Torture ban 'hinders terror war'

[cal04]

THE US decision to ban torture may hinder the fight against terrorism, Attorney-general Philip Ruddock has said.

Mr Ruddock's comments come as the US moves closer to putting Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks on trial – four-and-a-half years after he was captured by the US in Afghanistan.

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In Washington to meet American officials about the US military commissions set up to trial terror suspects, Mr Ruddock said the US decision to ban torture as an interrogation method could make it more difficult to gather information about terrorism.

"The point the United States has made is that it will not use torture and those instructions have been given to their agencies and that may well limit the capacity of intelligence organisations in the future," Mr Ruddock said on ABC TV.

Sleep deprivation, Mr Ruddock said, was not torture.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20506574-1702,00.html

[Matilda]

1. If you look at photos of Mr Ruddock, you will see that he's very pale.

He's a vampire.

This man still wears an Amnesty International badge - they've asked him not to wear it, they don't
want him any more, but he persists. Either doesn't get it or doesn't care.

One of his daughters left home and went to the U.K. because she's so disgusted by his actions.

He will do whatever it takes to remain in the Howard Ministry.