Tuesday 27 February 2007

Hawach dad's long wait to see children, The Australian, 27 February, 2007.

Hawach dad's long wait to see children: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 27 Feb 2007: 5.
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Melissa Hawach, who arranged for her abducted children to be snatched back from Mr Hawach in Lebanon late last year, told News Limited newspapers she wanted to help her husband fight abduction charges and would never deny him a relationship with Hannah, 6, and Cedar, 3.
Chris Jurd, the lawyer for Mr Hawach's family in Australia, said the custody battle, which stretches from Canada to Lebanon via Australia, had developed into a legal quagmire.
The meeting aimed to sort out unresolved legal issues surrounding the case. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Mrs Hawach by Lebanese authorities, while the Canadian courts have issued a warrant for child abduction against Mr Hawach.


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AUSTRALIAN Joseph Hawach is unlikely to see his two children for years despite his estranged wife's insistence that she wants them to have a relationship with their father.
Melissa Hawach, who arranged for her abducted children to be snatched back from Mr Hawach in Lebanon late last year, told News Limited newspapers she wanted to help her husband fight abduction charges and would never deny him a relationship with Hannah, 6, and Cedar, 3.
But Chris Jurd, the lawyer for Mr Hawach's family in Australia, said the custody battle, which stretches from Canada to Lebanon via Australia, had developed into a legal quagmire.
He held a meeting with the extended family in Sydney last night and said despite the mother's stated intentions, Mr Hawach was unlikely to see his children for many years.
The family remain distressed by the case and concerned for the welfare of the children, whom they have not seen since they left Australia more than eight months ago.
The meeting aimed to sort out unresolved legal issues surrounding the case. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Mrs Hawach by Lebanese authorities, while the Canadian courts have issued a warrant for child abduction against Mr Hawach.
Mr Jurd questioned how a Canadian court could issue a warrant for child abduction when the children were legally with their father on holidays in Australia at the time.
"The children were `abducted' from Australia, not from Canada, but the Hague convention states that the children must go back to their country of origin, which happens to be Australia," he said. "This is fertile ground for legal minds."
In December, The Weekend Australian first revealed the dramatic raid by mercenaries to reunite Hannah and Cedar -- taken to Lebanon by their father -- with their mother.
After weeks of hiding and legal wrangling, all three were spirited out of Lebanon through Syria and Jordan and are now in Canada.
Two of the men involved in the raid, New Zealander David Pemberton and Australian Brian Corrigan, have been in a Beirut prison since December 21 on child abduction charges.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said consular officials had made numerous visits to Mr Corrigan, 38.
Mrs Hawach, who is filing for divorce, said she would fight for the pair's release from prison.
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Interview with father of Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks, Dads On The Air, 27 February, 2007.


Show: 27 February 2007 Interviewing: Terry Hicks, A special father who loves his child unconditionally, and has dedicated his life to help protect his son David Hicks, from harm and appeals for "a fair go"  for his child.              Click here (MP3)     


Terry Hicks, father of David Hicks is this Tuesday's (27/2) guest on Dads 
on the Air.

http://www.dadsontheair.net 

Dads On The Air
Tuesday 27 February 2007 2GLF FM 89.3 11.00-12.00am and ONLINE

mailto: dadsontheair@gmail.com

A reborn Dads On The Air is going from strength to strength, interviewing 
high profile guests and positioning itself as one of the leading fatherhood 
radio programs in the world. Don't miss our interview with Terry Hicks on 
the 27th.

DOTA is already the world's longest running father's issue related show. 
Recent guests have included one of the world's leading commentators on 
gender issues, Warren Farrell, author of Father and Child Reunion and The 
Myth of Male Power. If you missed it, the last show for 2006 featured a 
moving interview with father of the year Ron Delezio, who's unwavering 
support for his seriously injured daughter Sophie has been inspirational. 

On the 27th we interview Terry Hicks, who through no fault of his own has 
become perhaps Australia's most famous father. His unwavering support for 
his imprisoned son David has brought him widespread sympathy. 

If you are in Sydney the show can be heard live across much of the city at 
2glf fm 89.3

It can also be heard via live streaming at www.893fm.com.au

Failing that, the show can be downloaded from the site www.dadsontheair.net

Unlike previous times, where there were extensive delays before the shows 
became available, our programs are now usually up on the web within 24 
hours of broadcast.

We encourage participation from groups and individuals around Australia. 
Press releases, public notices and other material for broadcast can be sent to: 

dadsontheair@gmail.com or to dotafeedback@gmail.com

Terry's son David has been rotting in one of the world's worst prisons, 
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, for the past five years, without trial, mentally 
tortured through isolation and quite possibly physically tortured as well. 
Captured by the Americans in Afghanistan for allegedly acting as a foot 
soldier for the Taliban, one of the reasons PM John Howard gave for not 
tring to get David Hicks returned to Australia was that he could not be 
charged here because he had not committed a crime against Australian law. 
Howard's abandonment of an Australian citizen has blown up in his face, 
with increasing outrage across the counry over the fact that Hicks has been 
held for so long without even being charged. We will also talk with some of 
those who are campaigning to bring him home.

Throughout the past five years Terry Hicks has never once given up on his 
son. Whatever your politics, whatever you think of David Hick's past 
life, Terry's nobility and loyalty to his son in enormously difficult 
circumstances, have shone through. David Hick's mistreatment at the hands 
of the Americans, supposedly in the name of freedom and democracy, long ago 
became a civil rights issue for the left, but sympathy for him has now 
become widespread. Howard's conduct in apparently condoning his detention 
under appalling circumstances has become an illustration of all that is 
wrong with the Iraq War and Australia's embarrassing involvement in what is 
now widely regarded as an immoral, unethical and sadly mistaken misadventure.

BACKGROUND

The Dads On The Air website is www.dadsontheair.net

Dads On The Air is one of the most successful community radio program in 
Australia. It is archived by the National Library of Australia and for 
researchers represents the most extensive collection of information on the 
push for family law and child support reform in Australia. It also 
documents the history of the fatherhood movement in Australia and 
internationally and provides a fascinating insight into mainstream 
society's shifting attitudes towards fathers and fatherhood. Through it's 
often active forums it can also offer a rare window into the sometimes raw 
emotions of those badly impacted by state systems ostensibly created to 
protect their children.

The program began with a small group of disgruntled separated men in 
August, 2000 and has since gone on to attract a team of people with 
extensive journalistic, entertainment and internet experience. Dads On The 
Air is registered as a not-for-profit group with the NSW Department of Fair 
Trading. The show played a pivotal role in the debate over family law 
reform, acting as a conduit for groups and individuals who could not get 
their voices heard in the mainstream media. As the years have passed Dads 
On The Air has widened its focus to cover broader social issues concerning 
parenthood and gender issues and to promote a positive view of fathers and 
fatherhood.

The program has attracted leading politicians, authors and lobbyists both 
from Australia and around the world. Guests have included the Attorney 
General Phillip Ruddock, Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia 
Diana Bryant, head of the family law inquiry Kay Hull, author of The Myth 
of Male Power Warren Farrell, UK writer and academic Barry Warrell of 
Without Authority fame, outspoken academic Stephen Baskerville, researchers 
from the University of Western Sydney Michael Woods and John MacDonald, and 
lobbyists including founder of F4J Matt O'Connor, Sue Price from MRA, 
Warwick Marsh from the Fatherhood Foundation, Richar' Farr from KRights 
Radio and columnist and broadcaster Glen Sacks - amongst many many others.

The studio for Dads On The Air is located at the offices of 2GLF in 
Liverpool in western Sydney. The station 2GLF is one of the oldest 
community radio stations in Australia. It was amongst the first tranch of 
four community radio stations that were established by Gough Whitlam during 
the 1970s, a time of great social ferment and change in Australia. From the 
establishment of the first four there are now more than 130 community radio 
stations around Australia, a unique opportunity for local people to have 
their say and in international terms a rare instance of democracy at work. 

Dads On The Air can be heard on Tuesday mornings 11.00-12.00 at 2GLF FM 
89.3 in Sydney Australia and depending on the quality of your radio can be 
heard from the mountains in the west to the coast in the east. While 
they're not all listening, it has a footprint of more than two million 
people across the demographic heart of Australia's most populous city.

The show is usually up on the website later the same week in an easily 
downloadable MP3 format.

An entertaining mix of music, news, public information and wide ranging 
interviews aimed at fathers and those who care about them, the show covers 
issues concerning fatherhood, the Family Court, the Child Support Agency, 
Legal Aid, child welfare, boys education, male suicide, men's health, 
gender bias and other father, children and family related issues.

http://www.dadsontheair.net/


SOME COMMENTARY:

John.  Some feedback FYI.  Lindsay Jackel


David Hicks left his children to be supported by taxpayers (that's the rest of us) while he went off playing soldier. Never sent a cent, seldom, if even, contacted them. A dead-beat father if ever there is one. The type of person who is responsible for the general public perception that most "absent" fathers are like that.
Now of course he wants to see his children because it is tactically expedient to so do. Never mind the tens of thousands of decent, loving, responsible fathers who never, or seldom, see their kids, let's get poor old DH back with his.
David Hick's maternal grandfather has stepped into the breech, both as a "father-figure", and to the limited extent possible, financially. What about asking him and the struggling mother what they think of poor old DH? Or even the kids, subjected to derision at school because of their father's derelict behaviour.
Why haven't the hordes donating so much money to poor old DH give enough to the truly innocent victims in this matter to enable them to buy a house in another area, go to a school where they aren't known, etc? Oh yes, that's right, that would go some real good but not villify JH, and we can't have that, can we?
I find it hard to think of a less appropriate person to be championed on DOTA than DH.
LL


RESPONSE

yes there's definitely some negative comments flying around.
from angles i would never have thought of.
anyway; at least we're topical!
and personally i think it's good to be expanding out from simply
railing against the system.
anyway, all grist to the mill. hope you're well. regards. john.



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Monday 26 February 2007

German tourists following email trail found Hawach children, The Australian, 26 February, 2007.

German tourists following email trail found Hawach children: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 26 Feb 2007: 3.
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Melissa Hawach said they had seen Hannah, 6, and Cedar, 3, at her estranged husband Joseph's villa north of Beirut after being sent an email of their photographs from friends in Canada who knew they were about to travel to Lebanon.
Ms Hawach paid tribute to the former Australian and New Zealand special forces soldiers -- David Pemberton and Brian Corrigan -- who helped with theLebanese operation and will continue to fight for their release from prison.
Canadian-born Ms Hawach and Mr Hawach married in Sydney. The couple separated in Canada in 2005.
THE mother in a custody dispute stretching from Canada to Lebanon via Australia has revealed how emails from an Australian aid worker and a German tourist alerted her to the whereabouts of her daughters.
Melissa Hawach said they had seen Hannah, 6, and Cedar, 3, at her estranged husband Joseph's villa north of Beirut after being sent an email of their photographs from friends in Canada who knew they were about to travel to Lebanon.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph last night, Ms Hawach revealed how she found her children and retrieved them. After seven weeks in hiding in Lebanon, they returned to Canada last week.
Lawyer Chris Jurd said the parents of Mr Hawach were relieved to learn that their grandchildren were safe.
"The footage in the media is the first time any of the family in Australia have seen the kids since July last year," he said. "The family remains very, very concerned for the welfare of the kids."
Ms Hawach paid tribute to the former Australian and New Zealand special forces soldiers -- David Pemberton and Brian Corrigan -- who helped with theLebanese operation and will continue to fight for their release from prison.
She said she couldn't have cared less about the prospect of going to jail for snatching her children.
She revealed that she had cut and dyed her blonde hair black and kept her daughters in hiding in Lebanon for seven weeks before smuggling them out of thecountry last week.
Canadian-born Ms Hawach and Mr Hawach married in Sydney. The couple separated in Canada in 2005.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Hawach said her greatest fear was losing her children.
"I was never worried about the courts, I was never worried about being arrested," she said.
"I couldn't have cared less if I was thrown in jail. But I knew that if I was caught, my children would get turned back over, I wouldn't know where they would go and I would never see them again. My greatest fear was losing them again."
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I'd do it again, says mile-high hostie, The Australian, 26 February, 2007.

I'd do it again, says mile-high hostie: [2 All-round First Edition]

Stapleton, John. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 26 Feb 2007: 5.
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FORMER Qantas stewardess Lisa Robertson says she has few regrets over the "mile-high" tryst in a business-class toilet with movie star Ralph Fiennes.
Entranced by the romantic images from Fiennes's movie The English Patient, Ms Robertson said that when he kissed her on theplane she knew she couldn't control herself.
Ms Robertson acknowledged that the pair had unprotected sex in the toilet and she could be pregnant with Fiennes's baby. She said she had felt abandoned and alone afterwards when the actor declined to go to her defence over her problems with Qantas.
FORMER Qantas stewardess Lisa Robertson says she has few regrets over the "mile-high" tryst in a business-class toilet with movie star Ralph Fiennes.
Ms Robertson, 38, was sacked by Qantas after news of the incident grabbed headlines around the world.
She told the Nine Network's 60 Minutes program last night that despite all the flack, she would not change what had happened. "I would do it again ... which probably sounds crazy but I would do it again."
Entranced by the romantic images from Fiennes's movie The English Patient, Ms Robertson said that when he kissed her on theplane she knew she couldn't control herself.
"I wanted him to kiss me. You know, he's one of the most gorgeous men in the world to me."
Asked if she wanted something to happen between her and Fiennes, she replied: "Of course, I'd have to be insane not to."
Now one of the world's best-known former airline hostesses, Ms Robertson said she knew her conduct was silly, inappropriate and unprofessional.
But she was thrilled when she realised the passenger in seat 2K was her favourite movie star and she had been charmed when she had served him. "He was such a nice person ... I melted," she said. "We actually talked, he was very interested in me and I was very interested in him and we were like drawn, every moment."
With most people asleep on board the long flight from Darwin to Mumbai last month, she said Fiennes had entered the crew area where she was resting and had started talking to her.
Asked how the pair had managed to have sex in the cramped confines of an airline toilet, she said she was on the sink and there were "arms, legs everywhere".
However, she wanted to make the point that no one was hurt by the encounter. "I'm not excusing my actions for one moment ... but we didn't kill anyone, I didn't hurt anyone, no other customers on the aircraft knew about this or were disturbed by this. I was on my break, it was an interaction that happened between two people."
Asked to rate the actor as a lover, Ms Robertson said: "Excellent, very, very passionate, very caring. I rated him 10 out of 10 and that's genuine ... there was this chemistry between us and it was great."
Ms Robertson acknowledged that the pair had unprotected sex in the toilet and she could be pregnant with Fiennes's baby. She said she had felt abandoned and alone afterwards when the actor declined to go to her defence over her problems with Qantas.
But, clearly, the money she has made from selling her story has helped.
"It was worth it," she said. "The only regrets I do have is the effect that this has had on my parents. They're devastated, they're embarrassed."
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