ASIO warned US on Mamdouh Habib
Natalie O’Brien; 27/5/08
The former head of spy agency ASIO, Dennis Richardson, warned US authorities that Canberra could not agree to their transferring Mamdouh Habib to Egypt at least a week before the Sydney man was “kidnapped” and sent to the North African country, where he was subjected to months of torture. The current head of ASIO, Paul O’Sullivan, revealed during a Senate estimates hearing yesterday that his predecessor, Mr Richardson, was per-sonally involved in discussions with the US State Department and the intelligence community about the “hypothetical” possibility of Mr Habib being taken to Egypt. “The director-general of ASIO informed the US au-thorities that it was not the Australian government policy position to engage in practices of rendition,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23764028-5013404,00.html
Mohamed Haneef just a small fish in AFP’s $8m terror net
Paul Maley; 27/5/08
Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef appears to be a small part of a much larger inquiry, with the Australian Federal Police revealing more than half of the $8million it has spent investigating last year’s failed terror attacks in Brit-ain has been spent looking at other suspects. AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra yesterday that the cost of Operation Rain, the name of the investigation into the Australian connection to the botched terror attacks in London and Glasgow, had hit $8,292,300. But Mr Keelty said less than half of that - $3,238,486 - was directly attributable to the investigation of Dr Haneef.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23764025-5013404,00.html
Tags: Australia, Egypt, Guantanamo Bay, Haneef, Rendition, Terrorism, USA