U2's Al Qaeda Support

I meant to post on this at the time but it just slipped past- while on tour in Australia U2's Bono called for the release of Al Qaeda terrorist and Taliban supporter Mohammed Dawood aka David Hicks. It seems that U2, noted for their humanitarian work, have no problems in supporting a member of an oppressive, dictatorial, homophobic, misogynistic and murderous regime. Which is kind of weird when you think about it- especially since the Taliban banned pop music.

Since taking control of most of Afghanistan in 1994, the Taliban—through its ludicrously named Ministry of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice—has arrested musicians, burned instruments, shredded tapes, smashed VCRs, and banned both public and private performances. "Those who listen to music and songs in this world," goes the Muhammad-attributed threat used to justify its censorship, "on the Day of Judgment, molten lead will be poured into their ears."

I'm continually baffled by the apparent support that intolerant and oppressive regimes have from the Left but this is bizarre- pop musicians supporting a person captured fighting for a regime that banned music and arrested musicians? A person who received terrorist training in an Al Qaeda camp. Why?

Anyway, Dawood has now been charged-

The United States filed charges Thursday against David Hicks, an Australian suspected of aiding the Taliban and the first terrorism-war era detainee to be charged under the new law for military commissions.

According to a Defense Department announcement, Hicks is being charged with "providing material support for terrorism." He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Despite a recommendation by military prosecutors that he also be charged with attempted murder for battling coalition forces in Afghanistan, officials decided to drop that charge.

Last month, military prosecutors recommended that Hicks be charged with attempted murder and providing support for terrorism.

On Thursday, Susan Crawford, the head of the military commissions, formally charged Hicks only with providing material support for terrorism. The military offered no immediate explanation of why the attempted murder charge was dropped.

It's interesting that the press continues to refer to the Islamic convert not by his Muslim name but by his original Australian name. And the single mention of Al Qaeda in the entire article comes right at the end when referring to men held on "suspicion of links".