War Games

Stupid Idiots

Shortly after 9/11 New Zealand passed its own anti-terrorism law, the Terrorism Suppression Act.  Its focus and intent was upon the threat of Islamic terrorists infiltrating into New Zealand and committing murder.  The passing of the law was a panic-stricken, rushed affair.  As is almost always the case, laws passed in haste produce decades of pain due to unforeseen adverse consequences.  NZ's anti-terror act is a dog's breakfast we are told. Even MP's are now publicly repenting of their sins in acting in such ill advised haste.

What the panic-stricken parliamentarians never considered in drafting the law was home-grown terrorists.  But that is what we got.  A raggle-taggle bunch of deluded utopians, filled with their own sense of moment and self-importance.  Military-style training camps for armed assaults and revolution in the remote Te Uruwera forest were conducted.  A network of left-wing radicals and anarchists was developed, with links throughout the country.

The police were on to it.
  They used some of the powers granted under the anti-terrorism law.  The raggle-taggle mob was surveilled.  Communications were intercepted.  Hidden cameras installed.  Finally, the police raided remote Tuhoe country in the Uruwera's, discombobulating the local population.  Understandably, having police descend in force, armed to the teeth, running around a village in and out of houses, whilst keeping inhabitants under their weapons was pretty frightening.

Nevertheless, the police nabbed the perps.  At the forefront was he whom the media has dubbed a "Maori activist"--probably the leading Maori activist, one Tame Iti.  Now, we don't know Tame Iti personally, but by all accounts he is a bit of a lad, with a flair for the dramatic, the grand gesture.  But the point is that no-one takes him seriously.  He is a bit of a comic.  A likeable bloke, but a bit of a joke. 

Tame Iti

The media and the Chattering Classes, learning that Iti was involved up front and centre, dismissed the whole military-style training camp thing as harmless, naughty-boy stuff.  A bit of a laugh, really.  The police, therefore, in this elitist narrative, were framed as grossly overreacting, the terroriser of small children and frightened women.

This narrative played well with the public.  Anyone involved in the kinds of activities that had been going on in the Te Uruwera forest had to be a bit silly, idiotic even.  At best it was self-aggrandized high jinks; at worst it was idiotic.  Either way, it was so outlandish that the perps deserved pity more than anger.

The heart of the Crown's case against Tame Iti and his cohorts was bled out when it was determined ex-post that the anti-terrorism act was so flawed, its powers and provisions could not apply.  Hence a lot of evidence was thrown out as inadmissible.  Naturally, this reinforced the dominant narrative about the whole affair.

Finally, Tame Iti and his chief cohort have been jailed for two and a half years on firearms charges--a much reduced charge, but nevertheless a criminal conviction.  Iti's supporters are claiming that the sentence handed down was unduly harsh.  Iti remains the victim in their minds.  They are proud of him and what he has done.  No doubt his path to martyrdom is secure.

We believe Iti and his cohorts have been stupid, self-aggrandizing and detached from reality.  Yes, they have been more comical than Dad's Army.  But the intent was clearly there to kill and maim others.  The police had probable cause in spades.  Iti and friends deserve their sentences--and a good deal more.  They should consider themselves fortunate that most of the evidence against them was ruled inadmissible. 

Below is NZ Police Commissioner, Peter Marshall's defence for police actions on that fateful day in Tuhoe country.