Media Release: Stop the Spies expose GCSB propaganda
Date: 11 Sept 2015
From: Stop the Spies coalition
"Members of the Stop the Spies coalition exposed the full-on propaganda exercise being waged by the GCSB at a speech by
director Una Jagose. The agency's public relations campaign is a desperate bid to cover up their horrifying activities
on behalf of the US and UK. Director Una Jagose cancelled her talk to the gathering when faced with the prospect of
giving it in front of a banner that provided some truthful context to the GCSB's work," said StS member Valerie Morse
"The GCSB are an agency intimately involved in supplying intelligence to the US/UK illegal drone wars in Syria,
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen. They are involved in global mass surveillance. This is an agency with no legitimate
purpose in a decent society."
"For years, the GCSB has tried to carry out its activities in secret. Now that its activities have been exposed -
through the Snowden documents, the Dotcom case and Kitteridge report - the agency is trying to win hearts and minds
through stage-managed PR spin. Meanwhile they are not prepared to answer the real questions about their activities."
"Just this week, the GCSB's sister agency in the UK admitted directing drone strikes on UK citizens in Syria. The GCSB
is complicit in war crimes."
"It is also appalling that the Privacy Commissioner hosted Jagose's talk today. The Commissioner should be demanding
accountability by the GCSB for illegal spying on 88 New Zealanders and the global violations of people's privacy they
are doing every single day. Instead he is busy defending the GCSB. The Privacy Commissioner needs to be taken to task
for providing a forum for the GCSB's lies and subterfuge."
ENDS