From our ABC

Guantanamo detainees not abused, US military probe says A US military investigation into abuse allegations at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has found no evidence of improper treatment of detainees.

Allegations of abuse were raised by a US Marine Corps paralegal in October.

According to media reports at the time, the paralegal said Guantanamo guards had admitted to having committed physical and psychological abuse of prisoners.

Investigators then conducted interviews with suspects and witnesses, and searched the records system used to track detainee-guard interaction and allegations of possible abuse.

Now the US Southern Command has issued a statement saying the investigating officer found there was not enough evidence to substantiate the paralegal's allegations.

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Gus: of course the "military" investigators won't find "enough" evidence to substantiate abuse of detainees... Who in their right mind, having abused people would testified they did? And keep a record?

Diary of sergeant Pushaplank
17th July 2006: Er... today I shoved a long bit of wood up the arse of ....

Later on, in the evening, with Corporal Shootball we gave ..... and ..... the water plank treatment. We did not get any information of value but did they squeal like pigs! It was fun.

Guantanamo chief labels Hicks a dangerous terrorist

The head of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre has described Australian detainee David Hicks as a dangerous terrorist.

Hicks, originally from Adelaide, is facing terrorism-related charges after five years' detention at the prison in Cuba.

Rear Admiral Harry Harris has told the ABC's PM program that Hicks is being kept in his cell for 22 hours a day because he, along with the other inmates, poses a real security threat.

He says Hicks has been a co-operative detainee but there are no innocent detainees.

"We are detaining enemy combatants here in Guantanamo," he said.

"That's the right of any nation at war to do that and it's an internationally recognised right.

"There's no expectation that they be tried or charged, with exception of those that are alleged to have committed war crimes."

He has previously said he believes there are no innocent men being held at Guantanamo.

Rear Admiral Harris has also rejected claims that Hicks is in a state of despair.

Hicks's Australian lawyer David McLeod said after a recent visit to the detainee that his client was a broken man.

But Rear Admiral Harris says that is not true.

"And I also don't believe that he's - when you say that he's in a cell by himself the implication is he's somehow isolated or in solitude, solitary confinement or something like that," he said.

"That's simply not the case - not in camps 1,2, 3 or 4 or 5 or 6."

An extended interview with Rear Admiral Harris will air on PM tonight.

Hicks, a convert to Islam, was captured in Afghanistan where he allegedly fought alongside the ruling Taliban against US-led forces who invaded after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.

The US charged him with conspiracy, attempted murder by an unprivileged belligerent and aiding the enemy.

But the charges were dropped after the US Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful for the US military commission to try him.

Details of the new drafted charges against Hicks were revealed by the US military at the weekend.

He is yet to be formally charged but is facing charges of attempted murder and providing material support for terrorism.

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Gus: the Rear Admirables of this world console themselves with small victories against people like Hicks when they're losing the greater battle everywhere... How long are we going to see "war" in  Afghanistan? How long are we going to see "war" in Iraq? When the number of troops dead hits 5,000 and the numbers or dead Iraqi reaches 800,000 since they die at about 40,000 a year?

Wake up, Rear-Admiral, you're giving yourself nightmares... 

Yes Gus,

Just gotta luuv that amerikan commitment to the principle of "presumption of innocence".

The only people who seem to think they are entitled to such treatment these days are our unprincipled & venal political leaders.

Do they really believe that the public are that stupid?

Do they really believe that ordinary people are incapable of recognising that if David Hicks can be treated in the way that he has been, so to can any of us?

Disgusting creatures ....