There’s an odd story up on Stuff about suspected Israeli intelligence activity around the Christchurch earthquake. It appears to have been leaked to the media by the SIS (has that ever happened before?).
Briefly, one of the Israelis killed in the quake was determined to be carrying ‘at least five passports’. His fellow travellers left the country as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue squad dispatched from Israel had arrived in Christchurch but the offer of help was rejected by New Zealand authorities because the squad did not have accreditation from the United Nations.
According to Israeli newspaper reports, the squad was being funded by the parents of two other Israelis killed in the earthquake, Ofer Levy and Gabi Ingel, both 22, who were said to be in New Zealand on a backpacking holiday. The parents made repeated public appeals for the Israeli team to join the rescue, appeals that were dismissed by the New Zealand authorities until squad members were discovered in the sealed off “red zone” of the central city.
It is understood the squad members were confronted by armed New Zealand officers and removed from the area. That confrontation is understood to have led to intense diplomatic exchanges between New Zealand and Israel, though police have refused to comment on the incident or even acknowledge that it occurred, and the Israeli ambassador says he had not been advised of any such incident.
Another Israeli group, a forensic analysis team sent by the Israeli government, was welcomed in Christchurch and worked on victim identification in the morgue.
The SIS suspects the forensic team accessed the police national computer and installed a backdoor malware program on it. They don’t seem to have any proof.
This is all rather strange. Why leak this to the media in the absence of any firm evidence? Why would Israeli intelligence have a team in Christchurch? Was it to do with the TPP negotiations under way in the city at the time? Were they spying on foreign delegates? Or is this all just some fantasy the SIS has dreamed up?
If it’s real, and the government can prove that Israel exploited the aftermath of the earthquake to penetrate our police files then we’ll have to shut down their embassy and expel their diplomats. Again. What value could New Zealand’s domestic police files have for Israeli intelligence that would merit the risk of such an outcome?
The GCSB Waihopai Echelon Station is an important SIGNINT base. Perhaps they are fishing to find out if there is anything about Israel that the USA knows and isn’t telling them, and they regard NZ as the easiest place to get it?
If the latest reports indicate another attempt to steal intelligence from us, then we certainly seem to be the target of a sustained Israeli intelligence attack.
What are the cops calling the investigation, BTW? my money is on “Operation Jericho.”
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 8:40 am
This is all rather strange. Why leak this to the media in the absence of any firm evidence?
The better question would be “why leak it to the editor of the Southland Times?”.
You’re so Wellington, Danyl. Not everything that gets out is “leaked”. I suspect there was chatter around this, Fred Tulett got a tip, and they were able to back up enough of it to make a story. A bloody cracker of a story, actually.
Although, like you, I’m mystified about the malware thing.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 8:43 am
There’s a ton of information in this story, none of which is OIAable. The journalist’s been briefed. Why the editor of the Southland Times? I have no idea.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 8:53 am
Modern encryption systems are virtually impossible to crack, unless you have a clue. getting hold of loads of personal information helps you get these clues.
For example, if you penetrate the police national computer you might discover that Murray McCully has a pet labrador called “Muffybottom”. You might then guess that he might use that information to try and guess his password for his computer.You might then find a confidential cable, decrypted, right there – and that cable and it’s contents (repeated headers or footers, etc) may offer clues that allow you to decode other cables in your possession.
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 8:56 am
*You might then guess that he might use that name as his password, and you can use that information to try and guess his password for his computer.
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 8:58 am
Note to customs, Stop all ‘tourists’ entering NZ with 8′ floppy disks in their luggage and carrying multiple passports.
Note to Mossad, tell future agents not to carry ALL the passports at the same time. Instead to put them behind a picture like Jason Bourne.
Comment by andy (the other one) — July 20, 2011 @ 8:58 am
But the actual facts in this story are remarkably thin, especially read in conjunction with Tulett’s other story. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5311497/Quake-victims-no-Mossad-agents
The only actual factual claims are that a quake victim had 5 passports on them, and that the unaccredited people sent by Levy and Ingel’s parents were found in the red zone.
One of my immediate family members legitimately has travel documents for three countries in her own right (NZ, Israel, US). It doesn’t seem at all unlikely to me that in a group of four people, one person has the other people’s passports and crap in their bag. I see no one reported that the passports were forged, or wrong, or stolen. If I was a talkative SIS agent (Since when did they give interviews to the media?) that’d be THE most crucial element of suspicion.
Neither is it particularly surprising that paid but unaccredited people would be trying to do what they were asked to do in breach of local rules. If New Zealanders were doing that in another country on behalf of a New Zealand family, we’d be applauding their no-nonsense common sense in cutting through red tape.
All the rest is pure surmise.
Comment by Stephen — July 20, 2011 @ 9:05 am
Eh? I thought he taped them to the underside of a drawer.
Comment by Clunking Fist — July 20, 2011 @ 9:06 am
The officer said the investigation failed to find any suspicious files indicating the computer system had been hacked in to but the file remained open.
Computer guy to Police, ‘I have told you a thousand times, close ALL files, then log out’.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10739639
Comment by andy (the other one) — July 20, 2011 @ 9:06 am
Also, didn’t most visitors leave as soon as they possibly could? Wouldn’t you? And if you were a nefarious spy, wouldn’t you in fact stay behind to try and tidy up after yourself? The whole story stinks of out of control rumour.
Comment by Stephen — July 20, 2011 @ 9:14 am
@ Fist
In the Bourne Supremacy, they are definitely behind a small picture or mirror. you must be thinking of I or III
Comment by andy (the other one) — July 20, 2011 @ 9:23 am
Speaking of conspiracies – Danyl, I raised an eyebrow when I saw you thought the death of was think about your belief that Sean Hoare was assassinated by Met police officers to send “…a not-very subtle message to other potential whistleblowers that if you speak out against them they can murder you with near total impunity…”
I struggle how this could be. how can you send a not-very subtle message without everyone knowing that you are sending a not-very subtle message, and presumably talking about it everywhere, including the mainstream papers?
Conversely, why conduct something as provocative and dangerous as assassinating someone and then not let it be known you were behind it. What is then the point?
The Sopranoes can whack someone because they can tell people they whacked him, thus getting a not-very subtle message across about who owns rubbish collection on the Lower East Side or some such. The Metropolitan police may also have the ability to whack someone with impunity, but since they can’t tell anyone they did the message won’t ever get across. So unless he had more to tell and needed to be silenced, why would they bother?
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 9:23 am
The only actual factual claims are that a quake victim had 5 passports on them, and that the unaccredited people sent by Levy and Ingel’s parents were found in the red zone.
Assuming the claims are true and accurate, there seems to be a bit more than that.
Would you expect, for example, New Zealand’s civil defence chief to fly immediately to Israel if a New Zealand backpacker was killed in a natural disaster there?
It doesn’t seem at all unlikely to me that in a group of four people, one person has the other people’s passports and crap in their bag.
It’s certainly possible. It’s not something I’ve ever done or would do while travelling. And there’s no mention in the story of a bag, only that his body was taken to the morgue for identification. But more to the point, how did the other three manage to leave the country within the day if their passports were still with Mizrahi?
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 9:27 am
Key is refusing to comment, which is, in itself a comment, ie it is not a denial. Interesting that this story broke when he was out of the country.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 9:35 am
We are lucky we have Audrey Young from teh Herald Live Blogging, From Keys awesome American adventure, the fact that key says “no comment, we don’t comment on security matters” (Except if its SAS, you know guns n stuff, cause they are cool..)
Comment by andy (the other one) — July 20, 2011 @ 9:45 am
Key can’t comment, but Fred Tullett could get the beans from an SIS agent. Odd. Meanwhile, the SAS get to choose for themselves whether to stay in Afghanistan. Just who is running NZ’s intelligence and military? Not the PM.
Comment by Stephen — July 20, 2011 @ 9:47 am
Key can’t comment, but Fred Tullett could get the beans from an SIS agent.
Well, yeah. That’s how stories get written sometimes.
Key confirmed that Mizrahi was carrying “several” passports, but said it was “not in the national interest” to comment on any SIS investigation.
I think it’s highly likely there was an SIS investigation around this. What its actual merit was, I couldn’t venture.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:02 am
Do we have any evidence re Tullett’s Source? There don’t appear to be any facts at all yet. It’s all a bit reminiscent of the allegations (bogus of course but obsessively repeated by the usual suspects) about some Israeli tourists in NY at the time of 9/11.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 10:09 am
Sorry, that wasn’t a very good answer just now.
Key can’t comment, but Fred Tullett could get the beans from an SIS agent. Odd. Meanwhile, the SAS get to choose for themselves whether to stay in Afghanistan. Just who is running NZ’s intelligence and military? Not the PM.
Yes, but Jon Stephenson’s Afghanistan stories, to take an obvious example, were compiled against a backdrop of official refusal to comment and the repeated frustration of OIA requests. He had sources. It’s not really that odd to believe that Tulett could also have access to a source.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:09 am
Do we have any evidence re Tullett’s Source? There don’t appear to be any facts at all yet. It’s all a bit reminiscent of the allegations (bogus of course but obsessively repeated by the usual suspects) about some Israeli tourists in NY at the time of 9/11.
But that was a pure conspiracy theory; there was literally no evidence for it. This seems more like the 2004 NZ passport incident, which was strenuously denied for years. Again, it seems highly likely there was actually an SIS investigation. Whether it was warranted and what it found is less clear.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:13 am
Hmmm. Paul Buchanan is on Radio NZ saying Mizrahi’s passports were for “five different identities”. That doesn’t appear to actually be in the story.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:16 am
I was listening to Tulett on RNZ thios morning.
Despite Plunkett’s breathless gushing the story appeared to be.
1. One of 4 Israelis in a van killed in the EQ
2. Dead man allegedly holds multiple passports
3. Other Israilis go back to Israel
The story then evolved into ‘Mysterious Israili Forensic Team’ gain access to, hacks and subsequently introduce malware into police intelligence systems.
WTF?
Comment by Gregor W — July 20, 2011 @ 10:17 am
The thing that makes me sad at this point is that body identification is a really horrible job that is absolutely necessary for families of victims. As far as I can tell, there was no allegation, complaint or charge made about the Israeli team who worked at the morgue, nor has any evidence of wrong doing been found, but their reputation has been attacked nonetheless.
Danyl’s headline for this post is hilarious though.
Comment by Stephen — July 20, 2011 @ 10:19 am
But that was a pure conspiracy theory; there was literally no evidence for it.
just as there is no evidence here, unless this from stuff counts:
Asked if he considered it unusual that a tribute page to Mr Mizrahi posted on Facebook had attracted only five “likes” in more than four months after the earthquake, Mr Tzur said different cultures reacted to tragedy in different ways.
flakery.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 10:22 am
Incidentally, I checked out what appears to be the famous Facebook page. It’s completely blank and appears abandoned. And it says “Rest in Peace Ofer Mizrahi”. Which is not what I would expect any Israeli relatives/friends to write or do. There were no obvious matches for עופר מזרחי, again not surprising. Beatup.
Comment by Stephen — July 20, 2011 @ 10:32 am
just as there is no evidence here
There is evidence, from Tulett’s source, that the SIS took the matter seriously and investigated it. The PM has declined to comment on the basis that it would be not “in the national interest” to comment on any SIS activity. That Mizrahi had multiple passports on him has been confirmed by Key and the Israeli ambassador. These do not appear to have been the passports of his travelling companions, who could hardly have left the country on the same day without passports. Although the parents who funded the two S&R teams were widely quoted in the Israeli media in February, Tulett claims to have been unable to track them down. There is — although we have only the word of Tulett’s source for it — allegedly a seventh individual, “illegally” in New Zealand, who was reported dead or missing and seems to have turned up back in Israel without having officially left New Zealand. There seems to be a bit more than zero evidence.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:33 am
An SIS officer said it would take only moments for a USB drive to be inserted in a police computer terminal and for a program allowing remote backdoor access to be loaded.
We carried out an urgent audit. If it had been done it would eventually have given the Israelis access to all of our intelligence
accepting for a moment that there really is an SIS source then either the SIS is very stupid, there is no way so simple a procdure could have such dire consequences or, if there is and our whole intellignece data base can actually be accessed that easiy, that would indicate the SIS are very stupid.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 10:35 am
FWIW, here’s the Haaretz story from the day after the quake.
http://bit.ly/dLG4eQ
And the JPost story on the return of Mizrahi’s travelling companions the next day.
http://bit.ly/gDfTaD
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 10:46 am
I can see why the SIS might have paid some interest. I can see why they should have concluded that the dots really didn’t join up up. But if they think they do join up and have chosen to leak this for some reason (to exert political pressure?) then that’s a story. But a story about how the SIS operates.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 10:53 am
Actually the seventh individual was reported on http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5055978/Missing-Israeli-still-a-puzzle
Comment by J — July 20, 2011 @ 10:56 am
I see it’s the top story on Haaretz right now. I expect the angle abput the parents will get cleared up soon, once Israeli jounos get on it.
Comment by Stephen J — July 20, 2011 @ 11:02 am
if this is from a reliable source then it’s certainly an interesing insight into how the SIS is interpreting social media info. Interesting and not very reassuring.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 11:05 am
Key’s handling of this doesn’t seem particularly adept:
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Key four times on the day of the earthquake but Key would only discuss part of those phone calls, which he said were to offer help and advice.
He would not discuss other aspects of the calls.
But when asked repeatedly if the Israeli government had done anything wrong he would not answer, saying it was not in the national interest for him to do so.
Key was also asked about an Israeli search and rescue team being escorted from the Red Zone by armed guards after being found there without permission.
He confirmed he was aware of an incident but “can’t confirm all of the details in the way you’ve presented them”.
When asked to give a correct portrayal of the incident he refused. And when asked why it was not in the national interest to talk about the matters raised in a Fairfax story today Key said it was because he “deemed” that to be the case.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/s/gE17
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 11:09 am
Actually the seventh individual was reported on
Ah. It looks like Fairfax were sniffing around this even back in May:
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 11:15 am
I just love the fact that Key is answering questions about this AT Facebook, but in person, offline. That’s like, totally meta-ironic or something.
Comment by sammy — July 20, 2011 @ 11:19 am
Key’s handling of this doesn’t seem particularly adept…
I am shocked!
Comment by Richard — July 20, 2011 @ 11:23 am
Tulett isn’t a master of detail. He writes: “Israel’s Ambassador in the South Pacific, Shemi Tzur, who is based in Australia, booked flights from Canberra.” A friend pointed out to me he’s based in Wellington, at the Israeli embassy in Wellington, and has been for a year (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10639422).
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 11:36 am
“These do not appear to have been the passports of his travelling companions, who could hardly have left the country on the same day without passports. ”
That points to another oddity – would it be normal to bugger off out of the country as soon as they could if a “travelling companion” had just been killed?
Comment by Pete George — July 20, 2011 @ 11:39 am
given Israel’s record – including stealing a NZ identity to get a NZ passport – I’d be less inclined to assume there is an innocent explanation. Sure, lots of people wanted to get out of Chch in a hurry, but the vast majority found it was impossible to do so.
Whether Key and the SIS are competent to deal with it is of course another matter – but as has been pointed out, that may be exactly why they chose NZ in the first place.
Comment by deemac — July 20, 2011 @ 11:44 am
I just love the fact that Key is answering questions about this AT Facebook
Zuckerberg? well, another dot.
but seriously, was this leak timed for Key being overseas?
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 11:45 am
would it be normal to bugger off out of the country as soon as they could if a “travelling companion” had just been killed? Um, yes? Wouldn’t you want to go home as soon as you could? Why would you stay somewhere about as far from home as it’s possible to be if you were in this situation?
And indeed, don’t different people react differently? Please share with us your policy manual on approved reactions to stressful situations.
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 11:50 am
“…given Israel’s record…’
this is it. We’ve got every right to be suspicious of Israeli activity in our country, given that Mossad has form.
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 11:52 am
Get back to work public servants
Comment by abel the amish — July 20, 2011 @ 11:59 am
@Neil:
accepting for a moment that there really is an SIS source then either the SIS is very stupid, there is no way so simple a procdure could have such dire consequences or, if there is and our whole intellignece data base can actually be accessed that easiy, that would indicate the SIS are very stupid.
It’s not the SIS computer system being discussed though.
Daniel Ayers was quite useful on this. He told Kathryn Ryan that:
He points out that it’s “not an easy thing to be breaking into the police computers and looking at the information”, but that large systems are difficult to physically secure — especially given that the Police system isn’t air-gapped. He said the idea of installing malware was a “more likely” way of getting in, by harvesting passwords etc.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 12:00 pm
Hmm, certainly makes David Garrett look small time…
On other matters, I finished that book you *forced* me to read Danyl – you??
Comment by Sam — July 20, 2011 @ 12:09 pm
Infinite Jest of course…
Comment by Sam — July 20, 2011 @ 12:10 pm
It’s not the SIS computer system being discussed though.
you’re right. The Israeli forensic people were working at a (makeshift?) morgue, were there police computer terminals there they could access?
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
And indeed, don’t different people react differently? Please share with us your policy manual on approved reactions to stressful situations.
It does appear that a lot of people understandably wanted out asap. OTOH, I’m not sure I’d immediately leave my dead friend behind at the scene and fly out of the country — if only so I so I could provide positive ID and contact information to the authorities.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
Please share with us your policy manual on approved reactions to stressful situations.
Apparently it includes stopping to take photos of your mate who’s just been crushed in the van. O_o
Comment by Progger — July 20, 2011 @ 12:20 pm
I’ll do a little rant about paraphrasing shortly but in the mean time what to make of this from the Herald:
Mr Tulett told Newstalk ZB the initial information given to him was checked with other sources, including an intelligence agency source.
if that agency source is SIS then would that imply the original source wasn’t? If it wasn’t SIS then which other intelligence agency?
(it could be Tulett continues to get details wrong or the paraphrasing is incorrect)
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 12:20 pm
if only so I so I could provide positive ID and contact information to the authorities.
Tulett himself quotes the ambassador as saying he drove them to the airport himself. I think if I was having a freakout, and I’d seen the ambassador, I’d consider my duties discharged.
Mr Tzur, who is based in Canberra but flew into Christchurch hours after the earthquake, said he was “shocked and upset” that New Zealand’s intelligence agencies would have such suspicions.
The three friends of Ofer Mizrahi, who was killed instantly when the van the four were in was crushed by falling concrete in the central city, had left New Zealand so hurriedly because they were shocked and crying and wanted to go home.
“I drove his three friends to the airport so they could go home. They were shocked and crying, they were just talking about their friends.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5311497/Quake-victims-no-Mossad-agents
Given what happened with the passports a few years ago, I see the reason for suspicion, but can we be a bit parsimonious about what actually counts as suspicous please?
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 12:23 pm
Apparently it includes stopping to take photos of your mate who’s just been crushed in the van.
The Stuff article says that they photographed the van. Which seems like a good thing to do if you want to get help for your friend or ensure his body is recovered, doesn’t it?
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 12:26 pm
I think an ambassador driving a bunch of tourists to the airport is actually kind of suspicious . . .
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 12:27 pm
Which seems like a good thing to do if you want to get help for your friend or ensure his body is recovered, doesn’t it?
I’m not sure I would have that presence of mind. From watching the footage on TV immediately after the quake I don’t remember seeing very many people standing around taking photographs of vehicles that had been crushed by falling masonry.
Comment by Progger — July 20, 2011 @ 12:30 pm
Israel is a small country, a lot like New Zealand in terms of degrees of separation. An NZ ambassador might well do the same. This and many other things people find suspicious right now weren’t comment worthy at the time and are only causing comment now because of how Tulett has woven them into a story. It remains to be seen whether his implications are correct.
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 12:38 pm
I think an ambassador driving a bunch of tourists to the airport is actually kind of suspicious.
Maybe. If your theoretical spies wanted to avoid suspicion they would take a cab?
The Ambassador would know that his immunity only extends to his person, not any reasonable search of his vehicle or passengers.
So really, unless the Ambassador had reason to believe that the exposure of these theoretical spies by NZ Intelligence Services was imminent, there would be no reason to transport them in order to expedite their departure, hoping to bluff past your average Kiwi Plod who wouldn’t know the niceties of the Vienna Conventions.
So is this a case of the act creating the lightning rod of suspicion rather than something actually nefarious? If so, the Ambassador has done a good job.
Maybe was just being nice.
Comment by Gregor W — July 20, 2011 @ 12:43 pm
@abel #43 “Get back to work public servants”
the people doing most of the writing here actually work in the private sector.
Comment by Che Tibby — July 20, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
I think an ambassador driving a bunch of tourists to the airport is actually kind of suspicious . . .
Not so much in itself, but more so in that there were by all accounts many stranded Israeli travellers in the city that day, some of whom were offered refuge by the Chabad because they could not fly out.
It may simply be a coincidence that three healthy young backpackers not only had flights out booked on the same day, but were personally driven to the airport by the ambassador. But it might be seen as odd.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 12:56 pm
“I’m not sure I would have that presence of mind. From watching the footage on TV immediately after the quake I don’t remember seeing very many people standing around taking photographs of vehicles that had been crushed by falling masonry.”
Personally, I think it’s pretty likely that someone from Israel might be more versed in what to do in the immediate aftermath of a civil calamity with roughly the same effects as a bombing, than I would be. In much the same way that I would expect someone from Kansas to know more about what to do in case of a tornado.
Comment by Jack — July 20, 2011 @ 12:59 pm
Please share with us your policy manual on approved reactions to stressful situations.
Difficult to know until you get in such a situation, but I’d think I’d want to make sure my friends body was being dealt with properly, and I’d certainly consider waiting around until the friend’s family arrived to meet and help them, or if they couldn’t get there to help them make arrangements.
But it is possible I’d just want to get the hell out of there.
Comment by Pete George — July 20, 2011 @ 1:01 pm
“…The Stuff article says that they photographed the van. Which seems like a good thing to do if you want to get help for your friend or ensure his body is recovered, doesn’t it..?”
Equally, lots of pictures would be handy for a team being infiltrated to recover any incriminating evidence knowing exactly where to go without shilly-shallying about.
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 1:03 pm
It may simply be a coincidence that three healthy young backpackers not only had flights out booked on the same day, but were personally driven to the airport by the ambassador. But it might be seen as odd.
their flights were for the same day! that makes it less odd. Given they assumed their tourist trip was over then wouldn’t getting – out since they had the tickets – be a fairly obvious choice. And since they had the tickets getting a helpful ride to the airport when that might not be easy would also make sense.
they were already psyched for leaving, the earthquake happens, a friend’s killed. They would have had to make a deliberate decision to stay and cancel tickets to stay in a city were things were going to be bleak. And make that decision quickly. I’d probably go.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 1:11 pm
Here’s another way to look at this.
1. You have a country (Israel) which has given New Zealand reason to be pissed off with it in the past and wants to rebuild bridges. A disaster befalls New Zealand, in a way that catches a bunch of Israeli citizens (how many is not immediately clear) and which makes front-page news around the globe. Is it that surprising the Israeli Government took such an immediate and focused interest in what is going on?
2. You have a culture which prides itself on never leaving any of its citizens unaccounted for (see this account of the efforts made by Israeli searchers to find an Israeli tramper back in 2008: http://www.3news.co.nz/Israeli-expert-praises-NZ-search-and-rescue-system/tabid/423/articleID/56316/Default.aspx). Is it that surprising Israeli searchers may turn up to try and find their countrymen and be reluctant to take “no” for an answer (note also that at least one of the search team, Hilik Magnus, was the guy who led the earlier search for the Israeli tramper … see
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4721201/Christchurch-earthquake-No-formal-Israeli-search-offer-says-McCully … so unless he’s doing some DEEP undercover shit, I’d say he’s what he says he is).
3. You have specialist Disaster Victim Identification personnel from Israel that “may” have introduced bugs into the Police computer. Equally, they “may” have taken photos of the number plates of NZ police cars. Or they “may” have put fluoride in our water to pollute our essence. Who knows what they “may” have done!
4. Yes, you (reportedly) have a dead guy with 5 passports on him … without knowing whose they are, of course. And, yes, his friends leave the country pretty quickly. However, as stated above, I’m not sure there is a “non-suspicious” way to react to such a disaster. If they had insisted on being there and helping retrieve the body, wouldn’t that be just what spies wanting to recover incriminating evidence would do? If they had hung around the scene for days afterwards … well, where did they get the money to do that, if their stuff was in their van? And so on.
So, put it this way. The story comes down to the claimed existence of 5 passports on the body of one guy. Which may be true – but it also may be that a S&R person found a bag beside the body with the passports of all 4 of them in it (one of whom may have had two … like I do), and the urban legend morphed from there.
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 1:14 pm
“Maybe was just being nice.”
seems plausible to me. I get the impression that ‘just being nice’ to people from your home country is part of what ambassadors do.
Comment by kahikatea — July 20, 2011 @ 1:17 pm
yes yes andrew… very rational.
but did you know THEIR ENTIRE COUNTRY IS RUN BY JEWS!?
Comment by Che Tibby — July 20, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
Come on Andrew, not much happens in this neck of the woods, let us play with the bone a bit longer.
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 1:24 pm
their flights were for the same day! that makes it less odd. Given they assumed their tourist trip was over then wouldn’t getting – out since they had the tickets – be a fairly obvious choice. And since they had the tickets getting a helpful ride to the airport when that might not be easy would also make sense.
I confess, I hadn’t noted anything that said they already had tickets for the same day and were planning to leave that day anyway. Which story says that, out of interest?
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 1:27 pm
Anyway, there’s not much to be gained from further chewing over the limited information available.
I’m of the view that there was an SIS response. Whether and to what extent that response was warranted remains to be seen.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 1:32 pm
I confess, I hadn’t noted anything that said they already had tickets for the same day and were planning to leave that day anyway. Which story says that, out of interest?
i think I misread what you said – “backpackers not only had flights out booked on the same day”.
I read that initially as they were already booked rather than they were booked after the earthquake.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 1:33 pm
Andrew:
Oh, stop being all rational and shit. That’s no fun. As things stand, I guess if you’re inclined to believe all Israelis are presumed to be identity-thieving Mossad scum until proven otherwise (which is never going to happen), and John Key is a tame Zionist stooge, you can connect the dots that way. Or not.
Comment by Craig Ranapia — July 20, 2011 @ 1:34 pm
Tulett is claiming “at least” 5 passports. Did the SIS get to 5 and lose count.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 1:35 pm
The SIS were distracted by a pie and lost count.
Comment by abel the amish — July 20, 2011 @ 1:38 pm
I read that initially as they were already booked rather than they were booked after the earthquake.
Ah. Not so far as anyone’s said, no.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 1:43 pm
Oh, stop being all rational and shit. That’s no fun. As things stand, I guess if you’re inclined to believe all Israelis are presumed to be identity-thieving Mossad scum until proven otherwise (which is never going to happen), and John Key is a tame Zionist stooge, you can connect the dots that way. Or not.
But I think the rational view is that the SIS was sufficiently concerned as to carry out an investigation, whatever that resulted in. It is acknowledged by everyone, including the PM, that Mizrahi was carrying multiple passports, which don’t appear to have belonged to his companions.
And I honestly don’t think Tulett simply invented his sources. The PM’s non-denial lends weight to that, as does the oddly evasive official response to earlier Fairfax enquiries — is it customary for Foreign Affairs officials to redact the name of an overstayer? It doesn’t seem to be.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 1:58 pm
The two women had only arrived in New Zealand on the Sunday, so no, they weren’t on a two-day NZ tour.
Comment by J — July 20, 2011 @ 1:58 pm
an Israeli search and rescue team were refused entry to the Red Zone? when Australian, British, American, Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese search and rescue teams were welcomed?
Are the Israeli teams so unco-operative that the kiwi ones won’t work with them? or what?
Comment by kahikatea — July 20, 2011 @ 2:06 pm
the SIS was sufficiently concerned as to carry out an investigation
A phrase which I know fills me with confidence.
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 2:08 pm
is it customary for Foreign Affairs officials to redact the name of an overstayer? It doesn’t seem to be.
Unless they were specifically asked about, yes. Departments are quite cautious about privacy of thrird parties in responding to OIA requests.
Comment by Idiot/Savant — July 20, 2011 @ 2:08 pm
I think the degree of suspicion/number of passports held per individual is a logarithmic progression, in which two or even three passports is not really that suspicious, four is pretty suspicious and five is extremely suspicious.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 2:13 pm
assuming for a moment the conspiratorial worst*, that the person killed was a Mossad agent and Mossad then took advantage of the post-earthquake situation to mount an elaborate identity theft operation which for various unknown reasons the govt has been reluctant to bring to the attention of the public, then that would make this leak quite deliberate and the timing quite deliberate but the motives as yet obscure. Which would be disturbing.
But if the SIS is doing this with no real evidence of Mossad involvement then that would be pretty disturbing as well.
*well no-one’s mentioned Ken Ring as yet.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 2:17 pm
We don’t have to believe in Mel Gibson conspiracies to think there’s a story here, regardless of the Israeli angle.
The SIS leaked to the media. The PM didn’t know about this, presumably (it’s a bigger story if he did!) and it seems perfectly reasonable to ask what the f*ck is going on at the SIS, and who’s going to try and find out – say, the Minister responsible, for example?
Comment by sammy — July 20, 2011 @ 2:19 pm
Are the Israeli teams so unco-operative that the kiwi ones won’t work with them? or what?
Um, no. Why would you leap to that conclusion? The reasons were well documented in the news at the time, and in current reports. It was a matter of UN accreditation.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4721201/Christchurch-earthquake-No-formal-Israeli-search-offer-says-McCully
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 2:21 pm
76.an Israeli search and rescue team were refused entry to the Red Zone? when Australian, British, American, Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese search and rescue teams were welcomed?
Are the Israeli teams so unco-operative that the kiwi ones won’t work with them? or what?
The Israeli team weren’t UN accredited, which in USAR-speak would appear to be the equivalent of being a trial lawyer without having passed the bar exams?
Comment by Phil — July 20, 2011 @ 2:22 pm
“five is extremely suspicious”
not if they have the same name and photo in each, surely?
now, different names and same photo? there’s a le carre in the making.
Comment by Che Tibby — July 20, 2011 @ 2:25 pm
I can think of just two possibilities, either Tulett is over-egging this on the basis of someone wanting to seem important or the SIS is involved in a pretty major attempt to interfere in politics.
I suppose it’s really three possibilities as the second could be happening with or without the Mossad conspiracy being true.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 2:35 pm
“now, different names and same photo? there’s a le carre in the making.”
You think le Carre would have been so amateurish as to rely on an earthquake that kills one of his operatives as a plot device? Proof man is a better story teller than God … .
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 2:37 pm
[che scratches out first page of draft of new spy novel]
Comment by Che Tibby — July 20, 2011 @ 2:40 pm
…four is pretty suspicious and five is extremely suspicious.
At one time, I held 4 passports. I have since let one lapse.
It’s true that in general my mother and wife find everything I do suspicious. Then again, they are women, so a John Ansell explanation is appropriate.
I am expecting an expose (courtesy of our man Wishart) detailing Hizbollah’s successful test of their Earthquake Generator, targeting ECHELONs soft underbelly and succesfully eliminating a Mossad asset.
Comment by Gregor W — July 20, 2011 @ 2:40 pm
I like Andrew’s theory, with Russell’s comments as footnotes.
Comment by kimshepherd — July 20, 2011 @ 3:00 pm
not if they have the same name and photo in each, surely?
My completely unscientific justification is that I’ve known loads of people with dual citizenship, a few with triple citizenship, one (that I know of) with quadruple passports (a sex tourist I met on a train in Libya, who had Ghana-US-Canadian-Dutch citizenship) and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with five passports. I guess you could wind up living a life which meant you had, say, Russian-Israeli-Canadian-US-Australian citizenship. But these guys are only in their early 20s.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 3:01 pm
NO kimshepherd. NO!!
You are with me, or you are with Russell. There is no middle ground.
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 3:06 pm
Even Rupert Murdoch hasn’t notched up five passports over his life. Well apparently not anyway.
Comment by Leg Break — July 20, 2011 @ 3:07 pm
I have a friend who had acquired quadruple citizenship in his early twenties (Australian, New Zealand, British and Swiss) – he was born to a British-Kiwi father and an Australo-Swiss mother. All were legit. That some people would be able to acquire five, even at a young age, isn’t exactly usual but it is not in and of itself suspicious.
If they were all in separate identities, as Dr Buchanan alleged, then that’s another matter, but Dr Buchanan is famous for engaging mouth before brain, as he himself will admit.
Comment by Hugh — July 20, 2011 @ 3:12 pm
Tracy Watkins raises the intriguing possibility that if they were Israeli agents, they could possibly have been spying on the US-New Zealand partnership forum that was underway in Christchurch at the time:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/5314347/Key-will-have-to-say-more-on-Israeli-spy-claims
Comment by Sanctuary — July 20, 2011 @ 3:14 pm
danylmc: Israel is an immigrant society where many people have come from the former Soviet bloc or elsewhere via intermediate countries. It strikes me as more plausible for an Israeli than a New Zealander. Not that I’m ruling out fakery, you understand. Although I’ve known New Zealand backpackers with fake passports too, you can get them made cheap in SE Asia and it’s a jolly lark…
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 3:16 pm
The SIS leaked to the media. The PM didn’t know about this, presumably (it’s a bigger story if he did!) and it seems perfectly reasonable to ask what the f*ck is going on at the SIS, and who’s going to try and find out – say, the Minister responsible, for example?
I don’t think this was a “leak” as such. More like chatter — the John Hartevelt story from May indicates that Fairfax journalists were already sniffing around, with respect to the missing overstayer. And a proper leak would have had some documentary evidence.
And the timing of the story for Key’s absence is a red herring, I think. I’m told the Sunday Star Times declined to go with this story — had they not done so, it would presumably have gone out earlier. But I must say if John Key was looking to put the story to rest he did a very poor job of it:
“No” might have worked better.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 3:25 pm
Yea, Stephen makes a good point, most people with fake passports aren’t intelligence agents, they’re run-of-the-mill crooks.
Comment by Hugh — July 20, 2011 @ 3:35 pm
If there’s a silver lining for me here, it’s that local journos might realise that Key is a deer in the headlights without prep and minders.
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 3:36 pm
I’m told the Sunday Star Times declined to go with this story
is that an indication of the likely merit of all this?
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 3:38 pm
is that an indication of the likely merit of all this?
It might well be. OTOH, they’d have reason to be gun-shy of such a story anyway.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 3:39 pm
“OTOH, they’d have reason to be gun-shy of such a story anyway.”
Why? That’s a tantalizing little hint you can’t just leave hanging out there, Russell!
(And damn it, I WON’T wait for a forthcoming Media 7 programme to find out what you mean! I just won’t!!)
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 3:44 pm
“is that an indication of the likely merit of all this?”
not at all. the faintest suggestion that one of the tourists had slept with an NZL ‘sleb would have had in on the front page.
there your problem there. not enough t!ts.
Comment by Che Tibby — July 20, 2011 @ 3:46 pm
The SST got scammed by someone posing as an SIS spy a few years ago. They alleged the SIS were spying on the Maori Party.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 3:46 pm
Oh yeah … I sort of remember that now.
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 3:47 pm
Recall “Operation Leaf”?
Comment by The Double Standard — July 20, 2011 @ 3:48 pm
Recall “Operation Leaf”?
That’s the one — the SIS spying on Maori leaders, allegedly. Good journalists, totally taken in by a spectacular fabulist.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 3:58 pm
they’d have reason to be gun-shy of such a story anyway.
The SST, regular publisher of the fanatasies of Nicky Hagar and Jonathan Marshall, gunshy of a story that paints Israel in a bad light?
Pull the other one.
Comment by johnsonmike — July 20, 2011 @ 4:02 pm
The Sunday Star Times was NOT aware of this story.
Comment by J — July 20, 2011 @ 4:07 pm
head hurting now.
In any of this is there anything more than the SIS might have had few suspicions but nothing came of it?
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 4:09 pm
The Sunday Star Times was NOT aware of this story.
I take you at your work then. I was told otherwise by more than one person.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 4:12 pm
just when you thought it couldn’t get more interesting
However, sources said the SAS had entered the zone to secure sensitive material belonging to the Israeli nationals now at the centre of the spying claims.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5311491/SAS-patrolled-near-suspected-Israeli-spies
i think its about time these sources were made public. there has to be some test of credibility for these accusations.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 4:17 pm
The Sunday Star Times was NOT aware of this story – J
Usually I find ‘J’ to be a shifty, untrustworthy letter of the alphabet, but in this case ‘J”s IP address suggests he’s in a good position to comment.
Comment by danylmc — July 20, 2011 @ 4:24 pm
Why don’t you like “J’s”, danyl?
You anti-semite.
Comment by Andrew Geddis — July 20, 2011 @ 4:25 pm
However, sources said the SAS had entered the zone to secure sensitive material belonging to the Israeli nationals now at the centre of the spying claims.
This line shows up in a Google search but no longer appears in the story. Hmmm.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 4:26 pm
I still have that page open – its there. go via the link, not there. apart from that one sentence they’re both the same.
someone had second thoughts but still, since they were asking the SAS what they were up to and the SAS denied anything to do with the Israelis it would be fair to assume someone was making this allegation.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 4:34 pm
Just in: John Key statement confirms SIS investigation, denies all the other claims, including the “five passports”.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1107/S00345/pm-on-media-reports-about-israeli-nationals.htm
It actually all starts to look less mad now. The SIS, probably prudently, looked into things and did not find any links.
So Key’s weird behaviour when pressed on the matter appears to have been just him being weird.
Comment by Russell Brown — July 20, 2011 @ 4:48 pm
Hmmm. John Key now has his key lines for this:
LATEST: John Key has confirmed multiple agencies, including the SIS, investigated the behaviour of Israelis after the February 22 Christchurch quake.
But he said there was no evidence that they were Israeli intelligence agents involved in clandestine activities.
The SIS concluded they were backpackers, as they presented, he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5311491/SAS-patrolled-near-suspected-Israeli-spies
Comment by johnsonmike — July 20, 2011 @ 4:48 pm
Key could be correct – and Paul Buchanan might be too, he suggested they could be on a trial/training type visit.
Comment by Pete George — July 20, 2011 @ 4:57 pm
Paul Buchanan might be too, he suggested they could be on a trial/training type visit.
Um, if you’re going to accept that Key is right too, that amounts to saying all young Israelis in NZ are spies in training. I mean, what degree of probability does “could” imply?
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 5:05 pm
Um, if you’re going to accept that Key is right too, that amounts to saying all young Israelis in NZ are spies in training.
No it doesn’t. I don’t really know how strong this story is, but it has become a major story so someone has had suspicions, earthquake aside there appears to be unusual circumstances with this.
You could take your suggestion further and suspect all tourists from all countries.
Comment by Pete George — July 20, 2011 @ 5:20 pm
so will we every learn who it was that can’t tell the differnce between “at least 5″ and “less than 5″?
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 5:22 pm
it has become a major story so someone has had suspicions
For someone who’s so skeptical about politicians, you’re remarkbly accepting of the news media. It’s become a major story because it combines the Christchurch earthquake and Mossad and a coverup into one tasty package, lacking only a cute animal, an attractive woman or an All Black for WOW-factor. But there seem to be NO confirmed facts of any significance. There’s a shitload of smoke and no fucking fire here.
Comment by Stephen Judd — July 20, 2011 @ 5:26 pm
I think Key was trying to be overly friendly with the journalists. Clark would have been more hardass and told them she’s just not going to answer.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 5:29 pm
But in his defense, he’s on his way to meet Mark Zuckerberg and all of a sudden he’s confronted with this really bizarre consipracy theory with some of the journalists repeating the allegations as facts not questions.
He must have been trying to work out if there was likely to be an fire associated with this smoke and he looked like he thought there wasn’t but wasn’t 100% sure so fudged and then finnally opted for the safety of priministerial convention of not commenting on such issues.
Comment by NeilM — July 20, 2011 @ 5:40 pm
To keep the conspiracy angle up, everything really hinges on those 5 passports – without them, they’re probably backpackers, with them, they’re probably spies (and all that that implies).
For Key to be denying that there were 5 passports either puts the whole matter to rest… or proves that the conspiracy goes all the way to the top! Take your pick.
Comment by gazzaj — July 20, 2011 @ 5:42 pm
It’s become a major story because it combines the Christchurch earthquake and Mossad and a coverup into one tasty package, lacking only a cute animal, an attractive woman or an All Black for WOW-factor.
Give it another day or two….
Clark would have been more hardass and told them she’s just not going to answer.
Clark famously spilled the beans to a journalist on why the SIS broke into Azid Choudry’s home.
Comment by johnsonmike — July 20, 2011 @ 5:51 pm
lacking only a cute animal, an attractive woman or an All Black for WOW-factor
What’s the bet they manage to find some “ordinary person” on the street to interview about it on the TV “news” tonight.
Comment by Pete George — July 20, 2011 @ 5:57 pm
“For Key to be denying that there were 5 passports either puts the whole matter to rest… or proves that the conspiracy goes all the way to the top! Take your pick.”
… or that the conspiracy doesn’t go all the way to the top, and he hasn’t been told what’s really going on
Comment by kahikatea — July 20, 2011 @ 5:58 pm
And if it’s all a beat-up, then it’s churnalism in action. It only took one Jono Pryor to lob a spanner in the Breakfast TV works.
Comment by DeepRed — July 20, 2011 @ 6:03 pm
This must be what Nicky Hagar dreams about, you know, the wet ones- even more so with John Key’s denial. That just confirms it.
Comment by gn — July 20, 2011 @ 6:15 pm
“According to highly placed sources within the DPMC and the SIS, denial is a river in Africa.”
Comment by Gregor W — July 20, 2011 @ 6:21 pm
it never ceases to amuse how crass the caption on the photographs on the stuff website are
Under the picture of the guy in question
“DEAD”
Comment by Hobbes — July 20, 2011 @ 6:34 pm
And I honestly don’t think Tulett simply invented his sources.
Neither do I, Russell. We both know that’s pretty damn close to putting an unforgivable curse on any journalist and I’d want to be very sure of my facts before going there. As things stand, however, I do think there’s just enough information to hang whatever your preferred conspiracy is but not enough to reach much in the way of firm conclusions.
Comment by Craig Ranapia — July 20, 2011 @ 6:40 pm
I may have missed it, but I haven’t seen any real development of “cock up or conspiracy” here.
Lets say the families of the dead Israelis decided no one would look for their kids because they were Jews and told their private rescue team(s) to go look for their kids with or without permission, and what say the SIS thought some of the actions of the Israelis were suspicious and thought up a number of bad things they might have been involved in and investigated.
Both sides had their suspicions based on past experiences, likely both were wrong and neither Govt wants such distrust aired in the public arena.
JC
Comment by JC — July 20, 2011 @ 6:46 pm
NeilM:But in his defense, he’s on his way to meet Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg? Hmmm, sounds like a jewish name.
Comment by chiz — July 20, 2011 @ 7:46 pm
My completely unscientific justification is that I’ve known loads of people with dual citizenship, a few with triple citizenship, one (that I know of) with quadruple passports (a sex tourist I met on a train in Libya, who had Ghana-US-Canadian-Dutch citizenship) and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with five passports.
I only have dual citizenship with Australia, but I had two valid New Zealand passports in parallel a couple of years ago, if you counted my NZ Diplomatic passport. MFAT made me return it when I no longer needed it, but they mailed it back as a souvenir after chopping the corner off.
Comment by MikeM — July 20, 2011 @ 7:46 pm
One fact missing from the story is that the Search and Rescue team were armed and behaved in a threatening manner towards officials in the red zone. They insisted on entering the zone and had to be forcibly removed. This behaviour would likely give the SIS a good reason to look into the issue. I’m pretty certain that my source for this information is not Tullet’s source but in this little country who hasn’t told their Mum or Dad something they really should’ve kept secret.
Comment by Lucy — July 21, 2011 @ 7:01 pm
Lucy: “One fact missing from the story is that the Search and Rescue team were armed…”
Are you certain?
Maybe someone who knows more than me about firearms and import restrictions could comment, but to me that sounds very suspect given the likely complications with legally getting them through customs on such short notice, along with the applications and permits probably required, or the licenses needed if they obtained them in New Zealand. If they smuggled them in or obtained them illegally in New Zealand, it’d be grounds for arrest, serious charges, likely deportation and a major diplomatic incident as soon as weapons were discovered by Police or Customs officials.
I’m betting they only had biological arms.
Comment by MikeM — July 22, 2011 @ 7:40 pm
@ MikeM
You are quite correct. It is fairly tricky to move firearms (legally) across NZ borders without specific importation licenses or recreational permits (i.e. hunting).
The types of weapons allegedly presented (I assume either sidearms, pistol grip SMG or ‘bullpup’ style assault rifle as any other configuration would be impractical in an urban SAR situation) would dictate your procurement possibilities.
Of the three, only sidearms are likely to be obtained either legally or illegally in NZ.
Any of these weapon types might be legally included in a consular armoury but would require registration with NZ authorities. That would not necessarily preclude embassy officials from illegaly transporting small arms via a diplomatic pouch though, I guess.
So, unless this non-dip credentialled SAR team had either (a) underworld connections that allowed them to procure unregistered weapons or (b) stopped off at the embassy / consul’s house in Wellington to pick up ordinance on their way to Christchurch, I would say this story is complete bollocks.
Comment by Gregor W — July 25, 2011 @ 2:29 pm