Bundarrah Days

IN a classic case of a fool outsmarting himself Joseph (Jihad Jack) Thomas, 35, will be retried on terrorism related offences.

In June three judges of the Victorian Appeals Court rejected his argument that information he gave in media interviews broadcast after his conviction was overturned should not be allowed as the basis for a retrial and today The High Court refused to hear a further appeal.

Back in 2006 Jihad Jack was sentenced to five years in prison for receiving funds from a terrorist organization and holding a false passport.

An appeal overturned the convictions five months later on the ground that prosecutors had incorrectly relied on an interrogation by Australian police after his 2003 arrest in Pakistan.

In 2006, Thomas was sentenced to five years in prison for receiving funds from a terrorist organization and holding a false passport. An appeal court overturned those convictions five months later, saying prosecutors had incorrectly relied on an interrogation of Thomas by Australian police after his 2003 arrest in Pakistan.

Thomas' lawyers had argued that the interview and subequent confession was tainted because he had been threatened with execution and deportation to the U.S. military camp at Guantanamo Bay during earlier questioning by U.S. and Pakistani authorities.

However, prosecutors launched proceedings for a retrial claiming that interviews Thomas gave to the ABC after his convictions were were initially overturned provided fresh evidence not presented at the original trial.

No date has been set for the new trial but it is unlikely to go ahead this year.

Meanwhile Jack even has his own "Justice For Jack" website featuring all those lovely people who endorse him as a loving and non-violent Australian man who just happened to be minding his own business in Pakistan when those evil Pakistani police decided to pick him up and frame him.

Of course Jack's endorsers tend to be the usual run-of-the-mill leftists and Islamist apologists.

Here's a brief run through.

Guy Rundle, commentator, Arena editor (on leave); Kenneth Davidson, columnist The Age; Christos Tsiolkas, author, Nathan Hollier, Editor, Overland; Brian Walters SC, President, Liberty Victoria; Julius Roe, AMWU National President; Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation; Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth, Australia; Agnes Chong and Waleed Kadous, Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network; Andrew Lowenthal, Melbourne Indymedia; Judith Klepner, Search Foundation; Bernie Taft; Carmel Shute; Dave Kerin, Earthworker; Stop the War Coalition; Fitzroy Legal Service; Federation of Community Legal Centres Vic; NOWAR SA; The Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network (AMCRAN); Socialist Alternative; Socialist Alliance; International Socialist Organisation; Jarvis Ryan, editor of Socialist Worker; Alison Dellit, editor, Green Left Weekly; Jesse Nonneman, presenter Chant Down Babylon, 3PBS-FM; Adam Chandler, radio announcer, 3SYNFM;