David Hicks Murder Charge Dropped

After years of waiting it seems that Guantanamo detainee, David Hicks has had his murder charged officially dropped, however he is still to be charged with terrorism offences. david Hicks is to face a preliminary arraignment hearing withink 30 days, with a trial expected in July 2007.

What do you think will be the outcome? WIll David Hicks be charged with committing terrorism offences? Do you think that David Hicks will EVER return home to Adelaide, Australia?

MURDER charges against Adelaide-born David Hicks have been dropped after he this morning became the first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be officially charged with terrorism offences.

Hicks, who has spent the past five years in captivity at the US military facility in Cuba, has been formally charged by the Pentagon with providing material support for terrorism, under its new military commission rules.

He now faces a preliminary arraignment hearing within 30 days. A full trial is expected to take place by July. ~Reported by STEFANIE BALOGH, NEW YORK on AdelaideNow

David Hicks will be "at the head of the list" to be tried by US military

TERROR suspect David Hicks will be "at the head of the list" of enemy combatants to be tried by the US military at Guantanamo Bay and the Australian will not return home until he is sentenced.

In the face of mounting community disquiet over Hicks's treatmenst five years after his arrest in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer indicated the Federal Government would wait until the Adelaide man's military trial was completed at the Cuban prison before seeking his return to Australia.

Speaking after a meeting with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Mr Downer said the Bush administration had repeated undertakings that Hicks would not face the death penalty, that he would be represented by an accredited Australian lawyer and that he would serve his sentence in Australia.

Hicks's lawyers are lobbying for him to be returned home, saying after a recent visit their client had the look of a "condemned man".

See the full story as reported by Richard Sproull http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21215720-2,00.html