Oxford Dictionary
Evoking FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) is a tactic commonly used by tobacco lobbyists and climate change denialists – attempting to impugn the veracity of evidence. In this case the Prime Minister’s empty smear has been exposed …
The New Zealand Prime Minister’s much-repeated smear of Edward Snowden’s leaked NSA documents detailing NZ intelligence (GCSB) operations against our trading partners and friends. (Click to enlarge)
Click to read at nzherald.co.nz
The NZ Herald‘s David Fisher reports …
The Prime Minister’s office has said it has no factual basis for suggesting Edward Snowden documents which exposed GCSB secrets were “fabricated”.
… The “fabrication” claim has been part of the Prime Minister’s standard response to revelations of activities carried out by New Zealand’s electronic eavesdropping agency.… The Herald sought any information held by the Prime Minister which informed him or his office over the alleged “fabrication”.
The Prime Minister’s chief of staff Wayne Eagleson said “no information has been identified”. He said the PM’s office had to refuse the [Official Information Act] request because the “information requested does not exist or cannot be found”.
Pretty shabby work from the Prime Minister’s Office. Just what we’ve come to expect. Good on David Fisher for calling them on this BS.
Mr Key’s penchant for personally smearing the integrity of journalists and others with embarrassing or inconvenient evidence is well-established. (viz. Nicky Hager, Jon Stephenson, Bradley Ambrose.)
It has always been, in my view, one of Mr Key’s least attractive traits*, and this time his office has been caught out doing it again, with no real basis.
– P
* See Are you dating a tyrant? Take our simple quiz to find out!
I think a good basis for assuming some of the Snowden documents are fabricated would be that Snowden is in Russia, and Russia is running a massive disinformation campaign against any country who opposes them. If Snowden wasn’t a Russian agent, he is certainly being used by Russian intelligence right now.
Hi – nice to hear from you Lucia.
I agree with you about the disinformation campaign being run by Putin’s Russia — but against New Zealand? Hmm.
Also, my understanding is that what’s become known as ‘the Snowden archive” was handed off to the journalists now reporting it (Greenwald, Poitras, to a lesser extent WaPo’s Gellman & The Guardian’s Mcaskill et al) BEFORE Snowden left Hong Kong and was stranded in Moscow due to the cancellation of his passport – without due process by the U.S. Govt.
I don’t treat seriously the suggestion ‘Snowden is a Russian agent’ (or ‘a traitor’ ) – do you?
You must have some basis for your comment about Snowden “being used by Russian intelligence right now.”
Do you mind if I ask what it is?
– P
Hi Peter,
I do have some basis.
The writer of this book, Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism, Lt. Gen Ion Mihai Pacepa, has made these comments about Snowden:
That was in August 2013. Fast forward to earlier this year, a post by John Schindler, ex-spook, historian and author : Snowden and Russian Intelligence: An Update.
I think the NZ angle is to do with the hope that we might be a back door into the Five Eyes network. Apparently new Soviet agents were regularly sent to NZ during the Cold War to train – so maybe it’s habitual for them to mess with us. I don’t know.
Thanks. This is also interesting … from Salon.com:
‘The vindication of Edward Snowden: How a new court decision cements the whistle-blower’s legacy’ …
Q: Does this ruling strengthen the argument of those who’d say Edward Snowden is best understood as a whistle-blower, rather than a traitor?
A: The question is whether we’re trying to assess Edward Snowden as a matter of law or whether we are trying to asses Edward Snowden as a matter morality and ethics. As a legal matter, I don’t think that the 2nd Circuit decision changes anything. It’s still the case that Snowden, without authorization, disclosed details on highly classified national security programs — so it’s still the case that he probably violated the Federal Espionage Act, and that his disclosures were not protected by federal whistle-blower laws. So legally, I don’t think it has an impact.
But practically, I think it does. Politically, it makes a huge difference that at least some, if not much, of what Snowden disclosed has now been held to be illegal, because I think we can all understand a lot better why someone in Snowden’s position would want to reveal the details of illegal government programs, as compared to just programs he doesn’t like or disagrees with. So I think [the ruling] will have a huge impact on … how successive generations will look back at and understand Snowden.
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/12/the_vindication_of_edward_snowden_how_a_new_court_decision_cements_the_whistle_blowers_legacy/
Shades of William Ball Sutch. Unbelievable to me that in this day and age anyone could start implying that Snowden is a Russian Agent. You could apply that dictum to the entire staff of RT Television Network perhaps.
I’m beginning to understand where people like Sarah Palin came from .. “i can see Russia from my kitchen window…”
What Nation doesnt look after its own national interest (and has a right to …) … all except us of course … with Globalist Key at the helm he just looks after everyone elses national interest and makes certain his rich corporate mates and the one percenters keep raking it in …
Globalists dont recognise national borders … its a fact …
Hi Ivan,
I think it was a case of smear & distract — a little like those squids that eject ink into the water when under threat.
I’ve been disappointed by just how frequently Mr Key resorts (almost by default?) to playing the man, not the ball, when he is under pressure.
I’d prefer a better argument.
-P
Well mate … Key has always struck me as a vested interest playing at Government … for the very few – not the many.
In playing the man … he isnt much different to most other Pollies of yesteryear or now .. about the only Pollie that seems to play the ball is Winston Peters … however he still gets pilloried and derided by a partisan media – and misunderstood by a gullible public.
Comparing Key to a Squid is a very accurate statement mate … smear and distract has been his way since he entered the political stage.
One could say that Key has only the best interests of the worst aspects of wall street and the American financial elites at heart…. difference is … that is not just conjecture but has a fair amount of factual track record to back it up.
Telling the truth … just doesnt seem to pay.
I should also have added to the list of entities that Key has at heart … Chinese and other foreign special interests as well … just lucky for him that like Bob Jones … he has enough money to seclude himself from what will affect the great unwashed.
Its a new form of Mediaevalism … like Game of Thrones in Kiwiland … and he bears a strong resemblance to Tywin lannister (with a hint of Lord Varys thrown in for good measure…) … would that he was a eunuch …