[Greens-Media] Greens slam US Ambassador's Hicks outburst

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Saturday, 30 September 2006

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.

Further information: Prue Cameron: 0408 473 379

Senator Brown will be available for comment on the Ambassador, as well
as the Beverly uranium mine and the call from al Qaeda for "nuclear
scientists and explosives experts" between 2-3pm this afternoon in
Launceston.

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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au