Daniel Duggan allegedly taught Chinese pilots to land on aircraft carriers.
Canberra approved on Wednesday an American request to extradite former US Marine pilot Daniel Duggan, according to the Australian broadcaster ABC. Duggan stands accused of illegally offering “military training” to Chinese pilots, among other charges.
The veteran fighter jet pilot allegedly “provided military training to PRC [People’s Republic of China] pilots” through a South African flight school on three separate occasions in 2010 and 2012 while he was still an American citizen, according to a 2017 indictment unsealed in the US earlier this month. He has since renounced his citizenship and become a citizen of Australia.
Duggan is also accused of teaching Chinese pilots how to land on aircraft carriers, evaluating Chinese military pilot trainees, and providing aviation services in China, all without the required authorization from the US State Department. He is expected to be charged with conspiracy to export defense services to China, conspiracy to launder money, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act if the extradition is successful.
The former Marine, who spent ten years in the service and rose to the rank of major, has denied all wrongdoing and plans to fight the extradition. His lawyer, Denis Miralis, has argued it would be a “miscarriage of justice” for the pilot to stand trial in the US, given that there is no equivalent to the charges he is facing in Australian law.
“Australia does not have an arms embargo on China, Australia has not sanctioned China, therefore the extradition should fail on the basis it does not meet the requirements of dual criminality,” Miralis told the BBC.
Duggan’s family has argued that the charges are “politically motivated” and insisted that he merely did work other foreign pilots had done in China for decades with full knowledge of their governments. His case will be heard before a magistrate next month.
The same week Duggan was arrested at his home in New South Wales in October, the UK government issued a public statement warning retired military pilots to steer clear of Chinese recruiters following news that 30 British pilots had signed on at more than twice their typical salaries to instruct trainees in the People’s Liberation Army.
Given Australia’s spinelessness when it comes to standing up for its own citizens, such as Julian Assange, this comes as no surprise. Its no better here in NZ…..
well, any country buying jet planes from a foreign country gets the training for the particular jets. That is a whole package and normal procedure.
For ex. if France sell say to Egypt, egyptian pilots will get training for this particular jet.
I don’t particularily like the USMC, (I changed service branches from the *USMC (*drafted during the ‘Nam) to the US Army (Warrant Officer) and I always kept the Commissioned Officer Corps at arms length when dealing with them at all times.
I discovered in real time that this particular level of military echelon was exploitive, self-centered, and obedient little puppies that would get their entire platoon killed just to ‘shine-up’ for medals, promotions, and cushy assignments post-theatre.
Enlisted tours of the ‘Nam were 14 months in the Corps, and 12 months for all other branches of service.
Officers only served 6 months in country, with no experience in theatre, unless they came from the enlisted ranks that had previously experienced the ‘Nam in a previous tour of duty. 3 tours were the max, as anything beyond that led to psychosis, severe and debilitating PTSD, and anti-social behaviours ranging from alcoholism, dope, beating the wife and kids, or detaching from family altogether with the desire to return to the jungle and lifestyle where everyone knew the rules…
Let’s see IF the ADF and the Australian Public start a Give-A-Little page to prevent Duggan from being extradited, which will result in a death sentence in prison, via being ‘Epsteined’ or ‘Arkancided’…!
And yes, Anon; Julian Assange should have been repatriated years ago, but hiopefully Russia will grant him Political Asylum status and allow him to work with Ed Snowden to expose the Zio-Communist Globalists and their Luciferian Governments and their Satanic Ilk!!!
all european governments, but most particularly the UK pretending to be ” a democratie” should be shamed and condemned on how they treat assange.