An anti-war protest will be held at the US-controlled Waihopai Spybase, which is located in the Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim, from January the 19th to the 21st.
THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE WEEKEND, IS NICKY HAGER, WHO SPEAKS IN BLENHEIM, FRIDAY JANUARY 19TH, 7.30 P.M. AT THE WESLEY CENTRE LOUNGE, 3 HENRY STREET.
Nicky Hager, author of “The Hollow Men,” (the book which got Don Brash gone by lunchtime), is speaking at a public meeting in Blenheim as part of the January 19-21 weekend of protests at the Waihopai spybase.
In 1996, Nicky wrote “Secret Power”, the book that exposed what Waihopai does and where it fits into the global spying network headed by the US.
In 2006, he wrote “The Hollow Men”, which exposed the secret machinations which came within a whisker of installing a Don Brash-led Government which would have got NZ fully back into bed with the US war machine. He is the best person possible to tie together the secrets exposed by his two seminal books. Nicky’s talk will focus on the War On Terror five years on and where Waihopai, Don Brash and the Exclusive Brethren, et al, fit into the big picture. The protest weekend at the Waihopai spybase is the perfect setting for Nicky to be our keynote speaker. The Friday night will be the only occasion on which he will be speaking during that weekend. This will be the first public meeting that Nicky has addressed since the November 06 publication of his bombshell book.
Nicky Hager is NZ’s top investigative journalist with an international reputation (his intervening two books “Secrets And Lies” and “Seeds Of Distrust” also had major political impact).
WAIHOPAI SPYBASE PROTEST JANUARY 19-21
The public face of New Zealand’s role as an American ally is the NZ military presence in Afghanistan. But New Zealand’s most significant contribution to that, and other American wars, including the one in Iraq, is the Waihopai spybase. Waihopai is controlled by the US, with New Zealand (including Parliament and the Prime Minister) having little or no idea what goes on there, (let alone any control). The Waihopai electronic intelligence gathering base is located in the Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim. First announced in 1987, it is operated by New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in the interests of the foreign Powers grouped together in the super-secret UKUSA Agreement (which shares global electronic and signals intelligence among the intelligence agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and NZ). Its two satellite interception dishes (shielded from public view by giant domes) intercept a huge volume of telephone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It spies on our Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards the material on to the major partners in the UKUSA Agreement, specifically the US National Security Agency (NSA). Its targets are international communications involving New Zealanders, including the interception of international phone calls. The codename for this – Echelon – has become notorious worldwide as the vast scope of its spying has become public. New Zealand is an integral, albeit junior, part of a global spying network, a network that is ultimately accountable only to its own constituent agencies, not governments, and certainly not to citizens. Waihopai does not operate in the national interests of New Zealand or our neighbours. Basically it is a foreign spybase on NZ soil and directly involves us in America’s wars. Waihopai must be closed. We invite people from around the country to join us for the weekend of anti-war protest at this spybase.
Come prepared for roughing it and camping out. We’ve hired a marquee. We provide the food, (note: we cater for vegetarians, but vegans will have to bring their own). Bring sleeping bag, groundsheet, a tent, torch, water bottle, eating utensils, clothing for all weather, and $40, (or $20 unwaged) to cover costs. Absolutely no open fires. How to find our camp. Take Highway 6 out of Blenheim (the Nelson road); cross the Wairau River bridge, take the first turn left, and then drive for approximately 15 minutes until you reach the bridge turnoff which takes you to the Department of Conservation’s Onamalutu camp (right turn at sign). It is a public campsite and has some basic facilities. ABC has to pay a fixed charge per person. I want to take part in the weekend of protest Name ——————————————————————————————– Address —————————————————————————————– Phone/Fax/E-mail —————————————————————————- I enclose $40 ($20 unwaged) per person registration to cover costs ——- I want to make a donation to the Waihopai campaign ————————— I can help with publicity in my area or network Yes/No I want to join the Anti-Bases Campaign. Annual membership is $20 ——-
CLOSE THE WAIHOPAI SPYBASE NOW! Organised by the Anti-Bases Campaign, Box 2258, Christchurch. E-mail cafca@chch.planet.org.nz www.converge.org.nz/abc
Make all cheques to ABC.