habib reunited with family

Habib reunited with family, but he's not totally free
AAP News
20:15:020 28/01/2005
By Peter Jean and Paul Osborne
SYDNEY, Jan 28 AAP - Former Guantanamo Bay inmate Mamdouh Habib
was tonight in the arms of his family, savouring the relative
freedom of Australia after more than three years in detention as a
suspected terrorist.
Mr Habib stepped off a government-chartered Gulfstream jet at
Sydney airport this afternoon before being flown by light plane to
Sydney's suburban Bankstown airport.
He was then driven away to be greeted by his wife and children
at a secret destination.
"He has been reunited with his family," Attorney-General Philip
Ruddock said.
Tonight Egyptian-born Mr Habib, 48, was celebrating with his
wife Maha, his four children and his brothers and sisters. His
parents in Egypt may also soon fly to visit him.
The family was all together, happy and excited, said sister
Sally Habib, who spoke to her brother briefly by phone before
heading for the family reunion.
"I just cry ... I just want to see him and touch him and hug him
and ... I'm so excited, but I know he need a rest and he's happy
now, and I'm happy too. All my family is happy," she told ABC
radio.
Arrested in Pakistan in October 2001 and transferred via Egypt
to the US base at Guantanamo Bay in May 2002, Mr Habib has been
accused of training with al-Qaeda and having prior knowledge of the
September 11 attacks.
But early this month the US said it would free him without
charge, although it did not say exactly when.
Finally, today, his family learned the former Sydney coffee shop
owner was almost home.
The white jet bearing a US flag touched down in Sydney at about
3.30pm (AEDT), carrying Mr Habib and his US lawyer Joe Margulies.
After processing by customs and immigration officials, Mr Habib
stepped from the plane half an hour later.
Smiling, bearded, wearing a white T-shirt, long dark pants and
carrying a light jacket, he shook hands with men on the tarmac and
was patted on the back.
His beard tinged with grey, he looked thinner and older than in
the photos most Australians have seen of him.
"I believe he is in good health," Mr Ruddock told Sky News.
"He slept (on the plane) and was quite conversational - and I
understand it was an uneventful journey."
Mr Habib was not shackled on the flight home, Mr Ruddock said.
Mr Habib was taken to a smaller, twin-engined aircraft, which
flew to Bankstown airport, pursued by media helicopters.
At Bankstown, he was transferred to a convoy of dark vehicles.
The chasing media lost the scent.
Sally Habib said Mr Habib's family had gathered in Sydney ahead
of his anticipated release.
His wife Maha would cook for him tonight, she said.
"I think he's missed his food."
But Sally Habib said her brother was very tired and would need
time to re-adjust after years in detention, during which, according
to his lawyer, he was tortured and told his family were dead.
"He needs months and months of (rest) because my brother, like
everybody knows, is suffering a lot," she told the Ten Network.
Ms Habib said the details of his ordeal were for another time.
"I don't plan to ask him about nothing now," she told ABC radio.
"Who knows what happened to him all this time? I don't mention
nothing, just welcome home and that's it."
But while released by the US without charge and currently
unlikely to face charges in Australia, Mr Habib cannot feel totally
free.
He will remain under surveillance by ASIO and will not be
allowed to leave the country.
"He remains of concern in the security context because of his
former associations and activities," Mr Ruddock told Sky News.
Mr Ruddock said the US had released Mr Habib on the expectation
he would not return to the war on terror.
"They certainly didn't want to see him turning up again in
Pakistan or Afghanistan."
Mr Habib cannot currently be charged in Australia because at the
time of his alleged offences there were no local laws against
associating with a terrorist organisation such as al-Qaeda.
However he could face charges if new information comes to light,
the government has warned.
"He admitted he was in Afghanistan," Mr Ruddock said.
"Those who were with him say he trained with al-Qaeda and ...
that is an offence under our law. It wasn't an offence at the
time."
The government is examining whether it can prevent Mr Habib
earning money from telling his story.
"He's free to tell his story as he sees fit but we are looking
at the issue of whether or not he can profit from that."
And Mr Habib won't be getting an apology or compensation,
insisted Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who defended his
detention without charge.
"Anybody who has allegedly been involved in an organisation like
al-Qaeda - which is the world's most evil terrorist organisation -
is somebody who is of great concern to the Australian government
and our priority is the protection of the Australian people," he
said.
"I don't think the public expect any less of us than that."
AAP var/sp/lma/sd