"Former US Marine Pilot Faces Extradition to US for Allegedly Illegal Training of Chinese Aviators"

SYDNEY - A former U.S. Marine Corps pilot, Daniel Duggan, is facing extradition to the United States after a Sydney judge ruled on Friday that he can be sent back to stand trial on allegations of illegally training Chinese aviators. Duggan's lawyers have acknowledged that they have no legal grounds to challenge the ruling that declared him eligible for extradition, but they plan to make submissions to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in an effort to prevent Duggan from being surrendered.

Duggan's lawyer, Bernard Collaery, expressed optimism that the attorney-general will allow them sufficient time to present all the relevant issues that cannot be addressed in an Australian court under the Extradition Act. However, Dreyfus' office declined to comment on the matter, citing the government's policy of not discussing extradition cases.

Meanwhile, Duggan's wife, Saffrine Duggan, and supporters gathered outside the court, urging the attorney-general to reconsider the case and bring her husband back home. Saffrine described the extradition hearing as merely a bureaucratic process.

The allegations against Duggan stem from a 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., which was unsealed recently. Prosecutors claim that Duggan conspired with others to provide training to Chinese military pilots in 2010 and 2012, possibly at other times as well, without obtaining the necessary licenses. The indictment reveals that he received approximately 88,000 Australian dollars ($61,000) in nine separate payments, along with international travel, from a co-conspirator under the guise of "personal development training."

Duggan served in the U.S. Marines for 12 years before immigrating to Australia in 2002. In January 2012, he became an Australian citizen, forfeiting his U.S. citizenship in the process. According to the indictment, Duggan traveled to the United States, China, and South Africa, where he allegedly trained Chinese pilots.

Duggan vehemently denies the allegations, dismissing them as political posturing by the U.S. government, which, he claims, has singled him out unfairly.

As Duggan's extradition process unfolds, his fate now rests in the hands of Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who must weigh the arguments presented by Duggan's legal team before making a final decision.