AUSTRALIAN ATTORNY-GENERAL SAYS GUANTANAMO DETAINEE TRAINED WITH AL-QA'IDAH

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
06716949
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 28, 2022
Document Release Date: 
May 15, 2018
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2018-00242
Publication Date: 
July 10, 2003
File: 
Body: 
Approved for Release: 2018/05/01 C06716949 P 101023Z JUL 03 FM FBIS RESTON VA BT , UNCLAS WARNING: TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, TERRORISM SERIAL: 5EP20030710000093 COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA, AFGHANISTAN, UNITED STATES SUBJ: AUSTRALIAN ATTORNEY-GENERAL SAYS GUANTANAMO DETAINEE TRAINED WITH AL-QA'IDAH SOURCE: MELBOURNE RADIO AUSTRALIA IN ENGLISH 0900 GMT 10 JUL 03 TEXT: [FBIS TRANSCRIBED TEXT] AUSTRALIAN ATTORNEY-GENERAL SAYS GUANTANAMO DETAINEE TRAINED WITH AL-QA'IDAH TEXT OF REPORT BY RADIO AUSTRALIA ON 10 JULY AUSTRALIA'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL, DARYL WILLIAMS, SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED SUSPECTED TALEBAN FIGHTER DAVID HICKS HAD SIGNIFICANT TRAINING WITH THE AL-QA'IDAH TERROR NETWORK. MR WILLIAMS WOULD NOT SAY IF THAT BELIEF WAS BASED ON INFORMATION RESULTING FROM INTERROGATIONS, BUT HE CONFIRMED MR HICKS HAD BEEN INTERVIEWED BY AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES SEVERAL TIMES. MR HICKS, WHO HAS BEEN DETAINED AT GUANTANAMO BAY IN CUBA SINCE DECEMBER 2001, HAS BEEN MADE ELIGIBLE TO BE TRIED BY A UNITED STATES MILITARY COMMISSION. MR WILLIAMS SAYS THE INTENTIONS OF AL-QA'IDAH ARE CLEAR. [WILLIAMS] THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT PEOPLE WHO TRAIN WITH AL-QA'IDAH WERE JOINING AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAD THE INTENTION OF KILLING NOT ONLY AMERICANS BUT OTHER PEOPLE WHOSE FORM OF GOVERNMENT OR IDEOLOGY OR RELIGION THEY DIDN'T SUPPORT. [END OF RECORDING] MR WILLIAMS ALSO SAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO THE UNITED STATES THAT IT OPPOSES THE DEATH PENALTY IN RELATION TO MR HICKS. [DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE: MELBOURNE RADIO AUSTRALIA IN ENGLISH -- GOVERNMENT-FUNDED OVERSEAS SERVICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION] THIS REPORT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND DISSEMINATION IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNERS. (ENDALL) BT #0123 AB 09 / FOIA-06097 Approved for Release: 2018/05/01 C06716949