Media bomber

From Friday's Crikey email:

"If one is to look at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) web site, you will find the following description of the department's role:

'The department’s aim is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally... The department’s goals are to: assist Australian travellers and Australians overseas...'

Note the use of the word assist. Similarly if you visit he Attorney General's web site you find:

'The Attorney-General's Department serves the people of Australia by providing essential expert support to the Government in the maintenance and improvement of Australia's system of law and justice.'

Serves the people of Australia? You could understand why then an Australian citizen returning home might wonder if they have not landed in the wrong country. Consider the following itinerary:

1) Leave the country
2) Legally enter and visit a foreign nation
3) Be kidnapped by the military of a third nation
4) Be held illegally, without charge for two years
5) Be tortured during this time
6) Receive NO ASSISTANCE from DFAT
7) Despite DFAT's failings, be released and allowed to go home
8) Have the Attorney General (AG) tell you that you cannot profit from telling your story"


Hopefully we'll see some sort of media circus around the telling of Mamdouh Habib's story, but I have a feeling the MSM will let it slide after a couple more days.

Pray he is strong enough to serve it up to the Australian Government, for all of our sake's. This sort of thing should not be allowed to happen, ever again.