War on Terror - Gitmo convictions & releases

Australian David Hicks was this week convicted in Guantanamo bay for aiding the Taleban in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty at a military tribunal on Monday. He was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and has remained their until his recent court appearance. He was set to serve up to 7 years in an Australian prison but according to reports may serve as little as 9 months [BBC]. His father had earlier said that his ‘guilty plea’ was “a way of getting home”. Hicks had changed his plea at the last minute. Another inmate at the controversial detention centre, criticized his treatment and said he had been tortured in order to gain his confession. Abd Al-Nashiri said “From the time I was arrested five years ago, they [the US] have been torturing me. It happened during interviews”. In his confession, Al-Nishiri is said to have admitted his part in the bombing of the USS Cole. Meanwhile, Bisher al-Rawi, a British resident held a Guantanamo Bay for five years, was set free and returned to the UK this weekend [BBC]. At least 8 other British residents remain in custody at the camp. They are Jamil el-Banna, Binyam Mohamed, Shaker Aamer, Omar Deghayes, Ahmed Errachidi, Ahmed Belbacha, Abdelnour Sameur and Jamel Kiyemba.