Posted on 16-12-2002
Waihopai
Spybase Protest
JANUARY 24-26, 2003
New Zealand is one of George Bush’s most enthusiastic allies
in
his apparently endless and borderless "war on terror". The public
face of
that is the involvement of the SAS in the war in Afghanistan.
But New
Zealand’s most significant contribution to that war, and any
other wars
waged by our Western allies, is the Waihopai spybase. Even though
the
Government is not so keen on following the US in its plans to
wage war on
Iraq, Waihopai will play a key role in that too, because it
is controlled
by the US, with NZ (including Parliament) having little or no
idea what
goes on there (let alone any control).
The Waihopai electronic intelligence gathering base is located
in the
Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim. First announced in 1987, it
is operated
by New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)
in the
interests of the foreign Powers grouped together in the super-secret
UKUSA Agreement (which shares global electronic and signals
intelligence
among the intelligence agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia
and NZ).
Its two satellite interception dishes (shielded from public
view by giant
domes) intercept a huge volume of telexes, faxes, e-mail and
computer
data communications. It spies on our Asia/Pacific neighbours,
and
forwards the material on to the major partners in the UKUSA
Agreement,
specifically the US National Security Agency (NSA). Its targets
are
international communications involving New Zealanders, including
the
interception of international phone calls. The codename for
this –
Echelon – has become notorious worldwide, as the vast scope
of its spying
has become public. New Zealand is an integral, albeit junior,
part of a
global spying network, a network that is ultimately accountable
only to
its own constituent agencies, not governments, and certainly
not to
citizens.
Waihopai does not operate in the national interests of New Zealand
or our
neighbours Basically it is a foreign spybase on NZ soil and
directly involves us in America’s wars.
Waihopai must be closed.
*We invite people from around the country to join us for the
weekend of
anti-war protest at this spybase. Come prepared for roughing
it and
camping out. We’ve hired portaloos and a marquee. We provide
the food.
Bring sleeping bag, groundsheet, a tent, torch, water bottle,
eating
utensils, clothing for all weather, and $30 to cover costs.
Absolutely no
open fires.
*How to find our camp. Take Highway 6 out of Blenheim (the Nelson
road);
just before Renwick, turn left onto to Highway 63 (the Nelson
Lakes
road). A few kms down that, turn left down the Waihopai Valley
road
(winery on corner). The spybase is about 10 kms up the valley
(you can’t
miss it - 2 huge white domes). Our camp is about 1.5 kms past
the base on
the left. Look for the Pleiades Vineyard sign.
We need people, money, and publicity.
I want to take part in the weekend of protest
Name
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Address
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Phone/Fax/E-mail
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I enclose $30 ($15 unwaged) per person registration to cover
costs
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I want to make a donation to the Waihopai campaign
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I can help with publicity in my area or network Yes/No
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I want to join the Anti-Bases Campaign. Annual membership is
$20
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Organised by the Anti-Bases Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch.
E-mail
cafca@chch.planet.org.nz
Make all cheques to ABC. ABC, Anti-Bases
Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch, New Zealand www.converge.org.nz/abc
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