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Australia has announced it will extradite a former US Marine pilot accused of illegally training Chinese military pilots in violation of US arms control laws over a decade ago.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 2022, Daniel Duggan, a former US Marine pilot, was accused by the United States of providing military training to Chinese aviators in violation of US arms control laws. According to a 2017 indictment unsealed in late 2022, Duggan allegedly worked with others, including the Test Flying Academy of South Africa, to train Chinese military pilots in advanced aviation tactics between 2010 and 2012. Prosecutors claim Duggan failed to register with the US Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and secure the required licenses for exporting defense services despite being informed of this requirement by the US State Department as early as 2008. The indictment alleges that Duggan received payments totaling approximately $61,000 and international travel benefits in exchange for providing what was sometimes described as “personal development training.” Duggan has denied the allegations, claiming that his activities were lawful and focused on training civilian pilots as part of China’s expanding aviation industry.
What’s going on now: Despite many attempts to prevent his extradition, Duggan will be sent to the United States to face charges of illegally training Chinese military pilots. Duggan, who has been fighting extradition since 2022, had his last hope cut when Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition following a Sydney court ruling in May that cleared the way for his transfer. Duggan’s legal team was trying to argue that the charges brought against him were politically motivated, claiming he was being used as a pawn in escalating US-China tensions, but their appeals were ultimately rejected.
Bernard Collaery, a lawyer for Duggan, said, “The extradition request is a brutal response to US Sinophobia. While scapegoating Daniel Duggan may please some, his extradition into a baying political environment and semi-lawless prison system may also constitute a profound moral and foreign policy failure by Australia.”
Family reacts: In a statement, Saffrine Duggan, the wife of Daniel Duggan, said, “We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision, which has been delivered just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the government. Now as a single mother of six, I can only work part-time, and we have no funds to fight for Dan, or pay the bills.” She added, “We feel abandoned by the Australian Government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family. We are now considering our options.”
Australian Attorney General reacts: After receiving criticism from Duggan’s family, Australian AG Mark Dreyfus said, “Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the United States. In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me.”
