U.S. sets trial of Australian
David Hicks to go before U.S. military court in November

Monday, September 26, 2005; Posted: 8:05 p.m. EDT (00:05 GMT)


A court illustration of the start of Hicks' trial in August last year.

Hicks has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, attempted murder
and aiding the enemy.

Hicks, the only Australian still held at the U.S. naval base of
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was captured in Afghanistan in late 2001 while
allegedly fighting with the Taliban against U.S.-led forces. He has
been detained at Guantanamo Bay since early 2002.

Hicks, 30, is originally from the Australian city of Adelaide. He
converted to Islam and fought in Kosovo before allegedly training with
al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Hicks, whose mother was born in Britain and holds a British passport,
applied for British citizenship earlier this month, his lawyer David
McLeod said Monday.

British authorities have said it could take from three months to a year
for any citizenship to be granted to Hicks.

The military commission process against Hicks began in August 2004 but
was halted last December after a U.S. District Court ruling.

The presiding officer has set the date for the first hearing in the
Hicks commission for November 18," Pentagon spokesman Major Todd Vician
confirmed.

The Australian government has refused to lobby for Hicks' release,
saying it has faith in the U.S. military commission process.

During a visit to the United States in July, Australian Prime Minister
John Howard said his government was "satisfied that the military
commission process ... will provide a proper measure of justice."

"The allegations against (Hicks) are particularly serious, and we look
forward to them being dealt with before the tribunal," Howard said.

Mamdouh Habib, another Australian citizen detained in Afghanistan and
taken to Guantanamo, was freed earlier this year after three years in
custody.

That was despite the United States believing Habib knew of plans for
the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.