WHAT RUBBISH!

SYDNEY (AFP) - "The Australian government has conceded allegations by former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Mamdouh Habib that he was tortured in Egypt may be true."

Pete's Points:

Look at this article CAREFULLY to see the sort of rubbish that some journalists use to get a headline. Conceded that allegations MAY be true is in the main text but the HEADLINE reads:

"Australia concedes ex-Guantanamo detainee was tortured in Egypt"

Can you see the difference? In the headline the fact that what has been alleged MAY be true has been converted into a certainty. The editor of this news item needs to have some discussion with whoever looks after journalistic ethics!

I have very little of a positive note to say on behalf of Alexander Downer beyond the fact that I am grateful to his father who was the person who signed my Naturalisation Certificate enabling me to become a citizen of this country. That said, on this occasion I have to say that he has been maligned and misrepresented.

We have Mr Habib's allegations and we have no proof at present of the veracity of his statements either way. There are those who would like to believe that he is right in which case they can maintain their outrage about Australia, America and of course at Egypt and Pakistan. There are those who do not believe him and would like to believe that this is all a propaganda initiative from the terrorists who want us to think that they are not alone in committing unspeakable acts which violate some of the basic human rights.

Whatever you believe, it is simply not right to twist words to give an incorrect impression about what someone said.