Terrorist threat!

Kia Ora,

First thanks to Simon for his kind words. Just try to base this on my experience & what I see & hear out on the ground.

This last week has raised the issue of terrorist threats to New Zealand.

First there was the Wikileaks reports on New Zealand which range from closer intelligence ties where the US could assist in monitoring radicalizing Kiwi Jihadists to the claim that there were no terrorists or support groups in New Zealand.

Funny I found one person who had been a radicalizing Kiwi Jihadist on youtube, another that could be. That is without taking into account the person who turned to Islam in prison & called it, in an interview, the religion of the black man for the war against the white man if I remember his tirade correctly some years ago.

The problem is as outlined in his youtube clips by the former Kiwi Jihadist, both New Zealand & US intelligence ignore those small things that you really need to be aware of & not just look for the smoking gun or rely on electronic intelligence.

So how any good comment could be made based on what they hear or see in Wellington or based on electronic intelligence is limited.

As recent events in the US itself has shown a lot of the radicals have been home grown young idealists. They are the ones they know about.
Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence, 3d Edition
Then there was the incident on the inter Island ferry where a Jewish prayer ritual not regularly seen in New Zealand was been practised & caused a call out of the Anti terrorist police unit.

The Race Relations commissioner says it hints at an "exaggerated fear of terrorisn." I would beg to differ & say New Zealand tends not to think it will ever been a target even though it has been in the past & is daily from organized crime.

I would go further & say the ships crew have done very well. Something happening which they were not familiar with so they reported it & kept it under observation only so as not to panic passengers.

The Police then reacted & carried out their drills as they should. If you think there is a possible terrorist you do not ask them "excuse me are you a terrorist?", but treat the person as a terrorist until you know better.

The Race Relations Commissioner is showing the kind of woolly thinking that gets people killed!
Home-Grown Terrorism: Understanding and Addressing the Root Causes of Radicalisation among Groups with an Immigrant Heritage in Europe - Volume 60 NATO ... Series - E: Human and Societal Dynamics
Then the media had to get involved & the person I saw been interviewed on 'Close up' was not what he was said to be. Just because you have a degree in terrorism it doesn't make you a Counter Terrorism Expert.

The only person I would say is near to fitting that title would be a member/former member of the SAS anti terrorist team.

Or a former terrorist!
Home Grown Terrorism (The Undeclared War Against Crime in America)
Then you throw into the mix the terrorist attack in Sweden. All the focus of likely terrorist attacks in Europe had been on the major players not the 'safe' countries like Sweden.

It is exactly the same reason why New Zealand is a perfect target. It is seen as safe & therefore a successful attack would have major psychological effect on people.

Even though only one person was involved in the Swedish attack, with a seperate car bomb then suicide bomb or pipe bombs in his back pack you could see the intention followed the terrorist line of follow up attacks or even bombs placed to hit those responding. Things just didn't go the way as planned.
60 Minutes - Homegrown Terror (May 9, 2010)
The reaction in this case was good in particular by the ships crew & that is the sort of thing that all New Zealand entities should be prepared for but generally aren't because they think it just won't happen here.

As the advert goes "Yeah Right".

http://www,foxhoundsecurity.co.nz