Hicks gets out of prison this weekend after spending six years in prison in Guantanamo Bay and in Australia. I am currently reading Detainee 002 by Leigh Sales and whatever feelings you have for the guy you can't help feeling sympathetic to what he went through.

For a guy with the guts to follow his convictions in taking up Islam after going to Kosovo to fight with the KLA (which were supported by the yanks ironically) and then to get caught up with the Taliban (ruling party until attacked by US, and probably will again given time) in Afghanistan, his main "crimes" would seem to be prepared to do training with AlQuaeda and then get caught up in the events when back in Afghanistan attempting to retrieve personal belongings - I reckon the former government was absolutely pathetic in not getting him out of the Guantamano hell hole, and then it has only occurred through a kangaroo court hearing and wouldn't you plead guilty to anything drummed up if you knew a deal was in the making?

Current government is just as bad in that they could have done something for an early release before Xmas and done it quietly to avoid the media scrum that was probably there this morning - according to news last night it was going to be this morning he would be released.