New Zealand: Spy base attacked in security breach
Three men have been arrested after an attack on the Waihopai spy base near Blenheim in a breach of security at one of New Zealand's most sensitive security installations. An inflatable cover of a dome has been cut open, deflated and draped over one of the satellite dishes inside. The protest group Waihopai Anzac Ploughshares has claimed responsibility for getting through security to tear the statellite dish cover. It's Echelon spy network they are opposed to, claiming the network is part of the US government's global spy network used in the war on Iraq. Three men have been arrested after an attack on the Waihopai spy base near Blenheim in a breach of security at one of New Zealand's most sensitive security installations.An inflatable cover of a dome has been cut open, deflated and draped over one of the satellite dishes inside.
The protest group Waihopai Anzac Ploughshares has claimed responsibility for getting through security to tear the statellite dish cover.
It's Echelon spy network they are opposed to, claiming the network is part of the US government's global spy network used in the war on Iraq. Echelon collects and analyses signals.
A press release on behalf of Ploughshares details exactly what went into the protest. At 6am they cut through three security fences, deflated one of the dome's covers using sickles, then knelt down beside it to pray. It took security guards half an hour to even realise anything had happened.
The protesters have been arrested and taken to Blenheim police station.
Prime Minister Helen Clark says it was a senseless act of vandalism and it will be dealt with by the criminal justice system. Clark says she has spoken about the incident with the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) which provides foreign signals intelligence to the government.
This isn't the first time protesters have targeted the spy base. As far back as 1988, people have been doing so.
Read more here:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/1753583
