Aust. Greens slam US Ambassador's Hicks outburst

Greens slam US Ambassador's Hicks outburst

The outburst by US Ambassador Robert McCallum against David Hicks, who is being held in illegal Guantanamo Bay prison, is prejudicial both Hicks and to Australia as a nation, Greens Leader Bob Brown said this morning.

"Ambassador McCallum should be working for Hicks' release to Australia, rather than souring relations be pre-judging this Australian citizen," Senator Brown said.

"If the Ambassador thinks Australian courts are second rate and unfit to hear charges against Hicks, he should say so."

"If the Ambassador has an explanation as to why the two US prisoners at Guantanamo Bay were flown to the USA and tried by US domestic courts, he should say so. And if the Ambassador has a good reason for prohibiting me, as an Australian Senator, from seeing Hicks at Guantanamo Bay – when a whole series of US Senators have been to the illegal prison – he should say so," Senator Brown said.

The US Ambassador recently wrote to Senator Brown refusing a request from Senator Brown to meet David Hicks.

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