THE Australian Government had no plans to shackle Mamdouh Habib on his flight home from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, it said today. However, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said it was possible in certain circumstances that the captain of any aircraft bringing the former US detainee back to Australia could decide to restrain him for safety reasons. The Washington Post reported US authorities had asked Australian officials to ensure Mr Habib, whose release without charge was announced on January 11, would be shackled to prevent him from leaving the plane during refuelling stops. Mr Habib's Australian lawyer, Stephen Hopper, said the proposal was ridiculous.The Australian citizen has been held in detention for more than three years without charge, on suspicion he knew about the September 11 terrorist attacks and trained with al-Qaeda. Mr Ruddock said he was unaware of the American demands and did not have any plans to have Mr Habib restrained on the return journey. "We have no plans for him to be restrained," Mr Ruddock said. "But I simply say any decision of that sort would be made involving the captain of an aircraft and would depend upon the circumstance. I can't dismiss the possibility that in certain circumstances there may be a need for restraint, but that is not part of our planning."
Mr Ruddock said US authorities routinely used restraints when transporting "people of concern" to protect the safety of the aircraft. He said Australia had agreed not to use US airspace to transport Mr Habib. "We can't (transport Mr Habib) through the United States," he said. "That is a demand that they have made so we have to make appropriate arrangements for his return to Australia." Mr Ruddock said Mr Habib would be returned within weeks, not months, on a non-commercial flight. He said a commercial flight presented a number of risks.