NRT: Look! More terrorists!

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, August 2nd, 2013 - 14 comments
Categories: john key, Spying - Tags: , , ,

I/S at No Right Turn questions the legal status of Key’s “warrants”.

Look! More terrorists!

Yesterday, John Key tried to scare us into supporting his intrusive, over-reaching spy bill by invoking the spectre of terrorism. When this was greeted with widespread incredulity and scorn, he doubled down, claiming that he had signed warrants to observe New Zealanders who were currently training in terrorist camps in Yemen.

Other commentators have already focused on whether this undermines “national security”, or whether it is even true (and lets be honest: secrecy means we have no way of telling, and Key has every reason to lie to us – and the GCSB have every reason to lie to him). I think the more interesting question is whether the Prime Minister has broken the law.

How? Well, there are two broad types of intelligence warrant he can sign. The first is the type we’ve all been talking about for the last month: a GCSB interception warrant, allowing the interception of phone calls, email, or other “communications”. But as we all know, the GCSB is absolutely forbidden from spying on New Zealanders in any way. So if the Prime Minister had signed such a warrant for a New Zealander in Yemen, it would be illegal.

The second sort of warrant is an SIS intelligence warrant. This allows the interception of communications, electronic tracking and so forth. But as the SIS is unlikely to have field agents in Yemen to do the tracking, they probably would have relied upon… the GCSB, either directly or by getting them to ask their foreign “partners” for assistance. And thanks to section 14 and the broad definition of “communication” (which covers even receiving summaries or “the sense” of a phone call or email) that too would be illegal.

In short, if the Prime Minister has done what he’s claimed, then he and/or the GCSB has probably broken the law. No wonder he wants a quick patch-up!

But there’s also another troubling question – namely whether any intelligence gained by such surveillance (if it actually exists) has been shared with the United States. Because as we know, they arbitrarily kill people with drones in Yemen. Passing information to them about New Zealand citizens allegedly training with Al Qaeda exposes those kiwis to a US drone strike. Which would seem to be a prima facie breach of the right not to be deprived of life affirmed in the Bill of Rights Act.

In short, the Prime Minister’s claims strengthen the case for a full inquiry into our intelligence services, to determine both whether they have complied with the law, and the extent and risks posed by their intelligence sharing with foreign powers. And we absolutely should not be writing the Prime Minister a “get out of jail free” card until that is done.

14 comments on “NRT: Look! More terrorists! ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. shorts 1
    2 August 2013 at 3:35 pm

    I feel a damn sight safer knowing we have people like I/S looking over us than any GCSB or other spies, thanking him and all the others

  2. Tigger 2
    2 August 2013 at 3:41 pm

    I fully expect some WMD or a terrorist cell ‘discovered’ in New Zealand soon. Key’s dug a deep hole and needs some shit to fill it in.

  3. Richard Down South 3
    2 August 2013 at 4:25 pm

    I really would love to comment on NRT’s pages at times…

    Key is either lying, or breaking the law… awesome

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    2 August 2013 at 4:52 pm

    We’ve already seen in the US that this has all been a pretext for gathering information to smash protest groups like Occupy. The NSA has run simulations which predict far more civil obedience due to economic decline, climate change, etc. and they want to be ready.

    US intelligence had enough specific actionable intelligence pre9/11 to stop the attacks. They did not need all these additional capabilities. But why waste a good crisis?

  5. SpaceMonkey 5
    2 August 2013 at 4:56 pm

    @Rigger… we already have a terrorist cell operating in NZ. It’s called the National Government.

    • SpaceMonkey 5.1
      2 August 2013 at 5:14 pm

      My apologies Tigger… BFFT using my phone and the ‘Reply’ feature wasn’t available.

  6. ak 6
    2 August 2013 at 5:30 pm

    “The emails were never read.”

    The “I did not inhale” moment.

    Coming up: “Let me make this clear: I never had spying on those people.”

  7. remo 7
    2 August 2013 at 6:20 pm

    Aw…gee.I thought alQaeda were our allies anyway? CIA created them against USSR in Afghanistn and have been running them ever since thru Zawhiriri after OBL. McCAIN went and met up with alNusra – AQ affiliates – in Syria for photo op and wikileaks had info NATO flew them up to fight for the body part guy Thaci in Kosovo. its more like jonkey is prepping a GLADIO op on us.

  8. Curtis 8
    2 August 2013 at 10:05 pm

    If Key signs warrants for the GCSB then he had to of known of Kim Dotcom prior to the raid

  9. Martin 9
    3 August 2013 at 12:32 am

    Someone please pinch my butt and make sure I’m not DREAMING!?

    [after Bill Hicks]

    or are we really being 9/11ed?

  10. Jenny 10
    3 August 2013 at 5:40 am

    In short, the Prime Minister’s claims strengthen the case for a full inquiry into our intelligence services…..

    Idiot Savant No Right Turn

    Unfortunately the leader of the opposition David Shearer is in lockstep with Peter Dunne and has not promised an inquiry. Instead both Shearer and Dunne are in support of a “Review”. Everybody knows that “Review” is code for “Do Nothing”.

    No wonder polls show that voters don’t see the opposition as an alternative government.

    • Sable 10.1
      5 August 2013 at 11:27 am

      Yes you have to wonder why Labour are so quiet on this issue. Few skeletons of their own perhaps. Oh well their loss Greens gain.

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