New Zealand has experienced few terrorist incidents in its short history and the threat is generally regarded as low. However, the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) has warned against complacency. This article serves as a list and compilation of past acts of terrorism, attempts of terrorism, and other such items pertaining to terrorist activities within New Zealand.
Contents
Definition
A common definition of terrorism is the "systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective."
The major piece of terrorist-related legislation in New Zealand is the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. The Act, which strengthened the Government's counter-terrorism powers, was introduced in response to the September 11 attacks in the United States. The Terrorism Suppression Act defines terrorism, in New Zealand or elsewhere, as an act that "is carried out for the purpose of advancing an ideological, political, or religious cause" and with the following intention:
- to induce terror in a civilian population; or
- to unduly compel or to force a government or an international organisation to do or abstain from doing any act.
And if it results in one or more of the following outcomes:
- the death of, or other serious bodily injury to, one or more persons (other than a person carrying out the act):
- a serious risk to the health or safety of a population:
- destruction of, or serious damage to, property of great value or importance, or major economic loss, or major environmental damage, if likely to result in one or more outcomes specified in points 1, 2 and 4:
- serious interference with, or serious disruption to, an infrastructure facility, if likely to endanger human life:
- introduction or release of a disease-bearing organism, if likely to devastate the national economy of a country.
Alternatively, instead of the listed outcomes, "it occurs in a situation of armed conflict and is, at the time and in the place that it occurs, in accordance with rules of international law applicable to the conflict."
Level of threat
The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) stated in its 2006 report that "the risk of a terrorist attack on New Zealand or New Zealand interests is low", but also warned against complacency. It has stated that there are individuals in New Zealand linked to international terrorism, although the Green Party and others have dismissed these claims. One of the best known individuals accused (controversially) of being a threat to New Zealand is Ahmed Zaoui. In another case, a man named Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali was deported from New Zealand after being linked to the hijacker of American Airlines Flight 77 which hit the Pentagon on September 11 2001.
List of notable incidents
Most attacks, or attempted acts, of terrorism in New Zealand have been bombings as a form of protest.
Huntly rail bridge bombing
On 30 April 1951, during an industrial dispute, a rail bridge was blown up near Huntly, Waikato. The train drivers were warned in advance and the bombing severely disrupted coal supplies. Sidney Holland, the Prime Minister of the time, called it an "infamous act of terrorism". Academic Lance Beath writes that the bombing might not be considered a "terrorist" incident because there was no intent to kill or injure people and the only objective was blocking supplies.
Vietnam War protests
In 1969-70 there were multiple bombings and attempted bombings of military bases and other sites related to the New Zealand Defence Force. The bombings were in protest against New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War. On one occasion, in 1969, four students who were protesting against the war attempted to blow up the flagpole at Waitangi treaty grounds, the site of Waitangi Day celebrations.
Wanganui Computer Centre bombing
On 18 November 1982, a suicide bomb attack was made against a facility housing the main computer system of the New Zealand Police, Courts, Ministry of Transport and other law enforcement agencies, in Wanganui. The attacker, a "punk rock" anarchist named Neil Roberts, was the only person killed, and the computer system was undamaged.
Wellington Trades Hall bombing
On 27 March 1984, a suitcase bomb was left in the foyer of the Trades Hall in Wellington. The Trades Hall was the headquarters of a number of trade unions and it is most commonly assumed that they were the target of the bombing. Ernie Abbott, the building's caretaker, was killed when he attempted to move the suitcase, which is believed to have contained three sticks of gelignite triggered by a mercury switch. To this day, the perpetrator has never been identified. Those elements of the New Zealand Police responsible for preventing and investigating such crimes were headquartered in the building across the street.
Rainbow Warrior bombing
Perhaps the best known attack in New Zealand was the sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior by the French foreign intelligence service, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE), in 1985. Greenpeace had planned to use the Rainbow Warrior as part of protest efforts over French nuclear testing at Moruroa, and DGSE divers sank the vessel by detonating mines against its hull while it was berthed in Auckland. The crew left the ship, but one person, Fernando Pereira, was drowned when he returned to a cabin to retrieve his cameras, just before the vessel sank.
France initially denied responsibility for the attacks, but later admitted its role. Two of the French agents involved in the attack were arrested, convicted, and jailed, while several others escaped. French defence minister Charles Hernu eventually resigned over the affair.
Counter-terrorism
The principal government agencies responsible for countering the threat of terrorism are the New Zealand Police (who have responsibility for direct action) and the SIS (who have responsibility for providing information on which action can be based). The counter-terrorism capabilities of the Police have been expanded in response to the September 11 attacks in the United States, and counter-terrorism also takes up a significant proportion of the SIS's budget. One observer has argued that New Zealand "already had in place a very comprehensive set of counter-measures" before that point.
2007 anti-terror raids
Seventeen people were arrested in co-ordinated raids on October 15, 2007 by Police Armed Offenders Squads and Special Tactics Group. Those arrested included environmental activists and Māori separatists, including noted activist Tame Iti, but the raids also included roadblocks in the Urewera area by armed police who searched and questioned everyone who passed through.
After lengthy legal proceedings, none of those arrested were convicted of anything more serious than violation of gun license rules under the Arms Act. Although the search warrants used indicated that terrorism related offenses were involved, no charges were laid under the 2002 Terrorism Suppression Act - with the Solicitor-General describing the legislation as "complex and incoherent". Major amendments to the Act were being pushed through Parliament at the time of the raids, as well as legislation creating the charge of "participation in an organised criminal group", justified as necessary to address gang violence, a charge which was unsuccessfully applied to four of those arrested.