After its failed attempt to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the U.S. is trying to extradite another Australian on the grounds that he trained Chinese pilots.
Guest: Saffrine Duggan. Interviewers: Cathy Vogan and Elizabeth Vos. Time: 22:39. Producer: Cathy Vogan.
Australian pilot Dan Duggan will appear in the Federal Court of Australia this week in relation to an extradition request from the United States, which he is hoping to have overturned. His alleged offence centres around advanced flying lessons he gave at a South African flight academy in 2012 to foreign nationals, some of whom were Chinese.
Dan used to be a U.S. citizen and he was a pilot in the army until 2002. The secret Grand Jury indictment against him states that he didn’t obtain a licence from the U.S. State Department to deliver the training. It also accuses him of being involved in the purchase of the school’s plane before he was hired, to give what amounted to 18 hours of lessons.
The problem with the indictment is that Duggan ceased being a U.S. citizen on Australia Day 2012, January 26th, which predates the flight lessons. Also, what he did was not a crime in Australia.
Other Australians who delivered the same type of training have not been charged with anything. Duggan’s defence team will argue that the U.S. has no sovereign control over him and that there is an absence of dual criminality.
The problem with the process is that it is somewhat endless. Duggan was arrested and placed in solitary confinement as a high-risk prisoner three years ago. He not only has a wife but six children, who have had very little contact with him, contrary to Articles 3 and 9 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Dr. Paul Anthony Bauert a practising paediatrician with over 40 years’ experience, and lifetime Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has said he has ‘very serious concerns for Dan Duggan’s children’s physical and mental health. Each of the six children is exhibiting unmistakeable signs of stress and severe anxiety and is vulnerable to compounding ill-health.’
The stress and trauma suffered by the children, including recurring nightmares, is also detailed in commentary by Duggan’s wife, Saffrine, in submissions direct to the Attorney.
The Duggan family has suffered enormously, both emotionally and financially and CN Live! invited Saffrine Duggan to tell their story.
‘..high risk prisoner’? Good grief, here we go again. The merry-go-round of US ‘justice’. I can hear the fairground music and see the fairground horses going up an down. And who’s sitting on those horses? Trump and his acolytes. Roll up! Roll up! and see the worst show in town. Come and gawp at the wrongly accused and wrongly imprisoned! See American Justice at its lousiest. Fun for all the family.
How exactly is a pilot who trained a few Chinese 13 years ago in another country supposed to be a ‘high risk’ and deserving of solitary confinement? 18 hours of lessons is barely enough to learn how to handle even a small single engine light aircraft, let alone a militray aircraft.
I’d expect that kind of harsh treatment in the US, but not Australia – where he hasn’t actually committed a crime. Why is Australia pandering to draconian US demands?
As usual, the truly guilty are looking for someone else to blame, forgetting that when a finger is pointed at someone else, three more are pointing back at the accuser. Guess what, the rest of the world has every right to exist and carry on all the tasks of daily living without the childish interference of the U.S.A. Leave the Duggans alone, for God’s sake, and find something constructive to do instead of humoring the mentally ill who are in charge of the current U.S. government. Geez! Doesn’t the world need a rest?
This is American morals at work again. America is pro-family, and pro-life..and pro-war, and pro-death. That sort of incongruity and cognitive dissonance must drive them mad.
AMEN!
As an Australian I am totally disgusted with Most Politicians of all main Political parties. They suck up to the uSA on All matters even though the uSA is the most evil war mongering Country on the planet. They have shit for brain for many reasons but most all for being an ally of this evil monstrosity. they should know what’s been said about this ally by non other than Kissinger. He said:
To be an enemy of the uSA is Dangerous BUT to be a friend is suicide.
Australia is another vassal regime of the USA. I hope they prove me wrong this week, we’ll see !
As with Assange the process is the punishment, and as with Assange Australian citizens count for nothing when it comes to uncle Sam.
Aussies have been grovelling to the US since 1945 following them into foreign wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan…..and we didnt win any of them….unless you believe in Rambo and Santa Clause. And the present day grovellers are aptly name the ALP….the A,,, Lickers Party. I cringe every time I see the fool from Marrickville on the international stage.