The AFP had their chance to make the case against him about national security before the courts and failed.

It is extremely dodgy for Andrews to proceed with his course of action, which is why he is seeking more legal advice to see if he can keep “bricking it in”, or kick Haneef out without disclosing any valid reason.

This is bad, unaccountable Government.

This puts Andrews in an interesting position.

We need stronger laws to prevent such outrages.

Mr Faris said the case had been plagued by repeated bungles by Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigators and the inability of the commonwealth DPP to prosecute terrorism cases.

He called for Mr Bugg and AFP commissioner Mick Keelty to resign.

“Both organisations have failed the Australian public very badly,” Mr Faris said.

“I think heads should roll and I think it’s really got to be Keelty … and Bugg.

“They knew what was going on, they’ve let it fall into this mess and they are responsible.”

PeterC, aren’t the weathermen waiting for you to join them underground somewhre in california or something?

No. I am not interested in them. You may be, but I’m not.

My main concerns are:

1. The AFP handling of the case – which the DPP is now personally reviewing – apparently due to the many serious inconsistencies that have arisen with the case.

2. Government ministers (Executive) interfering with the Judiciary – as per Andrew’s overriding of the magistrate’s decision to grant bail – using his discretionary powers under the immigration act which are unrelated to the supporting terrorism charge. And Ruddock beating up on the Judiciary for not “properly reflecting the intent of his anti-terrorism legislation”.

3. The general precedent for abrogating our human rights that affects us all (e.g. if we give our SIM card to someone etc) – where we could be detained for extended periods, verballed by Government ministers and have not right of reply, information about us leaked from Govt sources, and maybe even tortured (sorry, “coerced”) during interrogation.

Ummm. If Haneef had altered his own handwriting and written those names, to him (Haneef) they are his relatives.

And err, the cops on the tape said that they had written the names in Haneef’s diary.

Brendon, good to see you on board the “let’s see what the evidence is” camp.

Er.. if all it takes to make the peanut gallery happy is to be rid of Kevin Andrews I’ll drive to wherever his seat is & make him an unrefusable offer.
But I suspect those who get all keyed up over him, that is those for whom political outcomes are more important than anything else (including good governance) will be miseryguts & grumblebums no matter what. They should loosen up a little sometime.

If the peanut gallery will slow down a tad, the guilt or innocence of Haneef will be decided by a court.

It is the AFP and Government ministers and Howard who have been feeding the peanuts. This is the basic problem with the Executive interfering with (and leaking information about) the legal process in train – and overriding it.

This is looking like the actions of a Police State to me. Haneef is still detained, and the case from the Governments very own lips is a dogs breakfast. No doubt they will just try and tough it out and keep ranting about “being tough on terror” – which appears to be the prime motive for their actions (al la Tampa).

I wonder if Ruddock has authorised “coercion” in Haneef’s interrogation – given that he says sleep deprivation is not torture etc?

SATP – I don’t think the AFP is starting to get off the hook at all. Their actions have quite clearly been compromised by politically motivated directions from the ministers (Executive) involved.

Steve At The Pub: “Gummo, The AFP is starting to get off the hook. Haneef has now said that it was he who wrote the names of terrorist suspects in his diary.”

Don’t you think that you should follow your own advice and wait until the facts come out? This is just newspaper talk.

If the peanut gallery will slow down a tad, the guilt or innocence of Haneef will be decided by a court.

Then according to Andrews he will be deported anyway. That is the problem SATP, the interference by Andrews. Against the rule of law, separation of executive from judiciary and a presumption of guilt before the case is heard. Why couldn’t Andrews have shut his mouth and issued a bridging visa until the case is heard?

Nine criminals, international drug smugglers arrested with illegal drugs strapped to their body in wholesale quantities, got arrested in Indonesia, where they will be punished for their crimes according to Indonesian law.�

Embarrasingly they share citizenship with me. May posterity forget they were my countrymen.

The job of the AFP is to prosecute crime, not provide an umbrella to protect criminals from the consequences of their actions.

Don’t want to receive the death penalty for smuggling drugs? Then don’t smuggle drugs. Not difficult.

SATP will no doubt insist that the Prime Minister makes it clear that this is his attitude on an important issue of law and order.

Otherwise SATP coud legitimately be accused of putting robust words into the mouth of a lying wimp.

“PM sez “Stitch the bastards. Hang the electoral fallout!”

Someone above compared him to Robert Tickner. Good grief, Tickner is just a dickhead. Kevin Andrews is a fanatic, in a different leage to a dupe like Tickner, who was too stupid to know better.

Andrews knows exactly what he is doing, and has serious form when it comes to riding roughshod over people & sensibilities. He couldn’t care less what wankers (ie, anyone who isn’t Kevin Andrews) may think, he will do what he pleases.

In this case, he has cancelled Haneef’s visa.

There is certain to be (there better be) a reason why when all the other doctors were let go, Haneef was kept in the pokey. This reason has probably been shared with the shadow ministers, but not with the public.

As for the “court” decision. That particular magistrate is hardly a .. er… fountain of wisdom. Granting bail to a suspect, over the objections of the police, when the magistrate has a record of Pat O’Shane style decisions, & THEN the magistrates husband trying to start street marches to circumvent the legal process…. whoooooa!

Muslim name & brown skin are not automatic grounds for conviction of a suspect. Who has said they are grounds for conviction? Give yourself a spanking Gummo.

If the peanut gallery will slow down a tad, the guilt or innocence of Haneef will be decided by a court.