Key admits role in illegal drone wars

Media Release: Key admits role in illegal drone wars

From: OASIS - Organising Against State Intelligence & Surveillance

Date: 20 May 2014

"John Key must be held responsible for New Zealand´s involvement in the US´s illegal secret drone war that is murdering thousands of people," says OASIS member Valerie Morse. "His proud admission that the GCSB has been providing information used by the US in drone wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere shows what a sycophant he is."

John Key today admitted that the GCSB is supporting the US state sanctioned assassination programme. He said that the GCSB provided information to the United States that was used to conduct drone strikes in Afghanistan and possibly elsewhere. 

"Under the continued guise of `fighting terrorism´ or `bringing stability´, the US has simply replaced the heavy tanks with which it invaded Iraq and Afghanistan with drones that strike in any country where it suspects `enemies´," said Ms Morse. "New Zealand and the Five Eyes signals intelligence partners are complicit in this assassination programme."

"The US drone war has no legal basis under international law. The UN´s Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, has said that the use of drones is not combat as much as `targeted killing´. He has repeatedly tried to get the US to explain how it justifies the use of drones to target and kill individuals under international law.  The 2011 murder of US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki and his son in Yemen caused serious debate in the US, and the murder of Daryl Jones should do the very same here."

"John Key obviously thinks the US government has the right to decide who - including NZ citizens - is allowed to live and who has to die."

"On June 14, we are calling for NZ actions as part of the international day against the drone wars and against the surveillance state. If the National or Labour parties imagine that being part of the US´s `Dirty Wars´ is perfectly OK, they clearly need a little education. Thousands of New Zealanders took the streets last year to protest the extension of GCSB powers of surveillance. People are totally opposed to the involvement of the GCSB with the NSA and their mass surveillance programmes."

ENDS

Crypto Party

A Crypto Party in Wellington:

When: Saturday 26th April 2014, 7pm, 

Where: Enspiral Space, Level 2, 18-24 Allen Street, Te Aro

A Crypto (encryption) Party is an opportunity for people to learn how to keep their online lives private and free from surveillance. It should be a fun-filled evening talking about and practicing email encryption as well as learning programs such as Tor and TrueCrypt.

A CryptoParty is free, public and fun. People bring their computers (but not essential), mobile devices, and a willingness to learn! There will be special trainers on hand to show people how to install and use the software.

CryptoParty is a decentralized, global initiative to introduce the most basic cryptography software and the fundamental concepts of their operation to the general public.

John Key's new Top Secret Special job

Did you attend Aorangi School or Burnside High School? Do you remember John Key from Kindergarten or did your mother know his mother?

If so, this may be the chance of your life to strike it big. John Key is looking for that special person to fill a new role in his life: the Deputy Chief Executive for Security and Intelligence.

This is the first major opportunity to have “direct access” to JK since the appointment of Ian Fletcher as director of the GCSB. The job description states that “the position will be responsible for the oversight of the performance of the New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC), comprising the GCSB, NZSIS, and NAB” and “to ensure the Prime Minister and Ministers receive integrated, high quality advice on security issues.”

There are two requirements. The applicant must have:

• “Broad and deep experience in NZ Government.” Anyone who has had regular contact with government departments, such as WINZ, ACC, the Department of Justice or EQC is likely to meet this criterion. 
• “Top Secret Special security clearance.” If this sounds fancy, it is. This security clearance is so special and secret, there aren’t even any documents matching it because there is no security classification above Top Secret. Also, the public is not allowed to know which jobs require this clearance. If this makes sense to you, you might be the person for the job.

Warning – you will have staff responsibilities for members of organisations that have a track record of breaking the law. However, the good news is that if any illegalities become public knowledge, the law will then be retrospectively changed.

If you are interested in the position, you can apply officially through the State Services Commission or preferably directly to John Key himself. Don’t forget to remind him of your common past.

The closing date is 5pm Monday 14 October 2013.