Today marks a very unpleasant chapter in Australian history. The fact that David Hicks has seemingly admitted his guilt in providing material assistance to terrorists (with no specific incident cited, of course) is a sad indictment on the whole process of what has happened at Guantanamo Bay.

It is reasonable to assume that Hicks was up to no particular good in his decisions to engage in some kind of action in first Kosovo, and then Afghanistan over five years ago. But nothing is reasonable about the Australian government treatment of Hicks after he was picked up by American forces.

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What this case represents is a total abandonment of an Australian citizen overseas. In his post-9/11 excitement, John Howard also abandoned the fundamentals of our judicial system. Hicks has paid the price of Howard’s political games, which include backing G W Bush to the hilt and trying to paint the opposition as being weak on terrorists. WEE have also witnessed and embarrassing and unprecedented demonisation of Hicks by senior members of our government and more importantly by our chief law officer, Phillip Ruddock.

It’s all rather sad and depressing, but at least by his admission of guilt, Hicks will not have to spend any longer in that vile camp at Guantanamo Bay. That was probably what was on his mind anyway. It was clear that there would be no fair trial in the short-term, and the prospect of serving anymore time in Cuba was probably unbearable.

So just be clear. Here was the decision he faced: plead not guilty and remain in Guantanamo Bay indefinitely while the case goes through years of agonising legal toing and froing, or plead guilty to a more minor charge of material assistance for terrorists and be on a plane home to Australia in a few weeks. Um, that isn’t a fair process. This is an outcome as a result of the tortuous conditions at Guantanamo Bay.

Make no mistake. The man has had to sleep with lights on for the last five years. I’d like to see all those people gloating at the guilty verdict today spend a few months in his shoes and then say they wouldn’t be desperate to get out of such a situation.

What has happened today is no victory for anyone. Hick’s story is a modern day tragedy and we hope there is a new leadership in the Australian government before another situation such as this one presents itself. The response by the current leadership has been completely inadequate.