflicted. This kind of behaviour know as ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ is the practice that the CIA employ of sending suspects to secret locations in foreign countries where torture can be applied beyond the reach of the law.
What makes Habib’s claims so remarkable is that he claims that he was sent with the full knowledge of Australian Officials whose job is to protect the rights of Australians from such treatment. As signatory to the UN convention on torture Australian officers must also prevent people being sent to places where they know torture could be applied. Habib and others who have fallen into ‘Rendition’ system have claimed that the CIA specifically sent people to these ‘black sites’ for the very purpose of being tortured. In the Habib case there is the accusation that ASIO agents were colluding with the CIA to send him to be tortured in Egypt. For its part the federal police and ASIO have been denying any knowledge of Habib’s arrest in Pakistan stating that collusion could not have occurred as a result. That was until Yesterday.
In a shock announcement to the Senates Estimates Committee the Federal Police Commissioner Keelty admitted that his officers had discussed with US officials the deportation of Mamdouh Habib from Pakistan to Egypt. This is in direct contradiction with the Howard government and his own statements on earlier occasions.
What this revelation from the Commissioner indicates is that there was prior knowledge of where Habib was to be sent despite all the denials when the Howard government was in power. The case is still going but it is likely that it will get more interesting as time goes on.
What should be remembered is that despite the seriousness of the allegations levelled at Habib he was never charged with anything. The possibility of torturing innocent people on suspicion opens a new chapter in modern history.
The compensation case of Mamdouh Habib is still being heard with claims that he was subjected to torture in Egypt at the request of CIA agents. This probably means I can only report the facts at this stage.
What we know about Habib is the he was picked up on suspicion of terrorism in Pakistan as part of the mass arrests after the 9-11 attacks. After his arrest he disappeared and eventually turned up in Gitmo where a total of 5 years passed before he was released without charge.
What we also know is that Habib was a very unhealthy man in comparison to when he was arrest and health was one of excuses given for his release.
Doctors who examined Habib after his return to Australia have stipulated that Habib had sustained injuries that were consistent with extremely harsh treatment. Here is an extract of an interview with ABC television after his return to Australia:
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed Christopher Tennant, the director of Sydney University's Psychological medicine unit.[7] In the interview Tennant said: "He showed me marks on his back, he showed me cigarette burns on his body, and the subsequent examination by another professor of medicine, more expert in physical examination than me, confirmed that he's got skin discolouration on his right loin which would be consistent with old bruising, which in turn would be consistent with beating..."
"Well, the main feature of the medical report from Guantanamo was that he had had repeatedly blood in his urine, which is a very significant symptom and a worrying symptom, and that was consistent with his reports both to me and to the specialist physician who also examined him, and was consistent with the fact that, on examination, he had evidence of discolouration to his skin on his right loin, just over his kidney, which in turn was consistent with old bruising and possibly due to being beaten."
"Well, the main feature of the medical report from Guantanamo was that he had had repeatedly blood in his urine, which is a very significant symptom and a worrying symptom, and that was consistent with his reports both to me and to the specialist physician who also examined him, and was consistent with the fact that, on examination, he had evidence of discolouration to his skin on his right loin, just over his kidney, which in turn was consistent with old bruising and possibly due to being beaten."
Habib claims that after meeting with ASIO(Australian Secret Intelligence Organization) and CIA agents who knew that he was an Australian citizen he was sent to a ‘Black Site’ in Egypt where the torture was inflicted. This kind of behaviour know as ‘Extraordinary Rendition’ is the practice that the CIA employ of sending suspects to secret locations in foreign countries where torture can be applied beyond the reach of the law.
What makes Habib’s claims so remarkable is that he claims that he was sent with the full knowledge of Australian Officials whose job is to protect the rights of Australians from such treatment. As signatory to the UN convention on torture Australian officers must also prevent people being sent to places where they know torture could be applied. Habib and others who have fallen into ‘Rendition’ system have claimed that the CIA specifically sent people to these ‘black sites’ for the very purpose of being tortured. In the Habib case there is the accusation that ASIO agents were colluding with the CIA to send him to be tortured in Egypt. For its part the federal police and ASIO have been denying any knowledge of Habib’s arrest in Pakistan stating that collusion could not have occurred as a result. That was until Yesterday.
In a shock announcement to the Senates Estimates Committee the Federal Police Commissioner Keelty admitted that his officers had discussed with US officials the deportation of Mamdouh Habib from Pakistan to Egypt. This is in direct contradiction with the Howard government and his own statements on earlier occasions.
On February 15, 2005, Mr Keelty told a hearing he did not know if Mr Habib had ever been in Egypt. "I didn't say Mr Habib was in Egypt. The AFP is not in a position to confirm whether Mr Habib was in Egypt. Mr Habib's own words himself were, wherever he had been taken to, the people spoke Egyptian."
On February 14, 2005, the then secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Robert Cornall, was asked if the Howard government was "advised that (Mr Habib) was going to be taken to another jurisdiction when he was taken". Mr Cornall replied: "No, we weren't."
Habib is currently suing the Australian Government for complacency in his alleged ‘Rendition’.
On February 14, 2005, the then secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Robert Cornall, was asked if the Howard government was "advised that (Mr Habib) was going to be taken to another jurisdiction when he was taken". Mr Cornall replied: "No, we weren't."
Habib is currently suing the Australian Government for complacency in his alleged ‘Rendition’.
What this revelation from the Commissioner indicates is that there was prior knowledge of where Habib was to be sent despite all the denials when the Howard government was in power. The case is still going but it is likely that it will get more interesting as time goes on.
What should be remembered is that despite the seriousness of the allegations levelled at Habib he was never charged with anything. The possibility of torturing innocent people on suspicion opens a new chapter in modern history.
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As I said earlier the case is still going so it is hard to speak in absolutes yet.
I can provide you with links to legitimate media sources to chase up.
It may not be in the news in USA but here it has been very known.
Here is a story from the Murdoch paper The Australian.(hardly a liberal rag)
Really Long Link
Any way the text of the Senate Estimates should be posted on the Internet via Hansard soon.