The Standard Double Standard Standard

posted by The Sailor @ 11:54 AM Permalink

So this is credible:

Under his plea deal, the 31-year-old forfeited the right to appeal or sue the US government and he agreed to a 12-month gag preventing him from speaking with media.

Hicks also stipulated he had "never been illegally treated" while in US custody, but his father, Terry Hicks, said his son would say anything just to get out of Guantanamo Bay.
[...]
Greens leader Bob Brown described the nine month sentence as a farce designed to save Prime Minister John Howard's "political hide".

"It is clearly a political fix arranged between Mr Howard and the Bush administration to shut up Hicks until after the election in November," Senator Brown said.

But Mr Howard said it was "absurd" to think the government influenced the sentencing of Hicks.

"He pleaded guilty to knowingly assisting a terrorist organisation - namely al-Qaeda," Mr Howard said.
[...]
"The bottom line will always be that he pleaded guilty to knowingly assisting a terrorist organisation."

But this isn't!?:

Iran airs second sailor 'apology'
A second member of the Royal Navy crew captured in the Gulf has apologised for "trespassing" in Iranian waters, in a broadcast on Iranian television.

The crewman, who introduces himself as Nathan Thomas Summers, says: "I would like to apologise for entering your waters without permission."
[...]
He then says: "Since we've been arrested in Iran our treatment has been very friendly.

"We have not been harmed at all. They've looked after us really well.

"The food they've been serving us is good and I am grateful that no harm has come to us.

"I would just like to apologise for entering your waters without permission. And that happened back in 2004, and the government promised that it wouldn't happen again.
[...]
Mr Blair said: "I really don't know why the Iranian regime keep doing this. All it does is enhance people's sense of disgust at captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way.
[...]
UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett described the latest footage as "quite appalling" and "blatant propaganda".

Incredible!