Hill won't release abuse dossier for risk of offending US

[cal04]

The Federal Government has refused to make public a detailed 61-page dossier outlining what Australians knew about prisoner abuse in Iraq, with the Minister for Defence, Robert Hill, claiming some details would offend the US. Senator Hill was yesterday censured in the Senate for his role in misleading Parliament and his failure to take responsibility for the false statements made by him, the Prime Minister and senior Defence officials.

Senator Hill had been asked why he chose to make a 5 page correcting statement when Defence had given him the comprehensive report plus nine large folders of supporting documents. "The so-called <61-page> report ... was a brief to me," he said. "It is not the practice of this Government or previous governments to table its briefs," he said, adding that Parliament had been "fully informed".

Among the material was a scathing assessment of US detention practices, in the form of a situation report, written by Australian military lawyer Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Muggleton, who was stationed with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. Three weeks ago the Herald revealed Australian military lawyers knew about abuses in Iraq from October, liaised with the Red Cross over the issue and drafted a reply to their concerns which said that some prisoners were outside the Geneva conventions.

Senator Hill and the Prime Minister, John Howard, denied the report for almost a week but then confirmed it, admitting they had misled the public. They blamed the Defence department for giving them the wrong information.



http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/21/1087669919356.html?oneclick=true

[Don_G]

1. The Don't Want To Offend Dimbo

But are risking pissing off the majority of population of the United States who hates' Dimbo's guts.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. So it's okay to kill and torture people

but we must embarrass the United States.

Don't worry asshole, we've already done plenty to embarrass ourselves.

[LittleApple81]

3. Do Australians ask them questions under oath? They questioned them

for 15 hours and they lied for 15 hours??? Well, why am I surprised. We don't question our liars and they have done it since 2000....

pite knowing on Sunday, May 30 that they had made many wrong statements, Senator Hill, the Defence Force chief, General Peter Cosgrove, and the Defence Department secretary, Ric Smith, waited until 12.30pm on Tuesday before confessing.

The three had been questioned for 15 hours.

[truthspeaker]

4. Go ahead, embarass us. We deserve it.

Remember, Hill, you work for Australia, not the US.