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Posted on 30-3-2005 Close That Spy Base
From Manawatu Evening Standard
Palmerston North, March 28 - Activists are vowing to step up a campaign to
close the government spy base at Tangimoana, near Palmerston North, which
they say has been a "neglected" target in recent years. About 15 Green
Party members and other protesters picketed outside the eavesdropping
facility yesterday for several hours, watched by police.
The base is down a long driveway and obscured from roadside view by trees.
Green Party co-leader Rod Donald, who attended the protest, said much of
the anti-base campaign had centred on Waihopai near Blenheim but more
attention would be paid in future to Tangimoana. He said protesters would
be back to continue the protest "within a couple of months". Mr Donald is
calling for more information about Tangimoana and Waihopai to be made
public.
Anti-base activist Bob Leonard claims that while Tangimoana is "unlike
Waihopai, in that it doesn't spy on New Zealanders", it remains part of an
"uncontrolled network" operated by the United States and Britain. "New
Zealand has no say over how it's run or what it does but it costs this
country millions," he said.
Tangimoana and Waihopai are run by the Government Communications Security
Bureau and the former tracks high frequency radio communications from
ships and land based telephones.
A Tangimoana resident said there was little evidence of the spy station in
their midst apart from "a large mail box, and lots of cars arriving in the
morning and leaving at night".
Mr Leonard said Tangimoana had the ability to "spy on half the globe"
though a decreasing use of high frequency radio meant its importance was
diminishing. However, he said New Zealanders should know what the base
did.
The campaigners wanted the facility closed if it served no civilian
purpose such as monitoring fishing and other vessels in New Zealand's
economic zone. Mr Leonard said he believed about 35 people were employed
at the base.
Greens Want End To Bases
Wellington, March 27 - Spy agencies operating in New Zealand should come
clean about their role in the United States led war on terrorism, Green
co-leader Rod Donald said today. Mr Donald and others protested at the
Tangimoana spy base near Palmerston North today and called for greater
scrutiny of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), Security
Intelligence Service and other such agencies.
The agencies should be forced to appear before an open meeting of a select
committee to answer MPs questions, he said in a statement.
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