Terrorism by Association - What Would Buffy Do?

So Dr Mohammed Haneef’s Visa has been revoked. Well I for one smell a rat. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for defeating terrorism, especially in my own back yard. But I must say that I am a bit suspicious that the only thing they could get him on is the fact that he aided and abetted a terrorist by supplying them with a mobile phone SIM card before he departed Europe for Australia. In cases like this, I like to ask myself “What Would Buffy Do?”, but since Buffy is all about fighting Vampires, and not terrorists I guess I am going to have to field that question myself.

So, “What would I do?”



Image lifted from the “Nine Network” Via theage.com.au

Let’s assume for a minute that I am, to pick a profession at random, an engineer, on holiday in the UK, and that I have a prepaid SIM card for the duration of my stay. Let’s further assume that when I leave, I have 20 pounds of credit left. I could throw it away. Or I could give it to a bloke down the pub on a Friday night for a couple of pints of the drink that cheers, or most likely to a family member. Let’s further assume that the aforementioned bloke down the pub or as it might be family member gets involved in some serious terrorism, I’d be mightily pissed off if I got done for aiding and abetting terrorism, based on the SIM card. Yes it is more likely that a family member would know that the person he was giving the SIM card to was involved in some seriously bad terrorism, but going back to the old “What would I do” way of thinking, I know there is a lot of stuff that I do that my family would not have a clue about.

The fact that it took so many Federal Police extensions to his detention (without charge whilst evidence was gathered) has me a wee bit suspicious that we may not have the strongest case against him. The fact that after gathering all that evidence, the AFP had to have his VISA revoked in order to get him legally detained makes me even more suspicious. I only hope that we actually have a strong case, and that the AFP are trying not so show how strong a hand they have regards getting a conviction, you know because of continuing investigations overseas.

I especially liked this quote from Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews:

“Haneef had failed a character test by associating with people allegedly involved in terrorism, and that the decision was based on advice from the Australian Federal Police. I reasonably suspect that Dr Haneef has had or had an association with persons involved in criminal conduct, namely terrorism,”

I can understand refusing to award a VISA to someone because they have some bad ass family members who are involved in terrorism (Since a country does not need to give a reason why it denies someone access, and in the case of a VISA application “Guilt by association is enough"), but cancelling a VISA in this manner, where the other legal avenues have failed, seems to be grasping at straws.

More info on the doctor here, here, here and here.

You make up your mind, because since I have not made up mine yet, I can’t be of any help, unless you pay me, then I will very helpfully tell you whatever you want to hear, and for the right amount, actually make it sound plausible.
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haneef chat