NZ Quake Uncovers Israeli Spy Ring

[Richard]

Keeping those acquaintances close...

Richard

NZ Quake Uncovers Israeli Spy Ring
AP, 19 Jul 2011

A New Zealand newspaper group is reporting that the deadly February earthquake in Christchurch unearthed a suspected Israeli spy ring.

Three Israelis died in the quake that killed 181 people. Other Israelis escaped the quake.

The Fairfax newspaper group, which didn't state how it obtained the information, said one of the Israelis who died was carrying at least five passports.

Fairfax said New Zealand Prime Minister John Key took four calls from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the quake, and that an unaccredited Israeli search and rescue squad searching a cordoned area in Christchurch was stopped by New Zealand officers.

Key, who is traveling in California, told media Wednesday that it wasn't in the national interest to comment about the report.

http://news.yahoo.com/report-deadly-...231311624.html

[Pete]

New Zealand PM John Key denies Israel spy rumour

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14214044

".........He confirmed however that Mizrahi was found to have two passports - one European and one Israeli.

"Security agencies conducted the investigation and found no evidence that the people were anything other than backpackers," Mr Key said in a statement on Wednesday...................."

[Kai]

Investigation cleared Israelis of spy claims

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...-spy-claims-PM

The "unusual" behaviour of Israelis in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake sparked a top level investigation, Prime Minister John Key has confirmed.

After almost a day of stonewalling, Key confirmed the probe, which involved the spy agency SIS, concluded there was no evidence they were Israeli intelligence agents.

In a carefully worded statement, he also verified a dead Israeli van driver had two passports. Three occupants who escaped the wreckage took their passports back to Israel, he said.

It comes after the defence force confirmed elite SAS troops were in Christchurch's red zone after the disaster - but insisted they weren't dealing with an unaccredited rescue squad.

Key, currently on a visit to the US, said the investigation was triggered by the rapid departure from New Zealand of three Israelis who survived the February 22 quake.

"Security agencies conducted the investigation and found no evidence that the people were anything other than backpackers," he said.

Three Israelis were among the 181 people who died when the earthquake struck on February 22.

An SIS officer told the Southland Times there were fears Israeli agents had hacked the police national computer, compromising highly sensitive files. Police have since said their systems are subject to regular security audits and are secure.

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[mark46th]

Move Along, nothing to see here! Move along!

[Delta-1-Bravo]

Originally Posted by Kai

After almost a day of stonewalling, Key confirmed the probe, which involved the spy agency SIS, concluded there was no evidence they were Israeli intelligence agents.

The investigation must've gone something like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1YEEB0qEgs&NR=1

[steel71]

Were they working for a moving company? Did they get caught dancing after the disaster, that's usually a dead give away.

[Kai]

Update: Hunt on for source in Israeli investigation

From: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...-investigation

The Government has turned its focus on to the source of Fairfax Media stories that revealed the police and the Security Intelligence Service investigated the activities of Israelis caught up in the Christchurch earthquake.

Sources said questions were being asked at the highest level and that state employer the State Services Commission (SSC) was also involved in the hunt for the source.

It follows initial revelations by the Southland Times, owned by Fairfax Media, that the SIS had investigated suspected suspicious activities by Israelis following the February earthquake in Christchurch.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: "The New Zealand SIS is investigating the suggestion that information was provided to the media by an SIS officer."

A spokesman for the SSC said it was not doing an inquiry into any SIS involvement in the story.

Prime Minister John Key's trip to the United States was overshadowed yesterday his initial refusal to comment on allegations police and the SIS investigated the Israelis as suspected spies.

However within hours Key was forced into a u-turn and confirmed both police and the SIS investigated but said they had found no evidence linking the Israelis to that country's spy agency, Mossad.

Key says he accepts assurances from Israel's prime minister that a group of Israelis caught up in the Christchurch earthquake were innocent backpackers.

He has reiterated that the investigation was thorough - and he confirmed today that included extensive forensic examinations of the dead Israeli's electronic gear, including his cellphone and lap top. Nothing was found to suggest he was a spy.

Key also told reporters that security intelligence officials in his office were instantly suspicious of the Israelis when they realised they had fled.

As SIS minister he had to sign off the warrants to search the Israeli man's gear.

Key also told reporters intelligence officials were in a high state of excitement when the Israelis fled. They immediately suspected mossad's involvement.

His admission only came after spiralling reports of strange behaviour by the Israeli's and New Zealand authorities in the immediate aftermath of the quake, including suggestions Special Air Service (SAS) troops were involved in escorting an unlawful Israeli search and rescue team from the earthquake ''red zone''.

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