The Information is all there!

Kia Ora,

A few years back I started collecting newspaper clippings keeping an eye on trouble spots around the world & getting my soldiers to research them.

Since leaving the military I have extended that to crime, disasters & likely threats.

Well in the last few days I have had to start going back through those clippings as information came through that someone I have had an issue with post the earthquake here in Christchurch is not as holier than thou they make out.

In fact as I scratched just a little with a contact I suddenly realized where I knew the face & name from. Their criminal activity was in the paper, although they will claim that is was not criminal & they have made it good.

The amount of information though that has come out especially in the little side news briefs was interesting.

Included were predictions of overdue diasters here in New Zealand. Those disasters were a large earthquake here in the South Island, though it was more focussed on the Alpine faultline. Overdue volcanic eruptions in Auckland, Lake Taupo, Taranaki with a new volcano expected in Wanganui township.

There was also a clipping about Christchurch City council looking at the city's commericial & civic buildings for possible earthquake strengthening although the nearest known fault was over 30km away. We know now since the Canterbury wee shake that actually there was at least one fault previous known in the city. The Addington fault but even that has been a matter of contradiction by the 'experts'.
Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence, 3d Edition
Other information included the profile of the Kiwi jihadist whose youtube postings I included in earlier posts.

Some have said that collecting them is a waste of time, but as this recent look back through has shown the information gathered can give a warning to issues further down the track.

For Security like the military the more surprises you can plan for the better prepared you are for the unexpected.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

New Security Regulations!

Kia Ora,

There has been no blog for last few days as have been completing a submission as requested on the training regulations for the new Private Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010.

As I have pointed out on many occassions the New Zealand Security Industry only plays at security, so the submission was not complimentary to the current system or the likely system that will be implimented under the regulations.

But there were many suggestions on where they have to look to bring the industry up to international standards.

The points I have made though take on a more realistic view when the latest Wikileaks posting about New Zealand reveal how NZ Muslims have fought in wars such as Afghanistan,Bosnia & possibly Chechnya.

No Jihadists? Yeah Right!

They also reveal at least one Jihadist is promoting extremist views in a New Zealand mosque.

There will never be suicide bombers in New Zealand! Yeah Right!

That is someone they can watch but what about the ones they don't see as highlighted by what the former Kiwi Jihadist has pointed out in his youtube postings.

Yet the New Zealand Security Industry is not ready for what it views as a more aggressive form of security to combat or neutralize any threat.
Inside Terrorism
Even basic crime is not just about the police doing their job but the whole community & in that the NZ Security Industry has a big role to play if they are up to it. So what about extremism?

But as I say the Security Industry in New Zealand just plays at it!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

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

Fools Paradise! Commonwealth Games Security!

Kia Ora,

Well the on going saga of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi is playing out. With the concentration on the state of the Games Village & some of the other buildings security has been pretty much glossed over.

The news footage here has focussed on two security points. The person with the rifle & the car search.

The person with the rifle is in what in the army we would of called a 'caught unawares shot'where someone took the pose like they were actually working. No one would stay in that pose for their whole shift especially if they were weak in the upper body.

As to the car search. A suicide bomber would love that search as too many standing around the vehicle. But not a problem that could not be sorted with some quick training & leadership.
Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding Threats and Responses in the Post 9/11 World (3rd Edition)
After my last blog on the security situation at the Games Village with comments based on the information from a security consultant who had been on the site, I have received a message through another social media forum. That message is from someone living close to the Commonwealth Games area & the comment was interesting. There is a lot of security but its only mission seems to be hassle the locals not protect anything.

They say the situation is a lot worse than the media is reporting.
Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment, Readings and Interpretations, Revised & Updated 2004 (Trade Edition)
A reporter was just on TV saying how many check points they had to go through.

Picture the other day showed an Indian check point several years ago checking all the tourists whilst the locals walked around the side. Pretty much the situation in one I came across after the suicide bombings in Amman, Jordan in 2006. At the hotel I was in, all tourists went through a metal detector & had their luggage searched whilst some who would be an odds on bet to be Jihadists were allowed around the side.
Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment, Readings and Interpretations, Revised & Updated 2004 (Trade Edition)
In another incident we watched as a bodyguard for an Iraqi politician handed his pistol to the politician as they were not checked.

You can have as many check points as you want, but if they do not apply to all then they are ineffective.
Debating Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Conflicting Perspectives on Causes, Contexts, and Responses
The same here recently in a dress rehearsal for the Rugby World Cup 2011 when people were walking past the alcohol searches & not been checked. Though I can't blame the security for that as no one expects a great threat. But as we focus on the issues in India, it is best to remember we will need to be much better than worrying about alcohol searches.

It can be fixed but time is running out for both the Commonwealth Games & the Rugby World Cup 2011. At present we are all in a fools paradise.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

What the Lost Youth & Poor turn too!

Kia Ora,

I found yesterdays blog or the information contained in it very concerning when I came across it.

But as the self confessed ex Jihadist says "what if?"

World wide he is the sort of person the extremists recruit, young & lost or the poor.



There are reports today of suspected Islamic terror groups in Britain talking of different targets.

What is to stop that being a group in New Zealand? The fact New Zealand refers to itself as safe is the biggest attraction to these guys.

Initially anyway terrorist groups tend to be made up of lost young males who are filled with the 'spirit' of what ever religion or 'mission' (ie eco greens)& this makes them risk takers. The same thing happens early in a conventional War when nationalism results in usually the greatest casualty rates.



But what if someone follows the path this guy says he followed & actually does complete his training, then really does believe. As they found in Britain, the biggest threat now is from those who are home grown.

It will start a vicious cycle where ignorance takes hold. Every Muslim will get the blame for the actions of a few & the actions generally by the same sort of person who carried out any attack in the name of another religion usually.

But like in the US after 9/11 it will hurt those that are not even connected.

Like the Sikh who was shot dead in Texas in the mistaken belief he was a Muslim.



Yes, I did forecast there was likely to be people like this in NZ, but it is still not great to find you were right.

That is why I believe the NZ Security Industry needs to raise its standards because of all countries in the world, NZ is the one that could stop this cycle continuing here, by been effective along side the police & other agencies.

http://www/foxhoundsecurity.co.nz