New Zealand Security Intelligence Service

The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service ( SIS or NZSIS ) is a news service of the New Zealand Government.

The Security Intelligence Service is a civilian organization and has no enforcement powers to ensure the safety of New Zealand. He has limited powers to intercept communications and to search homes. He has an advisory role and provides the government with information about threats to national security or national interests.

He advises government agencies on their internal security measures and is responsible for the review of government employees who require a security clearance for access of secret information. The service is also responsible for a large part of the counter- espionage.

The objectives of the SIS are:

  • To protect and promote New Zealand's defense, foreign policy and national economic interests
  • New Zealand citizens and to protect their property
  • Serious foreign offenses which affect New Zealand, detect and prevent
  • Protection against terrorism and espionage

Organization

The Security Intelligence Service has its headquarters in the capital Wellington and has branches in Auckland and Christchurch. He has 110-140 permanent employees and thus somewhat less than other New Zealand news service, the Government Communications Security Bureau ( GCSB ). Its budget is about 16 million New Zealand dollars slightly less than that of the GCSB.

The SIS has extensive links with foreign intelligence services, particularly in the U.S., UK and Australia. It may be connected to the Echelon spy network, although this type of tasks are rather attributed to the GCSB. The connection of the SIS with foreign services is often controversial in New Zealand.

The SIS is headed by the Director of Security and is monitored by the Inspector - General of Intelligence and Security and the Intelligence and Security Committee. The SIS is subordinate to the Minister responsible for intelligence services. This is traditionally the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

The SIS was established in 1956. He was given in 1969 by the " Security Intelligence Act," Act a legal basis. The Security Intelligence Act has since been expanded several times. Most controversial was possibly the addition of 1977 by Robert Muldoon, the expanded greatly the opportunities for monitoring. Against this addition it came in 1977 to larger protests in front of Parliament.

The SIS in the headlines

The SIS has been involved since its inception in 1956 in a variety of public events and debates.

  • In 1974, the SIS was the source of the information which had led to Bill Sutch, an economist, was arrested. He was under the charge of spying for the Soviet Union. Sutch was arrested and the SIS was criticized because it had indicted him in the first place.
  • In 1981, the SIS was criticized as a list of 20 so-called " enemies of the state " was released, which had taken part in a demonstration against the Springbok tour, a visit to the South African rugby team. This exclusion of persons as " enemies of the state " was seen by many as a violation of the right to be allowed to protest against government decisions, considered.
  • In the same year (1981 ) an SIS agent lost accidentally a briefcase in Wellington, which among other sandwiches, Listener magazine and a diary contained. From a journalist from the briefcase was mistakenly described that he would include Penthouse Magazine and a cake.
  • 1985 did not make it to the SIS, the operation to make identifying, in which employees of the French DGSE, the ship of Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior bombing. In this case, a photographer was killed. This was the most significant case of counter-espionage or terrorism in the history of New Zealand.
  • In 1996, Aziz Choudry observed, a critic of APEC, as broke two agents of SIS in his house. He went to court and argued that the SIS had with this action violated his rights. Ultimately Aziz won the case, he was reimbursed the cost of damage and the official site apologized to him for the incident.
  • In 2002, the SIS stated that the Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui was a security risk to New Zealand, and recommended to deport him as soon as possible. This recommendation, however, was heavily criticized. The SIS presented a security risk appraisals from, pursuant to section 114 of the Immigration Act of 1987. Sure Zaoui was arrested and sent to a penal institution. The SIS refused to disclose information which might show what facts Zaoui had made to a security risk. A statement by the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security Service, which has the SIS under his care, was rated by some as clearly biased against Zaoui. As a result of this criticism Inspector General Laurie Grieg met in March 2004 by his post. Former Judge Paul Neazor was elected his successor. The investigation in the case Zaoui continue.
  • 2004 appeared rumors that the SIS Maori citizens monitored, including members of the new Maori Party. For policy purposes, this action went under the name "Operation Leaf ." The allegations were refuted by a given from the inspector general of the intelligence and security service study commissioned in April 2005. Then said Prime Minister Helen Clark, the allegations were a duck, and demanded the newspaper Sunday Star Times, which had published the story before, to apologize, which also took place shortly thereafter.
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