Suche
Mein Konto
Ex-US pilot who trained China is extradited to the US
A former US fighter pilot, Daniel Duggan, accused of training Chinese military pilots, is extradited to the US. Criticism of the decision and family concerns dominate the debate.
Ex-US pilot who trained China is extradited to the US
Brisbane, Australia - A former U.S. Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots will be deported to the United States to face trial. This was confirmed by Australia's attorney general on Monday and represents a setback for supporters who have publicly called for his release.
Arrest and allegations
Daniel Duggan, a naturalized Australian, was arrested in New South Wales state in 2022. This came as a result of a 2017 indictment by a US grand jury accusing him of training Chinese military pilots in violation of a US arms embargo. Duggan denies the allegations, saying U.S. authorities were aware of his activities and that he was merely training civilian pilots to meet China's booming aviation industry.
The government's decision
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus confirmed that Duggan “should be extradited to face the allegations.” Dreyfus stated, "Mr. Duggan had the opportunity to present arguments as to why he should not be extradited to the United States. I took into account all available information in making my decision." That decision followed a judge's approval of extradition in May.
Family reactions
In a statement, the pilot's wife, Saffrine Duggan, said she and their six children were "shocked and absolutely devastated by this callous and inhumane decision made by the government just before Christmas without explanation or justification." She added: "We feel let down by the Australian Government and are deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family. We are now considering what options are available to us."
Consequences of a conviction
If convicted, Duggan faces up to 65 years in prison.
Arguments against extradition
Duggan has been in custody since his arrest in October 2022, just weeks after he returned to his family in Australia after working in China for six years. He was arrested by Australian police at the request of US authorities. The 2017 indictment, filed in the District of Washington, says Duggan received an email from the U.S. State Department "as early as 2008" informing him that he needed to register with the Arms Traffic Controls Directorate and apply for approval to train a foreign air force.
Cooperation with South Africa
Instead, it is alleged he colluded with others - including the South Africa Test Flight Academy (TFASA) - to export defense services in violation of the arms embargo on China. In a statement to CNN in 2023, TFASA said it follows the laws of every jurisdiction in which it operates. The statement mentions that Duggan had a test pilot contract for the company in South Africa between November and December 2012 and "never worked for TFASA in relation to training mandates in China".
Political implications
Duggan moved to China in 2013 and renounced his U.S. citizenship at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in 2016, backdating it to a 2012 certificate to reflect the time he became an Australian citizen, his lawyers said.
In an 89-page submission filed with Dreyfus in August, Duggan's lawyers claimed that the former US soldier had become a political pawn at a time of heightened tensions between the US and China. They argue that his case was used to signal to Western pilots that any dealings with China will not be tolerated by the United States or its allies.
“The extradition request is a brutal response to US Sinophobia,” his lawyer Bernard Collaery wrote in a letter accompanying the petition. “While some may enjoy using Daniel Duggan as a scapegoat, his extradition into an environment dominated by politics and a semi-lawful prison system may also represent a profound moral and foreign policy failure for Australia,” he added.
Duggan's arrest two years ago coincided with the formation of a stronger security alliance between the US, UK and Australia under AUKUS - an agreement signed in 2021 to act together in the Pacific against an increasingly assertive China. Since then, the United Kingdom and Australia have tightened their laws regarding ex-military personnel and their post-service activities.