Hicks verdict: transparently political

So, the long-awaited trial took two days. Next to no evidence was presented. A man is convicted of terrorism, apparently the most dastardly crime on the planet, a crime so dastardly that it warranted keeping Hicks locked up without trial in judicial limbo for five years, a crime which, however, apparently warrants a sentence of only nine months, a sentence more commonly handed out for – what? Bar-room brawling?

Nine months of course is almost exactly the time frame in which the next Australian federal election must be held, although to be on the safe side, Hicks has been slapped with a one-year silence order (although I suspect that this order will not be enforceable once Hicks is back in Australia).