Australian former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib has been
stabbed near his home in Sydney while walking home with his wife late at night. According to he and his wife, they were attacked by three men dressed in black with their faces covered by hoods; one striking him in the head from behind, while another stabbed him from the front - resulting in a 6cm cut across his stomach - before fleeing into the night.
Mr. Habib's injuries have been described as "not serious" and he seems more upset the attack occurred at all than hurt, but considering he spent several years in Guantanamo Bay and was allegedly tortured in Egypt soon after his capture, a 6cm cut probably doesn't seem like much.
It is interesting to note that the attack took place while Habib was supposedly "under almost constant surveillance" from Australian security agencies. Mr Habib believes he was targeted and, according to his wife, "They said something like "Ah, that should keep you quiet,"" which makes the assailants' motives more than a little cryptic. Were they just racist thugs, or is this something more organised?
It's also possible that Habib is embellishing some parts of the story, as his record is not exactly squeaky clean.
"Three days before the attack, a Sydney newspaper showed pictures of Mr Habib limbering up for the City to Surf Sydney fun run. The newspaper said Mr Habib was entering the 14 kilometre run while he was applying for a disability pension. Radio talkback commentators followed the story up by criticising what they said had been a scam by Mr Habib."