NZ authorities concede terror threat possibly exaggerated

On other islands : Tenfold rise in terrorism prisoners forecast, Alan Travis, home affairs editor, The Guardian, November 8, 2007: “The number of terrorist prisoners held in jails in England and Wales is expected to increase tenfold from 131 to more than 1,600 over the next 10 years, according to internal Ministry of Justice forecasts, it was revealed yesterday… While al-Qaida-inspired extremism remains the greatest risk, Prison Service chiefs said they also had dissident Irish republicans, Ulster loyalists, members of anarchist and anti-globalisation groups, animal liberation activists, and members of the far right.”

Police raid houses across Aotearoa under anti-terrorism legislation, at least a dozen arrests October 15

“I’m training up to be a vicious, dangerous commando” October 16

NZ Police Stop Maori Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Secret Terror Plot Hatched Deep Within New Zealand’s Most Sacred Mountain Range to Destroy Nation! October 17

New Zealand Anti-Terror Raids : EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FOOTAGE! October 17

Animal loving Tuhoe peace freak terror-attack plan shock! October 21

A surprisingly large number of media outlets have simply refused to be persuaded that Iti and his eco-anarchist allies constitute any kind of serious threat to either the state or the public. Partly this is attributable to “colonial cringe”: the idea New Zealand couldn’t possibly produce a “real” terrorist threat that sort of thing only happens overseas. Partly it is a reflection of the repeated failure of the police and security forces in places such as Britain, the US and Australia to come up with “the goods” after scaring their respective societies witless for days on end with banner headlines such as “Terror Plot Uncovered” and “Police Swoop on Terror Suspects”. Mostly, however, it stems from a mixture of profound ignorance and lofty condescension… ~ Chris Trotter, Exploring the case for armed struggle, Independent Financial Review, October 24, 2007

“…the possibility of being not only labelled a terrorist in the media, but prosecuted as one, is a reality.” November 2

Urewera 16: It’s anarchy! November 7

Er…

No evidence for terrorism charges, TVNZ, No charges after NZ terror raids, news.com.au, Maori Party calls for resignation, apology, compensation, NZPA, Call for police boss to resign over raids, Radio New Zealand, NZ prosecutors decline to lay terror charges, Radio Australia, November 8, 2007

EXTRA! SPECIAL! ADDED! BONUS! BIZARRE! TWIST!

Man held over $75b fraud named
John Cousins
New Zealand Herald
November 7, 2007

A Tauranga man accused of being part of a $75 billion fraud conspiracy on the Bank of England was today named. Bryan Walter Archer, 59, was to reappear in Tauranga District Court today in an effort to get bail [since denied]… Archer is no a stranger to controversy and appeared in a recent television news bulletin as one of the hunters who had become suspicious about apparent para-military activity by Maori training in the Urewera National Park…