Rudd should apologise to Haneef: Bligh

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has called on the federal government to formally
apologise to Dr Mohamed Haneef.
The Indian-born Dr Haneef was wrongfully detained and charged in relation to failed
terrorist attacks in Glasgow and London in 2007.
It was the Rudd government's duty to say sorry to an innocent man who had been
through a traumatic experience, Ms Bligh told reporters on Monday.
"When a wrong has been done I don't think there is any harm in making an apology for
that," she said.
It was up to the Rudd government to apologise even though Dr Haneef had undergone
his ordeal under the former Howard government, Ms Bligh said.
"When the apology was done, for example, to the stolen generation, that was the
actions of a government a long time ago," she said.
"But it was still something that the government, on behalf of the people of
Australia, took responsibility for."
Dr Haneef was arrested in July 2007 at Brisbane Airport and held for almost two
weeks before being charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation.
His visa was cancelled by then immigration minister Kevin Andrews, who ordered he be
held in detention, until a week later the charge was dropped and he was allowed to
go home to India.
A spokeswoman for Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland on Monday said the
relevant agencies had to shoulder the blame for mistakes identified in the
government-ordered inquiry into the Haneef case.
The government would also implement the changes recommended in the inquiry's report,
she said.
"As Dr Haneef has foreshadowed a legal claim for compensation against the
Commonwealth, the government will await details of Dr Haneef's claims from his
lawyers before commenting on questions of compensation or other redress for Dr
Haneef," the spokeswoman said.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman George Brandis said the government had taken a
"sensible" approach by deciding not to issue an apology.
Philip Ruddock, who was attorney-general at the time of Dr Haneef's arrest, also
said the doctor was not entitled to an apology.
In an interview with ABC television, Dr Haneef said he did not feel strongly about
compensation but wants an apology.
"It would be a very healing touch to me (for) destroying my reputation for me and my
family," Dr Haneef said from Dubai, where he now works.
"It has damaged my reputation. It has damaged my career, my family - everything."
Dr Haneef said he hoped others would not suffer the same treatment he experienced in
Australia.
"I hope that there should be some lesson out of it and I hope that there wouldn't be
any other innocent person that was subjugated (sic) to that kind of experience
anymore," Dr Haneef said.
Dr Haneef's lawyer, Bernard Murphy, said a "substantial" compensation claim would be
made on the grounds of malicious prosecution, false imprisonment and defamation.