Cough. Cough.
Snowden files expose NZ’s part in America’s spy network
New Zealand’s role in the vast United States spy network is about to be revealed, giving an unprecedented insight into the workings of our intelligence agencies.
The Herald – with investigative journalist Nicky Hager – is working on stories based on files from the United States National Security Agency (NSA), taken by whistleblower Edward Snowden in the biggest intelligence breach in history.
Internationally, the information obtained by Snowden has sparked concerns about the behaviour of the intelligence agencies in the grouping of Five Eyes nations, of which New Zealand is a member.
Fierce debate has raged over diplomatic breaches, the intrusion into citizens’ privacy and a shift towards a “collect it all” policy.
Hager obtained access to files from the Snowden trove through a partnership with the news site The Intercept, set up by campaigning journalist Glenn Greenwald after he revealed Snowden as a whistleblower who took a vast number of files from his former employer because he was concerned by the extent of the agency’s actions and reach.
Hager said the information would show New Zealand was “far more involved than most people realise”.
“The discussion about GCSB [Government Communications Security Bureau] in New Zealand has always been about GCSB spying on New Zealanders. What this is going to be about is all the other countries New Zealand spies on.
“Some of that won’t be a surprise and some of it will be a great surprise.”
Hager said the information would not only surprise the public but also “people all through the foreign policy and intelligence bureaucracy who will know much more about this subject at the end of these revelations than they did before.
“When I read through this material and see that New Zealand is doing these things, it seems bizarre to me – like it is from another era.”
The collaboration with The Intercept extends to a series of stories with three newspapers – the New Zealand Herald, the Herald on Sunday and the Sunday Star-Times.
Hager said the collaboration was driven by The Intercept’s wish to ensure the material was made widely available.
So it looks like Kim was right and what was revealed at the Moment of Truth was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the mass surveillance NZs spies are really undertaking.
Unfortunately, the election turned out like this…
…hopefully future historians will be far kinder to those that tried to fight this encroaching surveillance state than the present ever was.
“When I read through this material and see that New Zealand is doing these things, it seems bizarre to me – like it is from another era.”
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
What we have to ask ourselves is why journalists and whistle blowers and Internet entrepreneurs are being persecuted and what are we going to do about it, before it becomes even more widespread?
1000% SAVE NZ.
Government = Enemy of the people.
Of course there is more to come, and of course was Snowden right, and of course were and are the NSA and others doing all we have been told, and they do much more than that, also here in “Little quiet NZ”.
The problem is, the vast majority of people are simply too indifferent, and some are even supportive of all this surveillance and spying, or whatever it is called (Metadata gathering).
The reason is, we only need another YouTube video with “Jihadi John”, or any other extremist terrorist, and a bit more fear mongering about “the threat” we supposedly “all” face, and the vast majority will say to themselves, oh so terrible and horrible, we “need” the spymasters, we “need” that “security”, or we may have the same happen here.
While in this case the Herald, the Herald on Sunday and Sunday Star Times appear to cooperate with Nicky Hager and so, they will run a few articles, there will again, briefly, be some discussion, but then new, more current, other “news” will swiftly sweep the issues off the desks and out of people’s minds again.
Kim Dotcom was right on some things, but people did not so much judge him and decide to turn against him for that, there were other reasons, and in hindsight, he should have stayed out of the campaigning more, and kept a low profile, as he initially intended to do.
We know the rest, and it does not take much for the MSM to endlessly repeat a few negative lines, create a bit of embarrassment, find a “scandal” here or there, and put rumours into circulation, and it is all done. Mud sticks, and so it went with Dotcom. He was the “rich German” who “tried to buy the election”, was the image that was presented. Right or wrong, people later simply accepted that, and believed it.
Propaganda and manipulation can have many forms. NZ government and media are good at that, and with the too many gullible and short sighted people around here, they have it rather too easy.
So we need better media, alternative media, social media and publicly funded, independent media, as the truth mentioned on occasion will not sink in, unless it is presented well and repeated and explained and discussed. The latter we will hardly get.
I would say most people frequenting TDB knew it to be the truth, even before ‘The moment of truth’. It’s getting the rest of New Zealand to realise this, and the enormity of it that’s the hard bit.
We knew this to be the truth from when it came out during Lange’s time as PM. The Herald online poll this morning shows “I’m fine with it” leading the charge. People are indifferent to this continuing beat up it’d seem. Sorry bout that.
Very interesting, but sadly I doubt these revelations will have much impact considering what seems like the societal autism in this country, pride in compliance; “nothing to hide”, and the veneration and faith in the leader cult, who will predictably allay concerns by reassuring these measures are for our benefit and safety.
With Hager and Greenwald involved, expect attacks on these revelations with “far left conspiracy” and “dirty politics”. Probably polling with the question “do you believe these revelations?” as well.
That’s assuming evidence exists for future historians to research.
Core National will not care and simply remain in their catatonic state like the good little “Stepford Wives” that they are!
Lets see how liar key tries to worm out of this.
Key will say its a left leaning conspiracy,its his only answer,and we all know the old saying , If you repeat the same lie often enough it becomes the truth. Dot Com got shafted on orders of Hollywood, Key is a tool of USA.
Disgraceful, more so that the intercepted information gathered by NZ spy agencies, is passed to the NSA in the US to do as they like with it!
What a smack in the face for our Pacific neighbours, who supported NZ’s place on the UN Security Council!
Interesting is that the spying on Pacific Islands, was stepped up in 2009, the year following the election of John Key and this Natsy government. An indication that Key has been a US plant all along, to betray his country of birth and immediate neighbours in the Pacific!
There are a lot of Pacific people who are NZ citizens and it’s illegal for the GCSB to spy on NZ citizens. Seems this fact has been ignored, which leads to the possibility Kiwis are also being spied on in NZ.
So GCSB is breaking the law!
Is this and more damaging information about to be released, the reason Ian Fletcher resigned as Director of the GCSB?
Wow. Intelligence agency dedicated to collecting intelligence on foreign countries collects intelligence on foreign countries. What ever next? Will the Pope give a sermon in a Catholic church?
No, we spy on our pacific neighbours and hand that over to the Americans. Look Gosman, if you want to cheerlead us as a stooge for America, just do it.
Here’s a question for you, Gosman (and all the other cheerleaders for the Right) – will you be relaxed about increasing State surveillance once a Labour-led government becomes government?
Or is it ok only if your party does it?
Take your time.
Geez Frank,
That shut Goosman up eh!
Gosman,
“will you be relaxed about increasing State surveillance once a Labour-led government becomes government?”
So , benjamin netanyahu, puffed up Nazi and murderer, freaks out barak obama by prophesying , thereby promoting, an imminent nuclear war in the middle east and we wonder why the GCSB are kissing corporate american arse ? I see .
@ Kim Dandy . It’s impossible to make Kiwis realise anything of the above nature until they/we/I know hardship .
When the compost bin is mostly full of perfectly good yet uneaten food ? How can those people understand hunger . Real hunger . When us lucky Kiwis have unrestrained freedoms and a huge , rich country to work and play in? How can we comprehend the future dystopia about to descend on our lives ?
When we look out our kitchen windows as we wring out the dish cloth , how can we comprehend that all we look at is under dire threat from a hostile force . A force so immense and virile it’ll wipe us off the face of the earth if it so chooses . A force our prime minister has sold us out to .
The only way Kiwi’s will realise what they’re losing will be by hind sight . After all , that’s what the MSM is there to ensure .
“New Zealand stands up for small states”. That is what we said to our Pacific neighbours especially the Pacific Island states to get this seat we had to have on the UN Security Council.
WHATEVER!
Little did they know whilst shaking hands with their smiling, caring benefactor, multi millionaire John Key who sought their support, that the two faced obsequious US billionaire arse kissing creep was spying on all of them. And its not just for security, its for economic and political reasons for the US.
If you can’t see that massive conflict of interest then I understand why brain dead sheep vote National.
We’ve all been fucked over by two faced John and his god awful lying National Party but this just makes its consistent – internationally!
Oh and John Key, Nicky Hager was NOT wrong last time about anything! How dumb do you think all of NZ is and how typically arrogant to think we are! Dear oh dear oh dear.
If you think one of your “make sure you find nothing wrong” “enquiries” fooled us, you’re wrong. I still cannot understand, to name but one, how Judith Collins continues to haunt parliament, much less the government.
According to a poll on the subject over 50 per cent don’t care. It appears therefore that people accept the fact that with new technology the way in which material is accessed, used and shared and for what is continually changing. This is unlikely to change in the future as far as I can see.
If you believe herald polls are true ,you will believe anything,you notice the poll for spying on pacific is 50%,just the amount JK needs to say NZ public agrees.
What will wake up kiwis from their blissful slumber? Sadly, I agree with many here, that this issue won’t. I feel like I am in the Lego movie. Nobody has a mind of their own. Everything is awesome.
I just heard John Key on the radio, sounds like he has a case of the cold sweats to me! He’s gone this time for sure, lock the gate behind his arse when he goes back to the mother land USA.
Just a thought, after reading that the Samoan prime minister stated that he had no problem with the surveillance. How many of these pacific nations receive funding and aid from the nz govt?
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