It is interesting to watch the total US military paranoia at Guantanamo Bay NAS. On the US side of one particular closed and barricaded gate, numerous heavily armed US Marines with dogs and other paraphernalia were busy at it, their weapons all aimed at the 'enemy'. The 'enemy' on the other side consisted of one Cuban soldier, sitting on a deck chair, smoking a large cigar. Ah indeed, US taxpayer's dollars at work.
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A Federal Court case in Australia had lawyers for the Australian Government claiming that Australia has no obligation to protect or otherwise safeguard the interests of Australian citizens overseas. If that were the case, and sadly for the lawyers it is not, there appears to be no benefits in either obtaining or maintaining Australian citizenship. As expected, the case before the court involved Guantanamo inmate David Hicks that, in itself is the most disgusting conduct by an Australian Government ever in relation to one of its citizens.
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It has been estimated that the next APEC forum, to be held in Sydney later this year, will cost Australia about $3billion. As the boofhead Howard Government has declared a public holiday in order to keep the general public out of Sydney, the cost coming from the logistics of actually holding the conference as well the loss of wages, business revenue and other losses.
Those objecting to the interruptions that will be associated with APEC, are now demanding that their lawful and legitimate activities and movements be respected and not be interrupted.
I might have a solution that would make everyone happy. I would give all the various Presidents and Prime Minister a taxi voucher or a train ticket and tell them to make their own way to the conference. Some in Australia are calling the event "Howard's Last Stand". As an aside, George Bush will no doubt be bringing his bulletproof limousines. As none of these vehicles would comply with 'Australian Design Rules', if I were a highway patrol officer, I would put defect notices on all of them.
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It appears that the US military Guantanamo Bay prosecutors working on the David Hicks case have decided that a charge of attempted murder against Hicks cannot proceed, surprise, surprise. This leaves a charge of 'providing material support for terrorism' to be dealt with by the illegal military commission. The Australian Government quickly claimed credit for the dropping of the attempted murder charge, which, as can be expected from the Howard Government, is a load of nonsense. The evidence on which this current charge appears to be based is so weak that, if it was proceeded with through proper legal processes, it would last about seven minutes.
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ILCF lawyers are preparing terrorism and human rights abuse prosecutions against former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The prosecutions relate to a number of incidents in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Italy as well as other locations. One of the charges will be 'providing material support for terrorism' which relates to military activities, as well as activities of the US's own terrorist organisation, the CIA. Rumsfeld is already in trouble in Germany and the CIA is currently in a lot of trouble in Italy.
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Cuba is to take the US to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in an effort to reclaim Guantanamo Bay NAS from the US. The facility was leased to the US many years ago and Cuba has claimed for many years that the lease is no longer valid.
International Law specialists recently visited Cuba to assist in setting up a case against the US.
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Rough or 'hard' landings by large aircraft can do an enormous amount of damage to a runway but the 'encouragement' handed out to an arriving Boeing 777 at Jose Marti International Airport (Havana) provided a bit of a novelty.
The conversation proceeded along these lines;
Tower: E991, turn right heading 360. Runway 06 visual approach.
E991: Thank you Sir, heading 360, Runway 06 and we are visual.
Tower: E991, message.
E991: Pass message.
Tower: Ground crew will give you a very large cigar if you manage to put a 'greaser' (landing without leaving a mark) on the runway.
E991: That sounds fine to me, make that two cigars.
The 777 made a most perfect landing and two very large Cuban cigars were collected.
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The Australian Government is starting look and smell like one that has gone way past its 'use-by' date.
Some of the allegations include;
Incompetency and dishonesty in relation to the AWB corruption saga. Incompetency and dishonesty in relation to Iraq and the David Hicks case.
Illegal and dishonest conduct in relation to the Tampa affair, the children overboard affair and other acts of illegal and dishonest conduct in relation to Australian citizens, residents as well as asylum-seekers.
Breaches of international law in relation to Iraq and the detention of asylum seekers as well as the illegal detention of children.
The deportation of Australian citizens and the illegal detention of Australian citizens and residents.
And the list goes on and on.
As far as the majority of Australians are concerned, the Howard Government is now regarded as the grubbiest and most dishonest Government ever witnessed in Australia. It appears that Howard only has one friend left and his name is George W Bush.
