THE Howard Government has used immigration laws to keep Gold Coast doctor Mohamed Haneef behind bars. Seems reasonable to me and this is backed up by the fact that the decision prompted outrage from Dr Haneef’s lawyers, many in the legal fraternity, the Greens and the Australian Democrats. Dr Haneefs lawyers have a responsibility to be outraged; their task, after all, is to get him off charges and free and they are paid to do this. The others of course have an ideological base to their outrage and are only reacting as programmed. The rest of us should be happy; that while doubt exists as to the involvement of Dr Haneef in the latest attempts by radical Moslems to murder infidels in Brittain; he is not free to wreak havoc or escape on a false passport given to him by supporters from a mosque somewhere near Lakemba. The passing on of a still valid sim card is, on the face of it, not usually considered as a crime, however to do so and have that card turn up in a vehicle that was intended to murder infidels in Scotland is cause for concern. The Australian claims online communication between Dr Haneef and the bomb plotters was prolific and that authorities have gathered significantly more evidence against him than has been disclosed publicly.

This includes evidence that Dr Haneef’s attempt two weeks ago to leave Australia for India on a one-way ticket after the terror attacks in Britain was not linked to family issues, as his relatives have claimed. Authorities believe Dr Haneef knew of the British plot, but have yet to determine whether he played an active part.

At the very least, whatever happens in the coming trial, after it’s all over and he has done his time, if indeed that is the result, then I would expect my Government to send him back to India – just in case. Melbourne barrister and former National Crime Commission chief Peter Faris QC gave Mr Andrews’ decision his full support.

“The truth is, we don’t want anyone here, coming into this country, who we suspect is a terrorist. That’s different to saying we can prove they’ve committed terrorist offences,” he said.

Faris QC is a conservative type of chap and believes in maintenance of the system, not in bringing it down as many of his cohorts try to do. The Magistrate in this case, Jacqui Payne, has an anti-police track record and whereas I wouldn’t have accepted the surrendered passport as proof-positive that Haneef wouldn’t fly the coop, she has and I’m sure it’s a legally supported stand. It’s just not a smart stand A side issue…. Haneef is here on what is known as a 457 visa and I note there are at least 4000 foreign doctors working in Queensland, most after being granted 457 visas. 4000! What on earth is going on Beattie?

MAMDOUH Habib and his psychiatrist are at loggerheads with the federal Government over an attempt by the commonwealth to obtain the former Guantanamo Bay detainee’s medical file. The psychiatrist, Chris Tennant, professor of psychiatry at Sydney University, shows his colours with this statement;

He has sought advice from the Medical Defence Union and plans to resist any attempt to force him to provide the file. “I’m happy to give it to the AAT, but not to the Government. I’m not prepared to hand it over, in effect, to ASIO, because that’s where it would end up — in the hands of Mr Habib’s enemies,” he said.

I don’t know about the good doctor but Habib’s enemies are my friends. Marvelous isn’t it. a digger suffers from PSTD occasioned by fighting enemies of Australia and eventually gets to see a garden variety psychiatrist; a guy who trained with al-Qa’ida claims PTSD and gets Emeritus Professor Chris Tennant. Strange world!