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Down Under
Habib and Hicks dad in talks
2005-02-01
MAMDOUH Habib spoke to the father of Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks the day after he arrived home in Australia, it emerged today.

David Hicks is the only Australian left in Guantanamo Bay following Mr Habib's release from the United States detention facility last week. Both were imprisoned there three years ago as suspected terrorists.
Mr Habib arrived home in Sydney last Friday after being released without charge.

Mr Hicks' father Terry today said he spoke to Mr Habib on the telephone on Saturday. Mr Hicks would not detail the contents of their conversation, but said he enjoyed talking to Mr Habib. "We had probably about 15 minutes and eventually down the track we're going to try to catch up," he said. "We're going to let the dust settle."

Mr Habib's lawyer Stephen Hopper has described his client as having "chronic physical and psychological problems" as a result of his three-year stint in detention.
Translation: he's depressed over being in the slammer.
But Mr Hicks said it was difficult to judge his state of mind. "He sounded very excited, that sort of thing. You could tell that excitement in his voice, but you can't really judge anyone, the way they are, on the phone," he said. "It was a good conversation, it was good that we did speak."

Mr Hicks refused to say whether they discussed David's situation. He said Mr Habib's release without charge did not give him hope David would be released soon. The 29-year-old has been detained by the US since January 2002 following his capture among Taliban forces in Afghanistan a month earlier.

A US military commission hearing of the charges against him - attempted murder, conspiracy and aiding the enemy - had been slated to start in Guantanamo Bay on March 15 this year, but is likely to be delayed. Mr Hicks has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

"David's in a bit of a different situation," his father said. "Mamdouh Habib wasn't charged, whereas David has been charged.

"It's probably hard for the Americans to say David can go home.

"The only thing they could do is have a ruling and get the charges dropped."
Posted by:God Save The World

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