|
Raydon Gates Breaks Silence
3 August 2002
- Navy chief breaks silence ~ Cameron Stewart & Simone Pitsis (Aus)
THE mystery man of the Siev X affair has broken his silence to defend the Australian Defence Force decision not to step up its surveillance to look for the doomed boat. Rear Admiral Raydon Gates has chaired an internal defence force review of all classified intelligence received on the boat Siev X which sank en route from Indonesia to Christmas Island in October last year, drowning 353 asylum-seekers... [Full Report]
- Overboard probe may call navy chief
THE Senate inquiry into the children overboard affair may subpoena a senior naval commander who has spoken publicly about the issue despite being prevented from testifying at the inquiry.
Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Raydon Gates today said in Perth the navy's maritime command knew of reports suggesting an overloaded boat had left Indonesia for Australia on October 20 last year but took no action.
The boat sank, killing 353 people, and Rear Admiral Gates prepared a report on Australia's knowledge of it for the inquiry.
The inquiry, chaired by Senator Peter Cook, has been desperate to question the maritime commander on the issue but its requests for him to appear have eight times been rejected by Defence Minister Robert Hill.
Senator Cook said the inquiry was considering subpoenaing Rear Admiral Gates in the light of his public comments today.
"Given the refusal of the Defence Minister to have (Rear) Admiral Gates appear, I think it's a bit odd that he's openly canvassed all the issues relating to the inquiry in a public forum today," Senator Cook told AAP...
- Navy 'did nothing' about boat
THE navy's maritime command knew of reports suggesting an
overloaded boat had left Indonesia for Australia on October 20 last
year but took no action, a senior naval commander has said.
Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Raydon Gates, who prepared a
report on Australia's knowledge of the boat which sank killing 353
people, has been prevented from giving evidence about it to a
Senate inquiry into the children overboard controversy.
Defence Minister Robert Hill had eight times rejected requests for
him to appear.
Rear Admiral Gates was speaking publicly for the first time about
the issue today... [Full Report]
- Mr Howard, how can you justify this brutality?
~ Howard Dick, (Age)
For some time, Prime Minister, we have been following you down a narrowing and darkening tunnel. The descent has been quite gradual, but from time to time we have tripped over a threshold. As when we saw the photos of the three little girls drowned with 350 others in the sinking of what is referred to obscurely as SIEV X. As when we recently saw the child escapees returned to Woomera without meeting their distraught father.
With Australia now refusing to sign the International Convention on Torture and shamelessly defending the incarceration of children, we sense that we are now below moral sea-level...[Full Report]
Other SIEVX News
|
