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DOTCOM saga - updates
IainB:
I would be extremely interested in seeing what's done about that more than anything else actually.
-40hz (March 09, 2013, 05:50 AM)
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+1 from me. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
Though it is not so important/relevant to the subject of this thread, it is extremely important to me and potentially the greater majority of New Zealanders who would be concerned about maintaining the country's hard-won freedoms and democracy.
(It doesn't seem so long ago that the country voted for reform of the electoral system and switched to proportional representation under MMP, the first use of same being in the election of 1996 - see here.)
IainB:
Sigh...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/08/kim-dotcom-nsa_n_2838915.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
:(
-Renegade (March 09, 2013, 08:28 AM)
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Yes - Sigh.
That post also refers to ECHELON - which is referred to in the Wikipedia article I mentioned in the thread, above - New Zealand–United States relations.
Wikipedia has a fuller note on it here - ECHELON.
There have apparently been quite a few protests about that in NZ. ECHELON and the protests seem to be rather "under reported" in NZ media, possibly because it is even more hush-hush than SACCWG. The experience of people working on similarly top secret Defence projects indicates that that would be par for the course - i.e., would be typical.
From the first time one becomes engaged in such projects, the use of, and reliance on science, mathematics and sophisticated computer systems becomes starkly evident.
If such systems were indeed being used to push a monopoly commercial-political agenda and research, as Dotcom seems to be suggesting here:
"The NSA receives billions in funding to fight terrorism and drug cartels with #Echolon and now copyright cases. Well done MPAA."
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- then I would suggest that something must have come badly off the rails for such a corruption as that to happen.
Of course he could be mistaken, though I doubt that he would be daft enough to make it up.
IainB:
New developments per NZHerald report:
(Copied below sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)
Spy boss left out in cold
By David Fisher @@DFisherJourno
5:30 AM Monday Mar 18, 2013
Hugh Wolfensohn, former deputy director of the GCSB, was with the bureau for 24 years. Photo / Bob Leonard
The spy master who oversaw the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom no longer works for the GCSB intelligence agency as it braces for fresh exposure of its failings.
The high-level inquiry ordered by the Prime Minister into the Government Communications Security Bureau is just weeks from being released.
When it comes, it will be the first big piece of work to leave the bureau in decades without the involvement of recently departed deputy director Hugh Wolfensohn.
Mr Wolfensohn emerged as a central figure in the Kim Dotcom spying scandal; he was the GCSB's deputy director, chief legal adviser and had oversight of intelligence missions at the time illegal spying on the Megaupload tycoon began.
During the course of the month-long interception, Mr Wolfensohn became acting director - one of five people to lead the GCSB in five years.
The bureau is prohibited by law from spying on New Zealand citizens and residents, which meant Mr Dotcom and co-accused Bram van der Kolk should have been protected from the GCSB's high-tech intrusions.
The bureau has claimed it did not realise Mr Dotcom and Mr van der Kolk were protected under the visa they held.
However, the Herald has found Mr Wolfensohn held all the information needed to judge the spying illegal from mid-February - seven months before the Prime Minister admitted his own department had broken the law.
The illegal spying blunder left Mr Key apologising to Mr Dotcom, who faces an extradition hearing in August with three colleagues to face charges of criminal copyright violation.
In the weeks following the admission, Mr Wolfensohn was placed on leave while Mr Key appointed Cabinet secretary Rebecca Kitteridge as associate director of the agency. Her job was to review the agency's systems and ability and put in place new procedures for assisting law enforcement. The initial three-month posting was extended to six months.
The bureau had told the Herald her report is expected in weeks and would be largely made public. A spokesman also confirmed Mr Wolfensohn no longer worked for the bureau.
Mr Wolfensohn has created a detailed profile on the LinkedIn online networking service, detailing his rise to the top of New Zealand's most secretive spy agency.
Mr Wolfensohn joined the GCSB in 1988 as legal officer. He began a steady rise through the bureau's ranks from 1996 and was appointed deputy director in 2000 and led the bureau's strategic policy and corporate services division before being appointed to oversight of mission enablement and chief legal officer in 2010. He lists the end of his employment with the bureau as 2013.
New chief must revive public trust
The job description for the new GCSB spy chief says a key result is making sure the public understands and trusts the bureau more than it does now.
Those applying to be Associate Director of the Government Communications Security Bureau will also be required to make changes identified in a review ordered by Prime Minister John Key.
Green co-leader Russel Norman said the unreleased review overlooks the need for an entire restructuring of New Zealand's spy agencies. He said there was not enough accountability, with spies at the GCSB and Security Intelligence Service answering only to a minister, an Inspector-General appointed by the executive and an oversight committee of senior politicians.
Labour leader David Shearer said he believed a review of oversight for the GCSB and SIS was necessary.
Hugh Wolfensohn
*Studied law at Oxford University in early 1970s before joining the Royal Navy.
*Moved to New Zealand in 1986 and joined the NZ navy.
*Went on to become NZ Defence Force legal officer.
*Worked at the GCSB from 1988, rising to deputy director and chief legal adviser.
By David Fisher @@DFisherJourno Email David
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tomos:
Sort-of off-topic comment:
I'm not sure why a country of 4.5 million people thinks it needs a spy agency at all. Maybe I'm naive, maybe all countries do this, even the small ones. Must surely be a bit of a black hole for spending though...
Renegade:
Sort-of off-topic comment:
I'm not sure why a country of 4.5 million people thinks it needs a spy agency at all. Maybe I'm naive, maybe all countries do this, even the small ones. Must surely be a bit of a black hole for spending though...
-tomos (March 18, 2013, 10:36 AM)
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Spooks are everywhere. Heck... A lot of spooks will even introduce themselves to you. I think I have a few business cards floating around somewhere. A lot of them like to drink a lot as well. :P (I'm not kidding. Had a great conversation drinking with a British analyst on North Korea one time.)
For funding, my guess is that a lot of agencies make up for a lack of funding the same way the US agency does. Not sure, but it's probable.
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