'Reckless' support to terrorism

Dr Mohamed Haneef has been charged.

With 'recklessly' lending support to terrorists by providing his SIM card to one of the suspects in the recent Keystone Terrorist plot to huff and puff and blow down Glasgow airport (or something). He was leaving the UK and someone he knew asked if they could have his SIM card. He obliged. A year later, the person he gave the SIM card to decides to commit a crime, and Australian police feel that Haneef contributed support to the crime because he gave the guy his SIM card?! They're not even suggesting that he did it with any knowledge that a crime was being plotted (or was to be plotted), hence the use of the term 'reckless' in the charge.

Are they arresting the woman who sold the terrorist suspect a new pair of shoes? The guy who sold him a takeaway curry- surely providing sustenance to terrorists is a crime? The petrol station that the terrorist suspects used to fill up their cars prior to carrying out their futile and stupid attempt to blow something up? No? What about the mobile phone carrier whose service the SIM card was on? They had just as much knowledge as Dr Haneef about the impending plot- why not bring them down too? Potentially millions of people might have lent 'reckless' support to the latest terrorist suspects. As the law in Australia (and probably the UK) apparently stands, they could be charged. You and I aren't supposed to worry about this, however, because we can be confident for the time being that only muslims will be targeted. So who cares, right?

The media are still attempting to smear Haneef with all sorts of dark insinuations about the meaning behind an email he sent to an associate just after the foiled terrorist attacks in the UK saying he needed to leave Australia in a hurry. You can tell it's with evil intent, because he doesn't mention his wife and newborn daughter, you see. As if he needed to mention it to every single person he crossed paths with. I'm surprised they're not making insinuations about how 'convenient' it is that his wife recently gave birth. Perhaps he planned that as a ruse to escape suspicion! Cue dramatic music...

I will be so disappointed if this charge holds up. It's a farce. I'm already disappointed in the Australian police. The Howard government's reaction, though, has been entirely predictable.