Birth to 2001 : Egypt, Australia, America
Mamdouh Habib was born in Egypt, moved to Australia in 1980, became a citizen there, married Maha, had four children, and taught Islam. He traveled to New York prior to the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing during which time he visited Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman (who was later sentenced to life imprisonment for attacking US targets, and being behind the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing). Various national security organizations became interested in him at this point.
2001 to 2005 : Imprisonment : Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Cuba
Arrest
Mr Habib was arrested October 5, 2001 while traveling by bus to Karachi, Pakistan by Pakistani police who then deported him to Egypt where he was held for 5 months. He was transferred to US military custody, imprisoned in Afghanistan, then sent to Camp X-ray, the United States military prison camp at Guantanamo, Cuba.
Two German citizens arrested with Habib were released shortly thereafter, probably because of preassure applied by the German government. (The Australian government has made no public criticism of Habib's treatment.)
Torture Allegations
Habib alleges that he was beaten and humiliated in Pakistan after his arrest. An Australian official was present at some of these interrogations. [1] (http://www.smh.com.au/news/Global-Terrorism/Habib-details-torture-claim-in-court-documents/2005/01/06/1104832208379.html)
Habib then alleges that he was then sent to Egypt for five months of serious tourture. His Egyptian captors allegedly shocked him with high-voltage wires, hung him from metal hooks on walls, nearly drowned him and mercilessly beat and kicked him. These allegations are consistent with other allegations of torture originating in Egypt.
The former coffee shop owner soon confessed to a litany of terrorism-related crimes, including teaching martial arts to several of the September 11 hijackers and planning a hijacking himself. Habib later insisted that his confessions were false and given under "duress and torture."
Habib was then sent to Guantanamo Bay where he allegedly continued to receive tough treatment for two more years. He alleges that he was told by interrogators that his family had been killed, and that he was tied to the ground while a prostitute menstruated on him.
Charges
The USA accused Habib of having knowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks, training the hijackers, staying at an al-Qaeda safe house in Afghanistan, conducted surveillance, helping transfer chemical weapons, and planning to hijack the aircraft used in the September 11 attacks; in short being an "illegal combatant".
However, he was never formally charged. It appears that the only evidence against him were his confessions obtained under duress, and they were wildy inconsistent with the known facts. (He only held a weak yellow belt in Karate, and was actually in Australia when he was supossedly plotting overseas.)
2005: Freedom
On January 11, 2005, Australian Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock announced that Habib would be released without charge by the United States and repatriated to Australia within days.
Habib was released by the US Military and returned to Australia on the 28th of January 2005. The Australian Government has stated it will "keep an eye on him" but he will not be charged and remains free. His passport will be confiscated.
A special plane was chartered by the Australian government (for about $500,000) to fly Habib home because the US would not allow him to travel on an ordinary commercial flight.[2] (http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/US-wants-Habib-shackled-on-flight-papers/2005/01/21/1106110906903.html).
The Australian government also wants to prevent Mr. Habib being paid by the media for any interviews and, and as such "making profits from committing a crime". This desire seems somewhat inappropriate, as Habib has not committed any crime under Australian, or for that matter, any other country's law. The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has ruled out any apology to Habib.
External links
- LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-habib13jan13,1,3477159.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=2&cset=true) Comprehensive article.
- ABC "4 Corners" documentary "Worst of the Worst" (http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1155171.htm) -- Aired 19 July 2004 -- includes link to transcript. This fills in some background to Habib, suggesting that he was "a man on the edge".
Habib was released by the US Military and returned to Australia on the 28th of January 2005. The Australian Government has stated it will keep an eye on him but he will not be charged and remains free.
- The case of Mamdouh Habib (http://journalism.uts.edu.au/subjects/oj1/oj1_s2002/incarcerate/article1.html#top) A very complete coverage.
- Prostitute used in Habib torture: lawyer : January 27, 2005 (http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Prostitute-used-in-Habib-torture-lawyer/2005/01/26/1106415668003.html?oneclick=true)"At an Australia Day forum in Sydney, Mr Hopper gave more details of atrocities allegedly endured by his client while held at the US base in Cuba..."The Americans used prostitutes as tools in their interrogations. They'd say to detainees 'If you co-operate with us, we'll let you at this woman for the night'...He said detainees held at the base with Mr Habib reported that a prostitute was told to stand over him and menstruate on him...One of the prostitutes stood over him naked while he was strapped to the floor and menstruated on him."
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