Meanwhile the news of a possible military trial for Mamdouh Habib was criticised by his wife Maha.
"He shouldn't be going to military court, not even David Hicks should be going to military court," Mrs Habib said.
"I think they've suffered enough, they [are] still suffering up until now.
"They've been tortured you know and as I understood from the witnesses, they don't know why they were charged, why [they] were picked up.
"They don't know why they weren't released."
Mr Habib's family waited outside Channel Seven's Sydney studios from 5:00am (AEST) to confront Mr Howard, but he ignored them as he left.
Mrs Habib says she was upset Mr Howard did not stop to speak to her.
"Being up from five o'clock with the kids, waiting just to spare one minute out of his time where he was spending about one-hour-and-a-half on his coffee for morning tea," she said.
"He could have spared us one minute just to discuss it, to give him the letter and make sure that he has got it and just listen to what a three-and-a-half-year old wants to say to him."
ABC Net Australia article
"He shouldn't be going to military court, not even David Hicks should be going to military court," Mrs Habib said.
"I think they've suffered enough, they [are] still suffering up until now.
"They've been tortured you know and as I understood from the witnesses, they don't know why they were charged, why [they] were picked up.
"They don't know why they weren't released."
Mr Habib's family waited outside Channel Seven's Sydney studios from 5:00am (AEST) to confront Mr Howard, but he ignored them as he left.
Mrs Habib says she was upset Mr Howard did not stop to speak to her.
"Being up from five o'clock with the kids, waiting just to spare one minute out of his time where he was spending about one-hour-and-a-half on his coffee for morning tea," she said.
"He could have spared us one minute just to discuss it, to give him the letter and make sure that he has got it and just listen to what a three-and-a-half-year old wants to say to him."
David Hicks' father is none too happy either. Apparently pressure from PM Howard has gotten a June 2 hearing for a possible August military trial.
[Mr. Hicks] says the Supreme Court matter on whether his son is being detained on US soil and how his son is being treated should be dealt with first.
"It's almost as if it's a last minute rush, you know...Let's get it through the system before the elections. The elections are coming up and things just don't fit right with me.
"It's almost as if it's a last minute rush, you know...Let's get it through the system before the elections. The elections are coming up and things just don't fit right with me.
I can't imagine what it must be like to have a family member "detained" in a black hole like Guantanamo detention, without charge, no visits, knowing what kind of treatment people are getting there, for even a few days, much less two years.
We need to get Gitmo shut down.
They came for the Communists, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Communist;
They came for the Socialists, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Socialist;
They came for the labor leaders, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a labor leader;
They came for the Jews, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Jew;
Then they came for me - And there was no one left to object.
- Martin Niemoller, Protestant Pastor in Nazi Germany, 1892-1984
First they came for the Muslims, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Muslim.
Then they came for the immigrants, detaining them indefinitely solely on the certification of the attorney general, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't an immigrant.
Then they came to eavesdrop on suspects consulting with their attorneys, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a suspect.
Then they came to prosecute noncitizens before secret military commissions, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a noncitizen.
Then they came to enter homes and offices for unannounced "sneak and peak" searches, and I didn't speak up because I had nothing to hide.
Then they came to reinstate Cointelpro and resume the infiltration and surveillance of domestic religious and political groups, and I didn't speak up because I no longer participated in any groups.
Then they came to arrest American citizens and hold them indefinitely without any charges and without access to lawyers, and I didn't speak up because I would never be arrested....
Forum Column (from the Daily Journal, 11/20/02). Stephen Rohde
Update 2:30 pm: Additional on Hicks and Habib:
The lawyer for an Australian detainee at Guantanamo Bay has said the government must press Washington to release videotapes of a US military squad assigned to subdue prisoners at the prison camp in Cuba.
...Kenny said there also were tapes of Hicks being beaten while being held in Afghanistan by US forces after he was captured fighting with the Taliban.
...The US military has denied any major instances of abuse at Guantanamo. A spokesman at the base, Navy Lieutenant Commander Robert Mulac, said on Friday that "there are no beatings on the tapes" and that the squad actually was known as the "Initial Response Force".
...Jamal al-Harith told the Seven Network that Habib had been subjected to beatings and four days of sleep depravation.
"Blood was coming out of his nose and out of his ears," al-Harith said.
"They were moving him out back and forth, cell to cell every two hours and he wasn't allowed to sleep. He was very tired and sometimes he complained he couldn't walk, but they'd drag him."
Al-Harith, who said he was held in a cell near Habib in Guantanamo Bay, claimed that prostitutes were used to humiliate prisoners during interrogations.
Another British former Guantanamo Bay detainee said Habib was abused by his captors.
"I could see him being dragged by chains that were attached to his feet and him screaming in agony," Tariq Dergul told Channel Seven.
Aljazeera article
...Kenny said there also were tapes of Hicks being beaten while being held in Afghanistan by US forces after he was captured fighting with the Taliban.
...The US military has denied any major instances of abuse at Guantanamo. A spokesman at the base, Navy Lieutenant Commander Robert Mulac, said on Friday that "there are no beatings on the tapes" and that the squad actually was known as the "Initial Response Force".
...Jamal al-Harith told the Seven Network that Habib had been subjected to beatings and four days of sleep depravation.
"Blood was coming out of his nose and out of his ears," al-Harith said.
"They were moving him out back and forth, cell to cell every two hours and he wasn't allowed to sleep. He was very tired and sometimes he complained he couldn't walk, but they'd drag him."
Al-Harith, who said he was held in a cell near Habib in Guantanamo Bay, claimed that prostitutes were used to humiliate prisoners during interrogations.
Another British former Guantanamo Bay detainee said Habib was abused by his captors.
"I could see him being dragged by chains that were attached to his feet and him screaming in agony," Tariq Dergul told Channel Seven.
