SYDNEY - The father of terrorist suspect David Hicks says Prime Minister John Howard pressured the US government to lay charges against his son for his own political gain.
After five years in detention, Hicks has been charged with "material support for terrorism" and referred to trial bya special military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Judge Susan Crawford dismissed a second charge of attempted murder against Hicks after concluding there was no "probable cause" to justify the charge.
Hicks' father Terry Hicks said today said he felt no relief that the charges had been laid, and had no renewed faith in the federal government over the progress in Hicks' case.
Hicks' defence team had expected the attempted murder charge to be dropped, he said.
"To me it's still looks as if they want this over and dealt with and finished before the (federal) elections," Mr Hicks said.
Mr Howard again raised the issue with the US government when he asked Vice-President Dick Cheney, during his visit last week to Sydney, when Hicks would be formally charged.
"Even though Mr Howard says it's not a political issue, I believe it is," he said.
"I think Mr Cheney's visit over here was an appeasement (to Mr Howard).
"I think the situation was already in progress anyway and whether he come over or not, David's thing was going to be dealt with anyway."
