The Charges Against Hicks, Such As They Are

After five years in Gitmo, we are finally getting close to hearing what Hicks is alleged to have done:

Colonel Morris Davis, chief prosecutor for the US Office of Military Commissions, has dismissed any notion of Hicks as a young and naive adventurer.

"David Hicks attended basic training, the al-Qaeda basic training, (and) went back for repeated advance courses in terrorism," Colonel Davis told Fairfax.

"He knew and associated with a number of al-Qaeda senior leadership. He conducted surveillance on the US embassy and other embassies.

"He eventually left Afghanistan and it's my understanding was heading back to Australia when 9/11 happened.

"When he heard about 9/11, he said it was a good thing (and) he went back to the battlefield, back to Afghanistan, and reported in to the senior leadership of al-Qaeda and basically said, 'I'm David Hicks and I'm reporting for duty'."

Colonel Davis also said Hicks translated training manuals for Al Quaeda, something which Hick's lawyer scoffed at.

Let's see some real charges and some evidence, Colonel. And no, not evidence extracted by torture.