Those terrorist charges !

There is something disturbing about the charges levied against Doctor Mohamed Haneef. After twelve days of imprisonment and intensive investigation he is charged with " Recklessly providing his mobile phone SIM card to terrorist suspects Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed, his second cousins ".
The word " recklessly " hits a sour note. He is not charged with " maliciously " or " vindictively " allowing his SIM card to be used to trigger a bomb. In fact there is no mention of what part this SIM card played in the UK bombing attempt - but " recklessly " suggests more a degree of carelessness than evil intent.
The main suggestion of guilt seems to be the fact that he is related to the two attempted bombers and shared a house with them at one stage in London. Apart from that, the suggestion of guilt seems tenuous.
He attempted to flee to India on a one way ticket. Considering that his wife had just had a child such a visit would not be exceptional - and in these days of the Internet buying a return fare on the spot market would make fiscal sense.
Giving a relative a SIM card prior to leaving a foreign country ? Not a significant event if he was discontinuing a phone contract which would be hard to manage long distance and intending to obtain a new mobile phone in Australia.
To many people the charge seems to be one designed to serve several purposes.
After twelve days questioning there is a chance that a magistrate may be having second thoughts about granting a further extension. A " holding " charge eliminates this problem.
There may also be matters that have surfaced as a result of the investigation that the security people do not wish to reveal in a court appearance for fear of alerting other " sleeper " cells. In such a case, any sort of charge would suffice to keep the matter under wraps.
Hopefully, this entire matter will get a public airing and if Haneef is guilty of assisting terrorism he deserves whatever sentence is handed down.
But if he is innocent - and this charge is purely to suggest to the public that the security people are gung-ho and on the ball - then a grave miscarriage has occurred.
Haneef is finished as a doctor in this country. There is no chance of returning to his job as a registrar at the Gold Coast hospital if he is released. He will forever be known as " that terrorist bloke " by the Australian public - and few would feel comfortable under his care.
The investigation has a long way to go - but let us hope that it will be fair and honest - and that we will be told the truth when it finally ends !