Spying leak hints at wider NZ role

Security experts fear GCSB's Waihopai base used to process data from US

programme. Security experts are questioning whether New Zealand's spy agency is

processing data from an American mass surveillance programme which is capable of

secretly accessing emails, online chats and internet browsing histories from around

the world.

A powerpoint presentation leaked by former National security Agency (NSA)

contractor Edward Snowden to the Guardian newspaper appears to show that there

are computer servers for a high-powered spy programme in the north of the South

lsland - where the Waihopai spy base of the Government Communications Security

Bureau (GCSB) is located. The programme, known as XKeyscore, gives US analysts

power to search vast databases that hold personal information such as emails.

Computer forensic investigator Daniel Ayers, who founded lT security firm Special

Tactics, said the leaked documents showed the globalscale of the us spy

programme. New Zealand's spy bases were already used to collect intelligence from

the South Pacific and relay it to Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners - the US,

Canada, the UK and Australia. Mr Ayers said the leaked document hinted that New

zealand could be a conduit for data intercepted by US spy satellites.

"Does that red dot on the map signify that Waihopai is being used to'downlink'

intercepted data from other countries? lf that's the case, then it's pretty big news

because I don't think that's been publicly discussed by the Government. lt means our

role in this is greater than we knew." He said it also raised the possibility that US

agencies were intercepting New Zea landers' com m u n ications.

Massey University academic and former GCSB senior adviser Damien Rogers said

the revelation that an XKeyscore server was located in New Zealand was not in itself

significant. But it prompted questions about where data from the mass surveillance

programme went and who had contro! over it.

What is XKeyscore?

*A mass surveillance programme run

Agency (NSA).

*Used in 700 computer servers in 150 sites across the world, one of which appears to

be NZ.

by American spy agency National Security

*Allows analysts to access emails, online chats

millions of people without prior authorisation. *Described by whistleblower Edward Snowden

does on the internet".

and the internet browsing histories of

as collecting "nearly eveffihing a user

Prime Minister John Key says he and the head of GCSB would resign if the spy agency were found to have

conducted mass suryeillance. He made the comment to reporters at Parliament in the light of assurances that

the changes to the GCSB Act2003 would not mean mass surveillance of New Zealanders. Asked if he and

GCSB chief Ian Fletcher would resign if there were maris surveillance, he said yes. "But the facts of life are

it won't happen." For that to happen, the GCSB would have to undertake illegal activity.

The Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill and the

companion Telecommunications (lnterception Capability and Security) Billwere

proposed in the wake of an illegal spying scandal. It emeiged that the bureau had

illegally snooped on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom and dozens of Kiwis.

The Government argued it was necessary to tighten up the legislation to allow the

GCSB to carry out surveillance on behalf of domestic agencies. However, critics say

the legislation goes far beyond clarifying the law and actually grants the spy agency

new functions and much broader powers. Almost 30 per cent of those polled said

they were "very concerned" about a law change that would allow the GCSB to

intercept New Zealanders' communications, not just foreign ones. Just under a

quarter were not at al! concerned.

However, just over half of respondents (53.6 per cent) said they trusted the

Government to protect their right to privacy whilst maintaining national security.

Almost 40 per cent disagreed. Disquiet over the legislation is fuelled by spying

revelations about mass surveillance by the United States National Security Agency.

Mr Key yesterday said he would resign if the GCSB was found to engage in

pervasive snooping. He also came under pressure to explicitly write into law

protections around the content of communications.

He argued this was already provided by the interaction of three clauses. He will spell

this out in a speech to Parliament today which he says will give judges interpreting

the law in future a clear steer on the Government's intentions. Disagreement over the

legislation spilled over into an extradrdinary exchange during question time yesterday.

Mr Key accused Labour leader David Shearer of creeping up Beehive stairs to his

office to keep secret a meeting about the law change.

'We sat down and had about a 3O-minute discussion where Mr Shearer said 'keep

this confidential. lf you come out and say we've done it that won't look good and I

don't want you shouting it about the House'." Mr Shearer does not deny the meeting,

or trying to hush it up, but he insisted that it was not initiated by Mr Key. This is the

Government's bill, the Government did not do anything to try and initiate a sit-down

with other parties in order to get broader consensus across the House," he said

Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill and the

companion Telecommunications (lnterception Capability and Security) Billwere

proposed in the wake of an illegal spying scandal. It emeiged that the bureau had

illegally snooped on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom and dozens of Kiwis.

The Government argued it was necessary to tighten up the legislation to allow the

GCSB to carry out surveillance on behalf of domestic agencies. However, critics say

the legislation goes far beyond clarifying the law and actually grants the spy agency

new functions and much broader powers. Almost 30 per cent of those polled said

they were "very concerned" about a law change that would allow the GCSB to

intercept New Zealanders' communications, not just foreign ones. Just under a

quarter were not at al! concerned.

However, just over half of respondents (53.6 per cent) said they trusted the

Government to protect their right to privacy whilst maintaining national security.

Almost 40 per cent disagreed. Disquiet over the legislation is fuelled by spying

revelations about mass surveillance by the United States National Security Agency.

Mr Key yesterday said he would resign if the GCSB was found to engage in

pervasive snooping. He also came under pressure to explicitly write into law

protections around the content of communications.

He argued this was already provided by the interaction of three clauses. He will spell

this out in a speech to Parliament today which he says will give judges interpreting

the law in future a clear steer on the Government's intentions. Disagreement over the

legislation spilled over into an extradrdinary exchange during question time yesterday.

Mr Key accused Labour leader David Shearer of creeping up Beehive stairs to his

office to keep secret a meeting about the law change.

'We sat down and had about a 3O-minute discussion where Mr Shearer said 'keep

this confidential. lf you come out and say we've done it that won't look good and I

don't want you shouting it about the House'." Mr Shearer does not deny the meeting,

or trying to hush it up, but he insisted that it was not initiated by Mr Key. This is the

Government's bill, the Government did not do anything to try and initiate a sit-down

with other parties in order to get broader consensus across the House," he said

Dotcom's lawyers, Paul Davison, QC, and William Akel, from Simpson Grierson,

described a chain of evidence taken from court actions since the raid. Among the

actions was a finding at the High Court that the search warrant used for the raid was

unlawful and the raid illegal. The claim accused police of "unne@ssary force and

aggressive intimidatory tactics" by using armed anti-terrorist police in an airborne

assault on the north Auckland mansion. The claim highlighted doors being kicked in

and Dotcom's wife Mona, pregnant with twins at the time, being kept forcibly from her

three young children.

It also targets the GCSB in the legal action for illegal spying - and then attempting to

legally cover it up. Prime Minister John Key was forced to apologise last September

after Dotcom's legal team told the High Court it was illegal by law for the GCSB to

spy on New Zealand residents. Dotcom and co-defendant Bram van der Kolk were

residents and protected by law at the time. The claim says the GCSB should have

known they were not to be spied on - and should have done its own checks instead

of relying-on the police's flawed evidence.

It accused GCSB boss lan Fletcher of acting unlawfully by giving "incomplete" and

"misleading" information to Mr English, who ln Mr Key's absence signed a once-in-a-

decade certificate legally ordering the GCSB's involvement to be kept obscured. The

certificate turned out to be worthless when the illegality was raised. The claim

specifies sums ranging from $1 million to $50,000 for a range of points. An additional

case is made for the cost of repairing damage, including kicking in doors and ruining

expensive computer systems, caused by police in the raid. The case is set to be

heard in March, just before the likely date of the long-delayed extradition hearing

So Where's Key'sresignation?

>>670662

Sorry, source:

https:// wikileaks.org/bnd-inquiry/docs/AA/MAT_A_AA-1/MAT%20A%20AA-1-1w.pdf

>>670640

Source for GCBS, Mr. Key saying he'd resign if illegal data collection occurred & Kim Dotcom illegal spying claims:

https:// wikileaks.org/bnd-inquiry/docs/AA/MAT_A_AA-1/MAT%20A%20AA-1-1w.pdf

Glad other anons found it interesting, had to pour thru a 218 page pdf file for It! LOL