incorporating

Winston Peters

The Great White Hope

(page 2)

PSA Journal, May-June 1�33

In This Issue:
•• The Rise of Winston Peters - The Great White Hope
•• The Plains Club Talks Plain Rubbish in Plain TalK
•• Mooning with Muldoon
•• US Information Service Activities
.. USIA sells "Stars Wars" on US TV
�* Voice of America Survey
*� Note on Marshall Jreen
•• East-West Center Project
•• Poreign Military Aircraft in Australia
•• The Suspicious Case of the NYANG Ski-Hercules
*+ Waihopai in the Fall
•• Anti-Bases Campaign Material Available
2

THE RISE OF WINSTON PETERS, THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

by Nuclear Free Kiwis

When he visited New Zealand in 1336, ex-CIA agent, Ralph Mc]ehee, t�1c lS

that the CIA could play on the Western news media as if on a Wurlitzer. We
have seen repeated US manipulation of our media in NZ in recent years. )ur
files c ontinue to grow and will probably be the subject of an in-depth
analysis in a future issue. The most graphic example of media manipu13tlor ,
date, besides the periodic orchestrated reporting of Russian and Libyar scares
in the Pacific, has been the so-called Maori Loan Affair which we 'dE more
accurately call the Honolulu Loan Seam.

A Rising Star

This episode starred National M.P. Winston Peters. With recel't opineo
polls sho'wing him as the most popular National M.P • • Winston 's star is ")ow )C
the rise. His take-off really came with his attacks on the Jovernme�·t :;ver �'
­

imputed loan to the Maori Affairs Department being arranged tr:rough H .'r,: ia'
businessmen. Investigation by television journalists uncovered thE; f3Ct :h ,
certain of these businessmen had (past) links to the CIA, but this ,;ij 'lot
concern or stir the rest of the media. After brief mentio, of the 8IA, the
nedia turned their attention again to publicizing Peter's attacks on the
Jovernmen t.

Except for Owen Wilke's detailed analysis ('NZ Monthly Reviow', March
1937), there has beer: nothing in New Zealand in the way of further
investigative journalism to probe the roots of this whole mysterious afL ,ir .
And, of course, Wilkes is not a professional journalist but a
researcher/writer for Peace Movement Aotearoa. This is a serious ind:'.ctmenc
of the establishment media - serious that is if one takes at face value the
media's pretension to objectivity, to democratic freedom, and to truth. If,
on the other hand, one sees things in terms of the large built-in conservative
bias in the NZ media, its deference to US interests, and its multinatiolcal
,
ownership, then the media s performance in reporting the Honolulu loan seam is
not only explicable but quite predictable.

When the loan scam first broke, Winston and his National Party mates
conpared it to the loans affairs in Australia at the time of the Whitlam
]overnment. They gleefully predicted that it would bring down the NZ Labour
]overnment just as the Australian Labour Government had been brought down.

To be sure, there are many parallels between the NZ and Australian cases.
The most interesting parallel, of course, is that they have both been
demonstrated to have CIA connecticns. And if the affairs were CIA dirty
tricks operations the many other parallels between them are to be expected.
This is not ,lhat our media want to look at in any depth. It would be certab
to distress their American friends.

The ]reat White Hope

The exact role cf Peters in the murk of the Honolulu loan scam remains
unclear. Whether or not from the start he was aware of CIA � inks, he
certainly exploited the affair to his and the Natiornl Party s best advantage.
From a purely political perspective that might not be surprising. Ever Since
that episode, Peters, a Maori, has done more damage to Maori credibility in
Pakeha eyes than any other single politician. At the same time, he has
emerged as "'The Great White Hope'" t the white man's version of all th1
" t
leader should be. '-"
 3
This was epitomized in an editorial page article on Peters by Oliver
Riddell in 'The Press' (7 May 1988). According to Riddell, Peters's
"Maoriness has led him into sweeping and savage attacks on :iovernment Maori
policies". Why? Well, Riddell says that Peters "deplores lesser standards of
accountability and competence applied to Maori affairs. He considers that �o
take their proper place in society, Maoris must be assumed to be as good as
anyone else (rather than being patronized by having lower standards �polied)
and then given what they need to achieve it".

This may sound reasonable unless you reflect upon the long and contLui ,g
repression of the Maor1, the socio-economic structures so loaded against Maori
youth today. The list of disadvantages to the Maori is long, 3S, for eX3mple,
the problems identified by the Royal Commission on Social Policy. Peter's
standc,rds of accountability and competence applied to Maori 3.f�3.irs elre "hite,
middle-class standards imposed from a pasl tion of power and ec:)nomic
dominance. Just because Peters has succeeded on Pakeha terms, dOBs this me3;':
he can no longer emphathise with the many M30ri who, for various reasons, have
not achieved or do not want to achieve the same status in Pakeha society? I-�
fact, this is exactly what the evidence reveals about Peters. His solution :"8
western technocr"Z\tic education � Peters S6ems to have become the clas�.;ic
#Uncle Tom�, the brown Pakeha, the Maori whom whites love to like because he
tells them "hat they love to hear about themselves. He blames Maoris, ;:,the,
than whites, for current racial problems 9

Peters has regularly attacked the handling of Mana Enterprises ·,nd Maori
Access schemes. According to Rlddell, this is because Peters is critic3.1 0:'
the management of these schemes. lIbecause they are not being done well
enoughlla

Stirring Race Relations

Another interpretation is possible. It seems that Peters has do�e

9verything he can in recent years to make race relations in Aoteeroa/NZ the
central issue cf controversy. His part in the Honolulu loan scam and his
constant targeting of Maori ventures like Mana Enterprises and Maori Access
have served to keep the issue alive. In his two major roles as Opposition
spokesman on Maori Affairs and on unemployment, Peters has been assured of 3
high public profile. He is strategically placed to keep the pot boiling 0
r3ce re13tions. After National M.P. Ross Meurant got his knuckles rapped oy
Opposition leader, Jim Bolger, Peters again quickly took over the main job of
'Maori bashing'. Meurant had been silly enough to raise questions abou� the
National Party leadership. Peters has been clever not to de this with Bolger
at the helm - at least not overtly. not yet.

Inste3d, Peters has continued Meurant's warni:lg 0; racial violence while

doing his best to stir the issue up. On Radio NZ (30 April 1988) Peters said
r3ce re13tions would be the major issue in the next election.

Riddell comments in his 'Press' article that "Peters is far from being a
buffoon", Certainly. Peters"s public statements seem cunningly designed.
he has used an issue embarrassing for Maoridom in such a wav
Time and ag-..:dn,
as to get maximum Pakeha sympathy and support for himself. His strategy is

obviously working wonderfully well both for him and for National.

Riddell portrays Peters as "not just destructive". AbsurdlY, Riddell

'
claims Peters " s criticisms of Mana Enterprises and Maori Access matters are
"an important contribution to the debate on how New Zealand can beoome ,
;
mul ti aci3l ond equ31 society". The absurdity of this journalistic build -up
Party, as a right-wing
of Peters lies not only in the fact that the National
equality . It is also
party. is effectively opposed to social justice 3nd
destruct ive,
absurd because Peters has been overwhelmingly

As Riddell notes, Peters "has not been involved specially in the righting
of historic Maori grievances". Contrary to Riddell, however, Peters has also
been far from ensuring t1that Maori socio-economic grievances are identified �
4 and dealt w1 th properly". His solutions to Maorl/Pakeha problems are for
Maori youth to adapt to the present system, to conform to Pakeha
socio -e conomic demands and expectations as Mr Peters himself has done so ably.
As the indices of relative Maori and Pacific ISlander deprivation worsen, all
Peters has to offer is for more competitive, capitalist spirit to be shown by
Maori youth, alon� with temporary work and job creation schemes to mop up the
failures. Peters is trying to cultivate race relations as the big issue for
the next electicn by pandering to Pakeha prejudices.

Maori Bashing

In March 1937 an editorial in the NZ Monthly Review' was entitled "The

Anti -Maori Campaign". Editor Harry Evison oommented on the wave of �laori
bashing at the time, including the fact that "the Opposition spokesman on the
(Maori/Honolulu loan) affair has been shuttling among shady conacts in Hawaii
and shady businessmen in New Zealand, to produce 'evidence' which he says will
topple the Minister of Maori Affairn if not the Government", It might be
added that Peters was quick to twist his line of attack, despite logical
contortions, to the course of events. These opportunistic inconsistencies and
Peters's flhady contacts, did not worry the mainstream media. In the 83.me
March 19B7 edition of NZMR, an article by Rakihia Tau made observations
similar to those of Eviscn. Rakihia Tau aptly remarked that: " Mao ri do;n is
currently under attack from a broad cross-section of NZ society taking the
form of inferences of organized crime with Maori dominated gangs,
misappropriation of funds with Labour Department schemes and dubious loan
dealings. What NZ society should be concerned about is why are these attacks
being developed? Is the division of NZ's sooiety being promoted?".

Media Manipulators

Being themselves central to these attacks on Maoridom, the establishment

media lack any capacity to analyse their role in the social system. They
serve rathlOl' as Cl channel for the manipulation of the news. The question then
needs to be addressed as to what degree can the CIA and other related US
agencies be seen as opportunistic manipulators of events here. The CIA
connection in the instanoe of the Honolulu loan scam is documented to some
extent. But any possible CIA connection in the succeeding anti-Maori campaign
is not readily visible to date. Nevertheless, strong inferences can be made
as to a likely CIA scenario in the light of plausible indications as well as
past and current history of CIA activity in race/ethnic relations,

In ?iji US manipulation of racial divisions has evidently helped to usher

in Cl dictatorship by a right-wing element of the indigenous people
('Peacelink' No. 53-, July 1997), Given the quite different situation ir_
Aotearoa/NZ, US interests would clearly be best served by exploiting racial
tensions in a way which brings a hard-line National government to power. In
his NZMR editorial, Harry Evison put it well: "That political storms are being
stirred up involving Maori concerns need surprise no-one. This is New
Zealand's 'Achilles Heel', Arti-Maori prejudice is the ideal vehicle for a
right-Wing resurgence set to topple the present Labour Government and New
Zealand's anti -nuclear pOlicies".

How could the CIA exploit its work in the Honolulu loan seam? The way
surely would be to use opportunities to promote Maori-Pakeha conflict and
generally aggravate racial tensions.

Wins ton Peters wants to make race relations the major issue of the next
election. Other National M.P,'s have also been busily pushing this issue to
the fore in all sorts of ways. National knows full well that it is an issue
which: inflames Pakeha concern, Since election 1990 wiU be the 150th
anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, large-scale protest
activity is very likely. The Conmonwealth Games, scheduled for 1990 in
Auckland, are already a target cf opposition . Law and order problems will
inevitably arise unless the social climate has improved by this date; so the
scene will likely be set for confrontat ion. �
 5
National 8eems to have a calculated agenda to deliberately provoke Pakeha
concern the motive force for an ugly white backlash to sweep them back into
'
po�er. Such Enoch Powell tactics raise deep and disturbing questions about
the motives of certain and about the shape of politics in the near
future§ An omi nouB prospect is a National Government� led perhaps even by
Peters (Riddell' 8 ' article is a 'puff-piece' for Peters as a future
Prime Minister) with Banks as Minister of Police, Richardson 38 Final'iCe
Minister J
and Meurant propelled to some front role §

The CIA would find National" s anti -Maori programrn8 right on line. Afts!'
the of the Honolulu loan seam the agency knows that it can rely on
the of the NZ media. It can Iso rely on the media to
play up or threatening issues: crime, gangs, social
problems, rac ia l conflict.... This is the kind of situation which it is
skilled in manipulating$ Anonymous �NZ Truth" stories (with almost entirely
anonymous sources) in June 1987 alleged the Russians and eVen NZ army ::,'adicals
were supplying Maori would-be revolutionaries and gangs with guns. Stories of
this kind reek of CIA psychological operations (see for example,
v"rious in Covert Acticn Information Bulletin' by Pred Landis).

us Surveys

The US has commissioned surveys in NZ a.Dd :1'10 doubt has conducted

other research. Among the would have b�:'::-en the identification of race
relations as poten the most volatile issue in Aotearo�i/NZ; the HOTl::lulu
loan seam would fit into s uc h Cl picture� To quote Fred Landis. a specialist
or: CIA propagand2�, "A common feature of several CIA covert operations the
author studied (Chile � Italy t J�lma_ica and Nicaragua) "'taS the co:nmissioning of
private polls the US (CAIB No. 29, Winter 1933, p. 47). Landis"s
3.rticle i ;-lc i d enta l ly� ls on the "Rei:1der�8 Dige8t� ties to the CIA and Landis
considers � Reader s� polls may hGl.ve intelligence purposes �

There are various other indications of likely US/CIA covert activity with
r0ference to this type of destabilization. These indications include
situaticns which the CIA could manipulate. In January 1937 Mr John
NegrQPonte � US A[js.istant Secretary of State for Oceans and International
Environmental and Scientific Affair-s1 visited Christchurch and then flew to
Antarctica to inspect American facilities there ('The Star", 3 Jan. 1937). As
US Ambassador to Honduras, Negroponte coordinated President Reagan"s National
Security Council/CIA oper-ations, organizing 'contra' terrorism and incitement
of the indigenous Indians against the Nicaraguan :)overnment (�The Press·, 1J
Jan. 1937; CAIB, N?s. 13 and 22; "Newsweek-, 8 Nov. 1982). Here then was a
top US covert action ex.pert, with experience in generating eth'1ic conflict, on
familiarization trip to NZ under an obviously diplomatic cover.
Significantly, Negroponte was soon appointed the new US Deputy National
Security Adviser in November 1937 (CAIB, No. 29, p. 51).

Second Loan Affair

Another so-called Hawaiian loan affair surfaced before Christmas 1337

just as predicted by Prime Minister David Lange CThe Press", 6 Nov. 1937).
This affair involved a loan by Te Arawa Maori Trust Board to Whaknri
Developments Ltd. (-The Press', 7 March 1988). The loan, which had not been
properly secured, was Lmed to buy a kitact housing company, Kitset housing
ventures were at the heart of the 1986 Honolulu loan seam and "gain Hawaiian
interests were i.nvolved with the Rotorua venture. Some of the figures
implicated in the previous affair were also connected with the second one.

McDonnell Douglas Involvement

It is most interesting that a subsidiary of the giant American aircraft

company, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Is involved in a computer business
venture with Wt�kaari Developments Ltd. McDonnell Douglas Information
Services (MDIS) has joined Whakaari in a 5-year project to "computerize" the
Maori nation inltially and then to extend the network to the countries that �
6
compris� Polynesia, Melanesia end Micronesia (-The Star-, 16 Dec 1987). Early
this year MDIS set up offices in Auckland, Wellin�ton and Christchurch and
another is planned for Dunedin ("The Press', 14 June 1988). This particular
project thus this US multinational a hi�hly privile�ed access to
Maoridom. It is able to gain all sorts of inside information as well as play
a very influential economic role.

McDonnell is one of the 'big guns' in the US military-industrial

complex. Indeed, it the biggest defence contractor. It is heavily implicated
in the corruption scandal currently under investigation in the US CThe Star'.
13 June 1988). A highly influential pressure �roup behind Reaganism in the US
has been the Coalition for Peace through Stren�th. The few firms which are
acknowledged tc be among the Coalition's supporters rank in the top defence
contractors in the and include McDonnell Douglas ('Peddlers of Crisis'
by Jerry Sanders, pp. 223 and 226).

American multinaticnals have long been used a s a cover by the CIA. Some,
like Bechtel and ITT, both operating here (the latter even in the US Antarctic
program) , have some nctcriety over the years owing to their CIA
connections. One can support \lIhakaari Developments Ltd. in its bid to
use computer for the benefit of Maoridoffi.
serious abcut their choice of business partner. (We expect to have
more to report on McDonnell Douglas in our next issue. MDIS seems to have
caught the attenticn of our agency and perhaps the Prime Minister.)

Another angle on a CIA-manipulated scenario Is the possibility of

stirring among those challenging the system end perhaps encouraging violence
of some kind. Matiu Rata, now leader of the Mane Motuhake Party, has said he
was warned of CIA involvement in Maori issues back when he was Minister of
'
Maori Affairs ('The Press , 26 Jan. 1987).
A reliable source bas revealed to us a report on Aotearoa/NZ compiled by
a New York-based political risk research firm. This report, which draws
extensively on from certsin NZ political science conSUltants identifies
Maori activists and, in particular, rival �an�s, as the �reatest th reat to
NZ's political stability.
This kind of analys1s echoes the sort of warnings the police have made
from time to time about the dangers of �a� and racially-based urban
terrorism. M.P.'s Meurant and Peters, of course, have developed this into a
reactionary line of Maor! bashing.

Future Contingencies

In 1982 the National Party abolished the Commission for the Future. This
was because the National Party, like indeed almost all politiCians, wants to
avoid constructive, positive thinking about alternatives to survive the
radically different future looming up on us all. One of the 'Future
Contingencies' series reports was on social problems. This particular report
was actually completed in draft form but never published. It pointed out
trends to polarization and racial/class conflict, mob violence and the rule of
fear. To quote from this report: "In some sections of the Maori population,
structural strain is fostering the belief that only violent Or revolutionary
actions will bring about equity, justice and autonomy for the Maori people".

No doubt the National Party hierarchy today ls cognizant of this sort of

futures projecticn on the basis of current so.cial trends. Why does it then
continue to. inflame the NZ scene with deliberately provocative tactics instead
of working for real justice for the tangata whenua? It is not enough to say
that anything different would not be the National Party. There is deliberate
strategy underlyip� National actions.

Recently, Dr 80b Mahuta of Waikato University's Maori Studies Centre

accused the National Party of a deliberate campaign of Maori bashing aimed at
increasing its public o.pinion poll rating ('The Press', 16 May 1983). Dr
Mahuta said National had this strategy following on its success with
the Honolulu lcan scam. �
Waitangi Targets 7

It is significant that television news (6:30pm) on May 21 reported that

National Party research has shown race relations to be a big concern among the
public. Race concerns are being regularly voiced at National Party meetings
and racism is clearly evident. The TV item reported National as seeing the
racial issue as an election winner. At the Auckland conference fierce
criticism was levelled at the Waitangi Tribunal. "The Party President, Mr
Neville Young, said people were sick of seeing Maori grievances presented
night after night and were turning off their television sets. A reaction had
set in against Maoris and the National Party would have to watch this
development" ("The Press'. 30 May 1988). One could add that the National
Party is certainly doing more than watch this development. The latest targets
for National are the Waltangi Tribunal and the Treaty of Waitangi itself.
Race relations specialist Dr Paul Spoonley has pointed out the
l m n N i l 8
��;� �� ;:�i�! �s �����l�� ��!�:d1�o ;v�: �O��: �7�t �r=��d��; �ffe;��SbY
more extreme commentators". As Spoonley remarks. some NZ politicians are
discoverin.: "the destructive response of this new racism".
Dr Mahuta also accused Labour of adopt1n� the same tactics as National.
Other groups, as well, indulge in Maori bashing. "Public Eyes' has recently
indicted the business community for this. Big business fears the implications
of the work of the Waitangi Tribunal. There is already plenty of stirring
going on for any outside stirrers to manipulate.
}roup Infiltration
In the future. one channel of external influence oould possibly run
through US-backed or US-infiltrated groups. Certain Maori activists have made
connections with the US-backed Taukei movement in �iji (see for the example
"The Dominion", 23 August 1987). The reactionary and racist Taukei movement
has helped engineer a repressive Fijian regime which welcomes not only nuclear
ships but also multinationals to exploit cheap national resources, including
labour. �urthermore, connections with Hawaiian indi�enous groups and American
Indian groups always carry the potential risk of US covert manipulation.
Hawaii, the focal point of the major Honolulu loan seam, fairly bristles with
US intelligence and military. A native Hawaiian organization called Uhane
Kahea was involved in the Honolulu loan seam. We know of one Maori activist
who was offered a free trip to Hawaii by the Bureau of Hawaiian Affairs. She
refused the offer. In the US itself, the �BI has infiltrated and subverted
much of the American Indian movement to such an extent it has effectively
crushed this indigenous rights movement (see "The Covert War Against Native
Americans" by Ward Churchill, CAIB, No. 24, Summer 1985).
An obvious avenue of attack for any external meddler would be to foster
the extreme right wing. US support for the pro-nuclear right has been
outlined elsewhere ("NZ Monthly ReView', Nos. 292-294, Nov-Dec 1986). The
pro-nuclear movement includes racist groups like the League of Rights. Of
these racist groups, the NZ branch of the neo-fascist World Anti-communist
League (WACL) has the most significant international links. WACL has a close
relationship with US intelligence. It acts as an international umbrella for
groups like the League of Rights. It has been working against the peace
movement here. It is ominous that WACL has a substantial and growing link
with the National Party.
In recent years, WACL has become increaSingly active in the South
Pacific. It has ties to the Taukei movement in Fiji ("Wellington Pacific
Report", No. 11, May 1988). Winston Peters has been amon.: the various NZ
M.P.s, including several Labour ones, to attend WACL events, In 1986 Peters
spoke at WACL"s Captive Nations Week, along with ex-CIA Deputy Director Ray
Gline and others (WPR, No. 11). Cline, who visited NZ in 1985, is part of an
ANZUS think-tank/network that has been making inroads on the NZ academic
scene.
8
Tricks

Extremists or other trying to foment racial dissension could mount

all sorts of trioks operations, e.g. , poison pen letters, provooations,
and planting of media stories designed to arouse antagonism. The basic aim
would be to create a climate of instability and fear. During the height of
the Honolulu loan seam, the media conveyed such an atmosphere with continual
reports of of community spoksspeople trading threats.
, Close to the
last election� a h oax racist letter bearin� the forged signature of Mr Phil
Joff Minister of , was obviously meant to stir up raoial disoord (' The
,
Star , 15 Jure 1997). recent times the conservative pakeha-dominated media
have been an ursettling atmosphere with statements such as
that the are sick of hearing of Maori grievances, and that
theme is an imminent of a pakeha backlash. Petel'8 is often quoted
favourably�

The Race Relations Conciliator� Mr Wally Hirsch, has ,eiven a warning

about �he "number of groups, especially the markedly racist
ones ( The Sta.r 151 1983) These groups are the r1atural allies of a
*

racially conscious National and there are already significant contacts

between the two *In the vo l a t i l e situation today, the Race Relations
Conciliator has a criticLzl role in shaping a more positive future for uS all.
But now the conciliator himself hc'ls
Peters accuses the Hace ,Relations Office of "sickly liberalism", and of a
"liberal guilt CThe Prsss', 12 May 1988; TV News and " "rontline " ,

is May 1933). He even the Office should be abclished if it can :oot

carry out the law

Peters has cunningly played to his largely white audience by

challenging Mr Hirsch's rul that the Race Relations Office had no
jurisdiction over the "kill a wh1te" comment by Ms Te Hemara. Only a liberal
and enlightened Pakeha soc.ial conscience offers the Maori the cbance for a
peaceful path to the redress of wrong and the renewal of mana. This social
conscience is exactl y what Peters is intent on damaging as much as possible.
His tactics seem coldly calculated to stimUlate wbite prejudice.

Political commentator Colin James has criticized Labour for what he calls
, roaring on down the critical path' to Maori Affairs devolution ('National
Business Review', 13 May 1 938). He asked whether the government could not
take things a bit more slowly. There is certainly some truth in James's
criticisms cf Labour"s handling of Maori affairs. But what he fails to
acknowledge is that so many of Labour's current problems in this area stem
from the days of the Honolulu loans scam. It is disturbing that such a
commentator can approvingly quote Ross Meurant for seeing a rising white
backlash against Labour's policies. James notes that Meurant is dismissed by
liberals as rClcist. While James sees the awful spectre of race conflict
looming on us, he places blame primarily on Labour' s policies and not on
National's Maor! bashing. Sadly this sort of shallow analysis reflects so
much of Pake�� political commentary today.

Preempt Further Interference

In this discussion we have charted the rise of Winston Peters as an

ironic expression of our deteriorating race relations. We have indicated
possible avenues for external manipulation of conditions in Aotearoa/NZ and
have sketcbed scenarios for the future. By doing so we want to help
preempt further US interference. At this point it must be said that the
available evidence dees not indicate that Winston Peters has ever knowingly
colluded with the CIA er any other fcreign agency. But it is sobering enough
to see the done by Peters and other National Party leaders for
domestic poli.tical ends: this dama.ge opens up more possibilities for foreign
intrusion �

Progress toward a multicultural society is our greatest social

cha in Aotearoa. It should be our greatest achievement. The vr
 9
National-led alternative is grim. To quote the conclusion of the unpublished
Commission for the fi'uture report on sooia1 problems, "If the :>overnment does
not accept the intensity and seriousness of Maori grievances, and if the
reaction to expressions of dissatisfaction by people who consider themselves
to be disadvantaged continues to be one that allows the Executive and the
pol ice greater powers. New Zealand could herald in the year 2000Viith many 'Of
the trappings of a police state".

fi''Ootnote:

The CIA links to the Honolulu loan scam are described in "The Press", 24 Jar
1987. fi'or discussion of typical editorial dismissal of such links see 'Peace
Researcher", No" 13, June 1987. It is ironic that one of the strands in the
}overnment"s public dismissal of CIA links was that the CIA would not be so
silly as to use people known to be connected to it in the past. Newspaper
editors appear to be unwilling or unable to accept demonstrated links to the
CIA despite the evidence published in their own pages; and for }overnment
officials the links are not to be believed because they are too obvious. The
established system in this country seems incapable of recognizing and publicly
acknowledging that a CIA operation could occur - in New Zealand, or for tha·
matter in fi'iji or elsewhere in the South Pacific.

THE PLAINS CLUB TALKS PLAIN RUBBISH IN PLAIN TALK

by Nuclear Free Kiwis

For months we have been trying to get officially through the natio"31
library network a publication called "Plain Talk", the newsletter of the
pro-nuclear Plains Club. As Vie understand the law any publication with 10:0 Or
more subscribers is required to be deposited with the Legal Deposit section 0:
the National Library of NZ. "Peace Researcher" has been deposited regularly
for years.

Subscription to Plain Talk" costs $108

pa for 12
issues. So far eleVer:
issues have appeared, the last being May 1988.
And yet the National Library
still has no copies. Is the Plains Club trying to hide something, or are they
just ignorant of the law?

Rent-a-Demo

The latest issue consists mostly of the lead article, a chronology and
purported analysis of about 20
years of left-wing activism in NZ entitled
"Rent-A-Demo: New Zealand"s longest playing soap opera". (And we thought
these guys had no sense of humour.) It names and talks about a number of
people in the peace movement including Murray Horton, Owen Wilkes, May Bass,
June Jregg, Nicky Hager, Maire Leadbeater, Bob Leonard, Larry Ross, Elsie
Locke and Jenny Easton. It focuses in particular on Murray and Owen as the
ringleaders of a dastardly Marxist plot to subvert New Zealand. Much of their
material seems to come from peace publications themselves, especially "Foreign
Control WatChdog" and "Peacelink"

}ood laughs can be had from reading the main text of the May issue. They
get names wrong, personal details wrong, and dream up farcical interpretations
of peace groups and their relationships. The contents of past issues of
"Plain Talk" are also full of unintentional humour and irony as well as the
usual right-wing paranoia. They feature such topics as:

(1) Connections between the NZ Labour Party and the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union,

(2) Larry Abraham, a US writer peddling the master conspiracy for a new world
order.
10
(3) Articles end interviews featuring Stanley Newman, President of the Plains
Club, and Principal Lecturer in Social Studies at Chch Teachers' College,

(4) Support for Maori-basher M.P. Ross Meurant ("Demonstrating an M.P.'s

killer instinct" - their title),

(5 )
"
(6) Articles b y O.e fellow-traveller 3eoff McDonald,

(7) Interview with Trovor Loudon, Zenith Applied Philosophy (ZAP) trainee
(1978-79) and founder and for 'Campaign for a Soviet "ree NZ'.

(8) Support for South Africa.

Other writers for P:ain Talk i,n lU-le BrizL'l Hil:, Allan Martin, and Nee
Haliburtcn.

Duped

The pro-nuclear r'ight is currently s":epping up their campaign of

J.ttacking tht.." peace movement as either cO:Jmunist or cocmunist-duped. Plain
Talk�s" targets have even included the Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Mike
MoorEL The newsletter claimed that Moore spent a weekend as a guest of the
Soviet consulate in Sydney ('The Star', 14 Jan 1 9 8 8 ) . The editor of 'Plain
Talk� t Mr Aubrey Stancliff, "said he could produce eyewitnesses who had heard
the story first-hand when the businessman made it public at the Christchurch
Club". This is the sort of evidence the Plains Club relies on - hearsay over
drinks at the bar! Mr Mool'e said that this allegation was the most bizarre in
a series of smear campaigns.

The Plains Club and the Campaign for a Soviet "ree NZ are closely linked.
The origins of the former seem to be connected with a US-sponsored IV] trip
('The Star', 2 Dec 1986). The Plains Club came to public attention ill March
1986 when it placed pro-nuclear, pro-ANZUS adverts in several newspapers. Its
intent was to influence the Corner Committee (Defence Inquiry). The Campaign
for a Soviet Free NZ sprouted soon after and has engaged in personnel swapping
practices with the aforementioned Club. Terry O'Cain, an early Campaign
spokesman, switched to be spokesman for the Club ('The Star', 2 Dee 1986).

There are evidently close links between the Club, the Campaign and the
USIS. Mr O'Cain once denied that the Club had had any contact with the USIS
but could not say the Club supporters had not ('The Star', 2 Dec 1 98 6 ) - a
nice distinction indeed! 'Plain Talk' has been reproducing CIA/uSIS
propaganda, for example, on Nicaragua.

It is amusing that this newsletter has said it aims to be the "foremost

intelligence wagazine in NZ". Its 'intelligence' includes wild conspiracy
stuff. One of its regular writers is 3eoff McDonald who includes almost
everybody in his conspiracy: the United Nations, the Krernlin, the Third World,
Maori activistst the Peace Movement, the Club of Rome, The Conference of
Churches in Aotearoa-NZ f environmentalists, colou.red people t ete.

ZAP Bible

Then we have the penetrating 'insight' of Larry Abraham ('Plain Talk',

No. 2 , August 1 9 8 7 ) . Abraham is the American co-author of the John Birch
Society book, 'None Dare Call It Conspiracy'. This book has served as the
bible of the ZAP cult and certain other extreme right groups. Now,
predictably enough, Abraham has written 'Call It Conspiracy'. Abraham
promotes the theory of "an international political and economic conspiracy for
a new world order" ('The Star', 10 July 1 98 7 ) . Key players in Abraham's
conspiracy are high ranking US, British and Soviet officials. Henry Kis8inger
is the top player of all. Other key individuals include Robert McNamar" and '-""
 11
1eorge Schultz, Reagan's current Secretary of State. While on a visit to NZ
in July 1987, Abraham made contact with what he called like-minded
conservative thinking people and promoted a network through his newly-founded
group '�reedom Incorporated' ('The Star', 10 July 1987). These contacts were
with the Campaign for a Soviet "ree New Zealand and the Coalition ef Curcer"'"d
�itizens (CCC).

Abraham said that even Sir Robert Muldoon may have been drawn u"'Ni ttingl v
into the international conspiracy. Certainly from Mr Loudon's point of view
Mr Lange and Jim Bolger are both apparently involved in the internatio:1"l
conspiracy. A full-page advert in 'The Press' (27 June 1987) caricaturizes
these two pc1iticians as puppets controlled by a hand in the sky with a hurnar
eye superimposed on the back of the hand. The hand and eye symbclism
apparently refers to the 'Illuminati', the secret society which has supposedlv
controlled the course of modern history. This was a publicity item promoting
Abraham's visit and his book 'None Dare Call it Conspiracy'. The advert Vias
authorized by Mr Loudon as NZ coordinator.

As mentioned, the Plains Club and the Campaign group have been conducting
a witch hunt for communists. One of their early targets was Dunedin peace
activist Alan Cumming. In a Campaign media release dated 29 July 1935.
spokesman Terry 0"' Cai:l not only falsely accused Alan of being a CO!Jmunist but
wrongly identified him as president of the NZ Council for World Peace }s weL
as publisher of 'Peacelink'. The targeting of Alan obviously stemmed from the
work of an oddball and highly secretive group in DU'1edir, called the 'Senate',
These fa�se allegations were repeated by one of the National Party's duller
M.P.s Roger McLay ('Taupo Weekender'. 15 August 1986). McLay h�s close links
with the neo-fascist World Anti-Communist League.

Reds Under the Bed

The most well-publicized target of the Campaign, along with other groups,
has been Mike Moore. Loudon's group put out a leaflet called 'Reds Under the
Bed' (honest they did - they even had a picture on the cover of Loudon L' ki:1g
under a bed!) and distributed this in Mr Moore's electorate. Other leaflets
even more scurrilous were being distributed at the same time. Mr Moore and
his wife got into a fracas with one of the Campaign leaflet distributors.
Later on, as described earlier, poor Mr Moore was accused of staYing at the
Soviet consulate in Sydney ('Plain Talk', No. 3, September 1987). M.P.s like
Mr Moore and Mr Palmer have been special targets of the Club and the Campaign
due to their internationalism: for example, facilitating trade with Russia and
connections with P�rliamentarians for World Order.

Plain Talk regularly features attacks on the peace movement by ex-NZ

'geriatric generals' like Jamieson and Morrison. A retired lieutenant
commander in the Royal Navy, John Pallot, is associated with the Plains Club.
He heads a small group which has attacked organizations like the NZ Nuclear
Free Peacemaking Association and the Conferenoe of Churches in Aotearoa-NZ for
alleged political activities inconsistent with charitable status ('The Press' '

4 July 1987; 'P1ain Talk', No. 3, Sept 1997).

As the latest effort in the anti-communist witch-hunt by these groups the

Campaign is going to put out its own magazine called 'New Zeal'. With Mr
Loudon behind it, it is sure to be full of zealotry. The Campaign claims it
will name a lot of communists in this new magazine. (Be sure to check to see
if your name appears.) It is interesting to pursue Mr Loudon's activities a
bit further. Apparently, one of his forms of communication is "jumping out
from behind parked cars and haranguing passers-by on slave-labour-bui1t
Russian cars and 40 Russian submarines around the NZ coast • . . " (letter to the
sditor 'The star', 22 April 1993). In 1996 Loudon denied tha t he had b;'d any
associations Vlith the ZAP organization since 1979. But his political
activities certainly follow the ZAP line. In a letter to the editor as
spokesperson for the Campaign ('The Star', 28 August 1997), Loudon said that
"I'm sure any organization that is as pro-liberty as ZAP would endorse our
goal of a Soviet-free New Zeala.nd" � The ZAP cult J
which, among other f-,JIt'
12
activi ties, is well known fol' hzu'assing the dl'ivers of Soviet-made Lada cars,
was exposed in the media in articles in the 'NZ Times' (15, 23, 3J Dec 1994)
and 'The star' (1 Dec 1964), The articles revealed that the cult has
its own version of totalitarian slave labour in its multifarious
bus ine ss act:i.vities� ZAP is virulently anti-union.

No Co mrni es , No Russians

LaudoD obviously maintains contacts with some people who have been
involved with ZAP, For instance, he advised a Christchurch restauranteur, Mr
Ian Kerr, to alter his uNo Russians" sign to a HNo Communists" sign in order
t'O get ar'Ourd the Race Relations Act ('The Star'. 13 Jan 1987). Ian Kerr was
narred as a ZAP student in the 'NZ Times' (23 Dec 1984). He had been the
operator 'Of the iilestern Destiny Bookshop which peddled far-right literature.
The latest effort mounted by the Campaign was co protest against the
importation of Lada cars ('The Press' 20 June 1988).

The bizarre extremism of the Campaign" s propaganda hLlS not helped it get
its message tc the public, In 1986 'Truth- and other papers rejected an
anti-Russian advert for fear of possible violation of the Race Relations Act
('The Star'. 12 June 1986). Later. newspapers and television decided not to
rill} iterns based on in terviews I>Ji th Loudon (' The Star', 5 Nov 1386).

The and the Club probably collaborate on drawing up lists of

those people consider subversive. The Campaign claims to be "building
dossiers on subversivesu in New Zealande They a.im for exposes of government
and Soviet skulduggery: h enc e the targeting of Moore and Palmer.

with the
Compared , the Plains Club is a less publicly visible
group. Its is rather secretive and defensive and this is even reflected
in the subscription cost of 'Plain Talk'. It shares with the Campaign the
paranoia, ineptness, and the lack of a popular support base. But, at the same
time, it is a bit mo re sophisticated than the Campaign and so avoids the
latter's public embarrassment, At the hearing before the Corner Committee, a
lavlyer, Mr S. Taylor, even appeared as counsel for the Club to testify on its
behalf ('The Press', 3 April 1985). In the context of the Inquiry and the way
other groups presented their testimony, such a contrived presentation was of
course rather strange.

Contra Support Group

Recently. a display supporting the Nicaraguan contras was mounted in the

Canterbury Public Library in Christchurch, The group responsible for the
display was 'Friends of Nicaragua'. The contact person for this group was Mr
Aubrey Stancliff, -Plain Talk- editor. According to articles in 'Plain Talk;
Mr Stancliff is a proponent of individual rights, He clearly does not extend
these rights to the thousands of Nicaraguans murdered by the CIA-backed
contras. It is possible that this apparent front group for the Plains Club
got help with its display in the form of material from the USIS which has its
office just across the street from the public library. The USIS library has a
big stock of anti-communist materials. One of the functions of the USIS is
the "production and distribution to select groups or to particular audiences
of pamphlets, leaflets, posters, and photo displays" (quoted from official US
Budget hearing documents, see �I?eacelink , Nov i986, p. 8). Some Campaign
members once mounted a demonstration to counter a protest by the Latin
American S'Olidarity Group outside the Christchurch USIS office.

In the midst of all this right-wing extremism is the president of the

Plains Club Stanley Newman. The mind boggles to think that Stanley was once
chairman of the Christchurch branch of the NZ Institute of International
Affairs and a member of the national council of the NZIIA. He was also
sometime chairman of the Historical Assn of Canterbury and general
editor/author of primary and secondary school social studies and history
texts.
c.;r
 13
Both the Club and the Campai�n obviously have a ne twork of contacts wi th
an a s s o r tment o f far ri�ht group s , includin� the C oa l i t ion o f Concerned
C i t izens ( s e e for example ' The Pres s ' . 2 Sept 1987 ) . The Campaign boasts of
many overseas contacts from whom it gets information . Just how c l o s e :t i s 'tc
the U S l S certainly r a i s e s important questions .

Footno t e :

Concerned readers are advised to apply to the Legal Deposit L i bra : L:e: ,
Seria l s , National L i brary of NZ , P.O. Box 12340, We l l ington , for copies of
' P lain T a l k ' and the forthcoming ' New Z ea l ' These pub l i cations should oe
depos i t ed for pub l i c a c c e s s in the l i b ra ry system as required by l aw .

M08NING WITH MULD08N

The press statement be l ow has been reproduced here because the

information it conveys gains new s i g n i f i cance with S i r Robert Muldoon 3

3pnointment as chairman of the ] l obal Economic Ac tion I n s t i tute ( # The S ta r '

Apri l Ho3) .

PRESS STATEi'1 �NT f'ROM THE NZ NUCLEAR FREe ZONE COMMITTEE

26 September 1 937

S i r Robert Muldoon a n d the Na tional Partv should have Clothi n., t c d

wi th the ]lobal Economic A c t i on I n s t i tute ( :j EAI ) , because of i ts
a s s o c i a t i on with the rel igious sect knowr, as the Moan i e s [ Un i f :'cation
Church of Rev Moon ] , and their support for extreme right -win� rebimes ,
said the NZ Nuclear f'ree Zone Committee .

When S i r Robert acknowledged the reports of the origins and b�,cki","

of JEAI he pointed out that Coca Cola is also backing JEAl .

"The association of C')ca C o l a with }EAl does nothing to sani t :' z e

e i ther , " S Ol i d a spokesman f o r the Commi ttee , M r L e s Slater . The
American pub l ication ' Covert Action I nformation Bulletin ' ( CA l B ) reports
that a former ,manager , John C . Trot t e r , of 3uatemala C i t y " s Coca Cola
plant was removed from man3.gement only after international unio" a' d
church boycotts of the company in protest at Trotter ' s implication in
death squad murders of workers and union leaders at the plan t , Mr Slater
said .

" I t i s c l ea r that the Moonies are backing extreme rightist regimes

in South America , and other recipients of }EAl ' s awards indicate thi S , "
Mr S l a t e r s a i d . Also to receive an aw,crd with S i r Robert is a forme]
president of Costa R i c a , Mr Luis Alberto Monge .

"As presiden t , Monge was active in the destabi l i zation of

Ni cd.ragua , having agreed \\7i th the American Ambassador for the
insta l l a t ion of an a'1 t i -Sandirlista propagandl, r , dio station 1" Cosb
R i e.;; f and alowed in this country Contra bases and attac:ks against
N i c a ragull , " Mr Slater s a i d . Mr Slater s a i d that Monge s position was ..
response to American and C I A p re s s ures against C o s ta R i ca � s economic
pro b l em s . "Monge ' s economy was not of such an example that any
reputa b l e economic organisation should consider h i s being given an
award , l1 he s a i d .

Mr Slater s a i d that another JEAl award reCipient to be honoured ir'.

Wash ington later this month is Mr Thomas Bolan , whom CAlB i d e n t i f ies as
b e i ng a prominent right i s t working with a former C I A o f f i cer .
14
References

Mong e : CAT B , No , 18 , p 3; No . 20 , pp 2 8 , 37 ; No . 22 , p 29 ;
}EAI : CAIB 1 No . 27 � P 42 ;
Bolan : CAI B , No � 25 , P 33;
Coca Co l a : C AI B , No . 12 , p 19 .
[ NOTE : These references a l s o ap pe a re d in Peace R e s earcher No . 13, p.
7 ( bottom ) � but some of them are i n a more meaningful context in terms of
this media releas e �
See also � The Press � ? 17 1987 . J

Muldoon was reported as that his new job as chai rman of the JEAI
would take him out of NZ a number of t i me s over the next year . He said that
"
Hthe chaotic s tate of the po l i t i, ca l scene in NZ is such that I don t think lrl
the: n e x t 12 months re to miss my contribution " . He added : HMy
contribution to this ( the J.EAI ) rea l l y becomes much more importan t .
1 "' 1 1 be there i:1 1 990 to get rid of this government 8 " One may we l l suspect
that the forces behind the ::iEAI see a link between Muldoon " s part ic i pat i on i. n
the JEAI and. g e tting rid of thB governmen t . The 3EAI is ominous in
its combination of in te l l ig ence , and m i l i tary and economic
intE':rres ts .

Muldocm bas returned from New York where he took the chair of the
J EAI board for the first t i me ( " The Pre s s " . 28 June 1 9 3 8 ) . C la i ming l i nks to
both US political t the ineti tute i s pre p arin g econom i c policy papers
to be put before the new US president It i rmn ed ia t e ly after h i s inaugurat i.on ( in
November" ( s i. c ] � [ The election V/i l l be in No vembe r I the inaugura tion in
January 1 9 8 9 . Ed . J Links to the Unification C hurch were men t i oned in the
a rticle �

The Muldcon connecticn to the ClEAI i s y e t an o th e r connection between the

National party and internat i onal extreme right-wing organizations c l os e l y
associated wi th the Adm i n i s tration . It Signals c l o s e r US at ten ti on to
economic on NZ .

US INFORMATION SERVI C E ACTIVI TIES

by Nuclear Free Kiwis

Our group hes focused quite a bit of attention on the US I nterna tional
Visitor Cl rant ( IVG) P rogramme . This prolilramme funds and arranges trips for NZ
opinion leaders /makers to the US , i.e., po l i t i c i ans , journa l i s t s , academ i c s ,
and the l i ke . For instance , 25 IVCl recipients for US
we obtained a l i s t of
Fiscal Year October 1 9 8 6 to October 1987 (see ' P eace Res earcher ' No . 17, Feb
1988) .

We want to empha s i z e thet this programme i s o n l y one of a who l e range o f

programmes emp loyed b y the U S to win ' hearts and minds ' . The USI S provides a
variety of kinds of trips to the US for wi l l ing Kiwi s . A U S I S letter dated 3
November 1986 , replying to an American group ' s reque s t for information, is
most revea l i n g . The letter ' s s i gnatory i s C herles Jones J r , Freedom of
Informat ion / P rivacy Acts Coord ina tor , Office of the Cleneral Counsel and
Congr e s s ional LIaison , U S Information Agency ( ca l l ed Service , or USI S , outs i d e
the US) .

The letter reveals tha t , in a d d i t ion to the IVG opportun i t i e s , groups

a l s o v i s i t the U S from NZ under programmes sponsored by a special U S I S Off i c e :
"The USI S sponsors other programs which provide funds for groups of New
Zealanders to travel to the United State s . These programs are sponsored by
the Office of Private Sector Program s . This O f f i c e i s respon s i b l e for
developing cooperative exchang e -of-persons pro jects with private sector
institutions to s uppo r t , complement and enhance agency goa l s and objective s .
I t prov i d e s s e l ective as s i s tance and grant support to non-profit activities of
tax-exempt organi z a tions and lnsti tut l ons who s e activities para l l e l the vt"
 15
Agency ' s by promoting mutual understanding between Americans and people o f
other coun t r i e s . I t a l s o initiates pro j e c t s for which implementation is
s o l i c i t e d from private s e c t o r organizations through the United States
}overnm e n t ' s Federal Register " . Since a pub l i c l y d i s c l o s e d goal of the U S I S
i s t o undermine NZ ' s nuc l ea r f r e e commitmen t , the Service works through these
free junkets and trips wherever possible to influence both the recipients and •

the NZ public in a pro -nuc l ea r , pro-alliance direction .

To quote again f rom the Jones l e t te r : " P rograms bringing New Zealanders
to the United States through the O f f i c e of Private Sector P rograms include the
Turner P a r l iamentary Program , Former Members of Congre s s , Free Trade Unio;;
Institut e , Pac i f ic Eccnomic Ccoperation Conferenc e , Pacific F o rum-Pac i f i c
Parliamentary Caucus , Pacific Forum -Pacific Caucus of P a r l iamentarian s , and
Uni ted states Youth Coun c i l Labor D e s k " .

There may possibly be we l l over a hundred wel l -placed New Zealanders

sponsored by these programmes g o ing t o the US each year . The prol iferation o�
programmes with long, often similar or redundant , names seems d e l iberately
d e s igned to c onfound any attempt t o investigate their objectives and
influen c e . I f all this act ivity were being carried on by the Soviet Emba s s v ,
the media would be agitating about Soviet subversion at work in NZ . Such
media questioning would be entirely appropriate . But no questions are �sked
about the US program me s .

�ol lowing on Bolger s trip to the US in March to speak to top US

]overnment o:ficials and bankers (see ' P ea c e R e s earcher ' , No . 13 March 1 938)
�
•

Ruth Richardson has been on a U S v i s i t purportedly "to spend thr e weeks

res earching the best way to tackle NZ ' s economic probl ems " ( ' The Press ' , 6 May
1988 ) . She a l s o m e t with a range of advisers to the U S 10vernmen t . This trip
sounds like the typical IV] jaunt a l though i t may come under one :of the myriad
of other programmes .

The U SI S , of cours e , brings lots of Americans to N Z , often spreading the

gospel according to R eagan . Of considerable interest was a recent v i s i t in
May by a group of young American political leaders "as part of a study tour to
establish bilateral exchanges between the two countries" (quote f rom the USI S ,
' The Press ' , 1 1 May 1 98 8 ) . Under the auspices of the American Council of
Young P o l i t ical Leaders ( ACYPL ) , a j o in t Republican-Democrat organiza tion , the
group plans to invite New Zealand to send young political leaders to a
two-week Democracy Confere n c e -US E l e c t i o n Study Tour in the US . Obvious ly ,
the USI S is keen to reach young New Z ealanders to promote the American style
of democracy and n�clear defence .

A c l e a r examp l e of the kind of message the USI S would like r e turning New
Z e a l anders to convey to their people is s e e n in an interview with University
of Canterbury poll tical scientist Prof e s s o r K e i th Jackson by "The P re s s "
journa l i s t Chris Moore ( 12 April 1 98 8 ) . Jackson , who had just returned from a
v i s i t organized by the U SI S , spoke about a sympos ium he had attended on
As ia-Pac ific s e c urity organized by the US Na tional Defen s e University near
Washington , D.C. H e said that the ANZUS row meant NZ was " s t i l l not very
popular . . • Some people at the sympos ium s t i l l f e l t that the US had been let
down by a friend " .

Prof e ss o r Jackson conveyed the typical superf icial analysis s o prevalent

these days among much of NZ academia . H e actually stated that "BUSh ' s
e l ection t o the Oval Office could a l s o s e e a greater understanding of the
South Pacific region - a New Zealander practis ing law in the US , Mr Peter
Wats o n , i s helping to form his foreign policy manifesto " .

I n such statements Prof Jackson reveals surprising naivete . Watson 3

Washington-based NZ-born lawye r , i s now the new director of the US-NZ CO �C i l '
a high-powered American pres sure group s e t up t o exert subtle influence o n NZ
over its nuclear warship ban . Watson successfully submitted for publication
in the ' NZ H e ra l d ' a so-called ' L etter from America ' (4 August 1 9 3 7 ) just
prior to the last e l e c t ion . This letter promoted the National Party ' s pol i cy '--""
16
on U S nuclear warship visits to N Z . Watson was formerly involved as
founder-director in a US Government-backed right-wing organization, the
Pac i f i c I slands Association .

This then i s the man who Prof Jackson says w i l l foster greater US
!
understanding of the probl ems of the South Pao i f i c region and , by implica ion,
cf New Zealand ! The USIS must indeed be wel l satisfied with Prof Jackson s
own expressed understanding of the politics of i t a l l . As for Bush, remember
that he 1 8 the Reaganite who i s on record as unequivocally endorsing the
concept of fighting and winning a nuclear war ( "With Enough Shovel s : R eagan ,
Bush and Nuclear War" by Hobert Scheer, pp . 29-30).

Prof Jackson also , directly or indirectly, has promoted the po l i t i ca l

visicn o f the current U S administraticn . The R eagan Administration i s seen by
Jackson as doing " reasonably we l l " . There i s a swing in the US towards a
..
"national mood of conservatisrn � � n with "satisfaction with the R eagan years"
(quoted in ' The Press', 12 Apri l 1988 ) .

In our last issue ( ' PR ' , No . 18 , p . 10) we noted the USIS Country Plan
New Zealand observed that the academic and media communities have been v ery
supportive of a local USIS branch office . Given the messag e conveyed by this
'
repcrt of Prof Jackson s IV::: trip, no wonder the USIS considers its IV:> and
other programmes to be so successful.

Another USIA item from a US publication :

UNITED STATES INFORMATION A3ENCY SELLS "STAR WARS " OVER TV AT TAXPAYER S '
EXPENSEu

The USIA is broadcasting around the world a 30 -minute commercial for SDI
made by the American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA), a pro -weapons
lobby financed by defenee contractors . This s lick half -hour production i s
full of fal s e and misleading s tatements. I t i s a sales job and a snow j ob.
I f such tactics were used to s e l l automobiles or mouthwash, the adveri sers
would be in big trouble with the Federal Communications Commis s ion , and any
number of other government agencies . Yet this piece of fraud w i l l be
rebroadcsst at uS (Americans) and at others in Our name - at our expen s e .
What about " truth in advertising"? What about "equal time " ? They abolished
it.

* * from ' Space and Security News , Vol . IV, No . 3, Dec 1987 (published by the
Institute for Space and Security Studie s , 7633 C Street , Chesapeake Beach,
Maryland 20732, USA)

VOICE OF AMERICA SURVEY

According to a report in the -NZ L i stener" ( 1 9 March 1938 , p . 67) "The

Voice of America (VOA) has recently c onducted a survey of the South Pacific as
well as Austra l ia "nd New Zealand in order to improve their services to this
area". The survey ",as based on l i s t e n ing in F i j i , NZ, Austral i a , Papua New
Guinea and the Trust Territories. In the South Pacific there were viSits to
the VOA monitors in Invercargil l , Sydney . C anberra and P erth.

This effort by the US I nformation Service to improve i ts VOA services to

the South Pac ific , including NZ , is yet another indication of the continuing
USIS propaganda drive .
 MORE ON MARSHALL 3REEN
17

In the last issue o f P R / O B , we reviewed a couple of laudatory media

interviews with US diploma t , Marshall 3reen . Apparently ' 3reen was in this
,
region to counter John P i lger s Australian television documentary about the
C I A ' s involvement in the overthrow of the Whitlam government in 1 975 .
Victorian State Labour M . P . , Joan Coxsedge , aptly comments on media coverage
of ]reen ' s v i s i t in her "Hard Facts for Hard T i me s " (No . IS April 1 9 3 3 ) that :
'
"
Predictably not a s ingle interviewer who has done h i s /her homework has been
found to ask some rel evant questions or to confront Jreen with the evidenc e ,
but perhaps such an interview i s not pos s ib l e in our ever-so-tightly
contro l l e d media " .

Some indication of Marshall Gree n " s role i n the 1 96 5 Indonesian massacre

i s given in a long ana l y s i s by David Ransom in the American magazine
" Rampart s ' (October 1 9 70 ) . "Only months before the coup , US Ambassador
Marsha l l ]reen had arrived in D jakarta , bringing with him the reputation of
having masterminded the student overthrow of Syngman Rhee in Korea md
sparking rumours that his purpose in Djakarta was to do the same there " (p.
46 ) . ]reen " s headquarters , the US emba s s y , d i s tributed manua l s on studen t
organ i s ing to the top leadership of the newly created Indones ian s tudent
3ction command (RAMI ) . KAMI was a leading force in organi S ing the massacre s .
Ransom a l s c notes that prov i d ing necessary spare parts for small bro:2dcasting
uni ts to whip up ha t e propaganda "was one o f the ways of helping the ge"sr3 1 s
anti -communi s t pogrom that f o l l owed" (p . 46) .

EAST-WEST CENTER PROJECT

�urther information has been forwarded to us on the CIA-linked East-West

�enter Project reported in our previous issue ( No . 1 3 , March 1 9 88 ) .

Sure enough , as we c l a im e d , US Professor Henry Albinski i s right at the

centre of it a l l . A l eaked document names a number of interesting
individua l s . Professor ]ary Hawke , D i rector of the I ns t i tute of Policy
Studies , Vi ctoria Univers i ty , which i s c o l l aborating with the Hawaiian-based
East-West Center , l i sts "present tentative thoughts about paper writers " for
the P ro j e c t . He mentions that for an advisory board , the Americans are
approaching a group headed by an academi c , Henry Albinski .

On one level , the Pro ject is seemingly a smooth US ' se t up calculated to

hook pl i ab l e NZ academics and the like . But the US political connection i s
not w e l l di sgui s e d , which makes the Pro j ect s o much more curious for the
wi l l ing NZ participation through the I n s t i tute of Policy Stud i e s . A former
( 1 98 4 -3 7 ) chief of the political section of the US Embas s y in Canberra ,
Austra l i a R i chard · W . Baker, has been appointed a research associate at the
E -W Cente � to coordinate the US initiated project ( ' W e l l ington Pac i f i c
Report ' , No . 1 0 , April 1 9 88 ) .

I t is likely that the whole US think tank network that has been seeking
such an opening in NZ academia is now due to come squirming in . The US-NZ
Coun c i l a sophisticated high-powered organization s e t up t o pressure NZ or
i
i t s nuc ear-free stand , i s c i t e d in Hawke s statement . :
Peter Watson , the
NZ -born right i s t , who is now this Coun c i l s director , is a l s o named a s 3
pos s ib l e member of an advisory board .

A range of NZ academics , journa l i s ts and even current bureaucrats are

named a s p o s s i b l e partic ipants in the P ro j ec t . Some well -known US right
wingers w i th inte l l igence l inks , like Samuel Huntingdon , Nathan ]lazer 3nd
Seymour M . L i ps e t , are offered among the p o s s i b l e American participants .

CORRECTION

On page 7 of our last issue (No . 1 8 ) a correction should b e made in the l a s t

s entence o f paragraph 2 . T h i s s entence should read " I n D e c ember 1 98 5 he
[ Carlucci J became Reagan ' s new National Security Adviser • . . " Note that the
year printed , 1 9 3 7 , is incorrect .
18

Off Bae
fi'OREnN M I L I TARY AIRCRAF'T IN AUSTRALIA

Australian activists are beginning to request

information on foreign m i l i t ary aircraft using Australian airport s , both
civi l i a n and m i l i tary . On 1 5 September 1 987 Senator Jo VallentiCle asked the
M i n i s t er for Jefence the fol lowing questions and received the answers shown .

(l) How many US Air F'orce planes have f l own into Aus tralia froit Harewo Jd
( Christchurch) in New Zealand in each of the years 1 982 , 1 983 , 1 934 , 1930 ,
1 33 S ?

Answe r : The United States M i l i tary Air l i f t Command operates 81 4 "

Star 1 i f t e r aircraft through Chris tchurch t o Austra l i a on a scheduled week l y
bas i s . There were approximately 50 of these f l ights in each of the years i �
quest ion . Add i t ional USAF' f l ights f rom Chris tchurch for each ve" " "re 3 8
f o l l ow s - 1 9 32 / 1 , 1 9 3 3 /2 , 1 33 4 / 5 , 1985 /ni l , 1 936 /2 .

(2) Which RAAF bases or c i v i l i a n airports have they u s e d i- Austra l i �

during t h i s perio d .

Answer : The airf i e l d s used during this period were Sydney (Kings ford
Smi th ) I n ternationa l , M e l bourne Internationa l , Perth Internationa l , Alice
Springs and RAAF Bases Darwin , Fairba irn , Pearc e , R i chmo n d , Amberley and
Laverton .

(3) A question pertaining to French m i l i tary aircraft was a s k e d . A

schedule of f l ights through Austra l i a was supplied for the years between
1 96 3
and 1937 . Approximately 1 t o 5 f l ights p e r year were logged w i t h n o f l ights
in some years .

Peace groups in the area of the R ichmond RAAF base outside Sydney have
reque s t e d and received f l ight data on USAF Starlifter movements in part of
1986 .

The Starlifter f l ights l i s t e d in question 1 and which a l s o appear in the

R i chmond data are the ones that pass through Chris tchurch twice a week . CDH
have received new f l ight data for 1 936 and part of 1 9 3 7 at Chris tchur ch . This
data i s available to peace researchers who request i t .

CDH b e l i eve i t i s important to determine the patterns and frequency o f US

and other foreign m i l i tary aircraft use o f our airports . I t is a l s o important
to try to observe the kinds and quan t i t i e s of cargo e s that are being carri ed .
The p l a n e s are sovereign instruments of foreign gcvernments and often have
free and unquestioned access to large areas o f our countri e s . As s i gnatory
' captive s ' o f various defence and in t e l l igence agreements , our governments ask
f e w questions and under international law have no legal right to inspect
fore ign m i l i tary aircraft for nuclear weapons , drug s , contraban d ,
counter-insurgency troop s , o r anything e ls e , even i f they wanted to . The huge
Amerioan bas e s at both P i n e 1ap and North West Cape have been refurbi s hed ,
expanded and upgrad e d at various times without the prior knowledge of the
Austra l i an government . Many, and perhaps mos t , of the supplies and high-tech
items , such a s computers , were imported by Starlifter and 3al::cxy aircraft of
the USAF M i l i tary Airlift Command . To the extent that peace groups can
monitor a ircraft movemen t s , and i t can b e d i f : icult in remote area s , we w i l l �
 19
be that much better informed as to what foreign governments might be up to in
our backyard . I f w e wait for our governments t o t e l l u s we " l l never know . In
some c a s e s we know more than the bureaucrats do .

THE NYANG SKI -H ERCULES - SOME QUESTIONS ANSWER ED , SOME NOT

In " P eace Res earcher " No 1 7 we a l l eged that two New York Air Natior,, l
]uard ( tNAN� ) ski -equipped Hercules aircraft that v i s i ted Operation Oeep
'reeze in January of this year were here on m i l i tary busine s s . We addre s s e d
questicns about the v i s i t t o the Prime M i n i s t e r and to the U S National S c i or.ce
' o unda t i o r . A summary of their responses fol lows .

We asked Mr Lange about how the NZ government had been approached 'or
diplomati� c l earance f o r the H e rcu l e s , what the stated purpo s e of the v ' s i t
was , and what kind o f c l earance had been "lven . H e responded prompt ly , and i:
his second sentence said , some.,hat cryptica l ly , "You are mistaken " , with nc
further explan3tio n . Presumably he was referrin" to our a l legations "f
n i l itary mischief .

He went ore to say , "On 9 JUT,e 1 9 3 7 pursuant to Section lJ ( 3 ) of the Ne"

Z e dand Nuc l ea r ,ree Zone , D i s a rmament and Arms Control Act 1 9 8 7 I approved
the landic,g i ' New Zealand for a period of 1 2 months of United States mi l l tar',
.,iI'craft b e ing used to provide lo"i s t i c support for the United States
AntarctL R e s earch Programme " . Here the Prime Minister was referring to �he
x · n ua l b l anket c l earance given to a l l U . S . m i l i tary aircraft for support of
Operation ') e e p B'reeze . The U . S . Embassy had described the u s e of the NYA�G
Hercules as supp l ementing normal NSF Hercules aircraft operating out o f
McMurdo . No questions were asked by our government and no conditior.s WerE;
placed on the diplomatic c l earance - it .,as effectively automati c .

The National Science Foundation responded to �ur questions from

Washington . They s a i d it was their idea to bring the Hercules to Antarctica
through Chris tchurch : "The main purpose of the v i s i t was for their "lir crews
to s tudy the approaches at McMurdo and South P o l e and confer with the
Antarc t i c Deve lopment Squadron (VXE-6) on air operation ir' Ai.tarc t i c a " . This
f am i l iarization .,as S
in preparation for further f l i"hts over the next 0 or
years . The NYk�3 Hercules are expected to serve a s backup when NSF Hercules
are undergoing major upgradin� o f avionics and navi"ational equipmen t , and
thus out o f serv i c � .

The f o l 1 owin" sentence i s particularly interesting: "NSF is concerned

that a s i tuation could occur durin" the austral winters of 1 9 90 through 1993
requiring a i r rescue operations and suf f i c i en t program ( N S F ) aircraft might
not be ava i l a b l e t o respond " .

We asked who paid for the expedition . The answer : "The cost o f the
f l ights from the US to New Zealand and back a"ain were [sic] shared between
NSI" and the tNAN:l . NSF covered a l l costs from New Zealand to Antarctica md
11
back .

We wrote back to the NSI" saying we were reasonably sati s f i e d that the
NYAN3 Hercules s erved the Foundation in their January v i s i t , but questioned
the shared funding . Howeve r , �iven the information in the NSF letter one can
construct a scenario for future Antarctic us e of the NYAN:l Hercules that
raises s ignificant questio ns .

A s cenar io : A dire emergency at the US South P o l e station occurs wi thout

warning in July 1 9 92 . Insufficient Founda t i o n -owned H ercules aircraft are
ava i l a b l e in Christchurch to mount a r e s cue of the overwintering crew at the
Pole . S o a ca l l f o r h e l p i s rad ioed to the A i r National :luard in New Y o rk .
Their s k i -equipped Hercules are on duty in 3reenland in the northern summer
s e rving the D i s tant �ar l y Warn in" rCldar of the US nuc l ear command . Two '-'"
20
Hercul e s are i mm e d ia te ly removed from their m i l i tary d u t i e s i n the fa r north ,
comp l e t e w i t h f l ight c rews a l l of whom just happen to have taken a
fam i l i a r i zation trip to McMurdo and the South P o l e in an ear l i e r s o uthern
hemisphere summer ( qui t e a p i ec e of luck as these crews are on a c t i v e m i l i tary
duty o n l y a few weeks per y ea r ) , They th en f ly nearly half -way , roun d the
wor l d . s t op p i ng several t imes to re fue l , to Chri s tchurch wheel's they are
D r i e f ed or: ::1. ['oscue m i s s io n yet further thousands ,�) f m i l es J.W �y i r: the
-
, 1 t i mate 30uth . And perhaps they hadn t thought " bo ut it as they 1 e £ -. the
l ong " o r t her f' summer days - Antarctica is i n com p l e te darkness 3.Ild i th ,:� ·
,E;. r i p of win ter in July . Only one or two m i d -w in t e _ rescues hav'_, ; v e r t , - c.W
-'l. t t empted then; ( s ome years ago J,ccording to the De·jp Fre t..' z t.. :':om:land e r ) . A,:·
thi:' d re,_; dy r 'j r e en l and crews contemplate tht· re s c ue m i s s : on bef.:Jre
them , what of the emergency 3t the South Po l e ? How much t i m e has e l -:l p s 6 'J
S i nce the or; 1 i l<:.� rm was ra i s e d ? How much l ong er m u s t: the South P o l t -:;·::J.rT
ope wi th t t ie i r d i r'e emergency be f o re the NYAN] Herculcs arr i ve ? If ev _

We won de r if the New York A i r Na t i ona l 8uard hds ful l Y thought out ch�
'T1 1!ld-boggl ing i mp l i ca t i on s of i t s agreement to back up the 8'oundat i on ir
An ta rc t i c a under m i d -winter conditions . And why d i d they pay h�'.< l f the cost
the U S -NZ -US fl in early 1 98 8 ? Will the m i l i tary c o n t i nue to p a,: such
os t c' even though the NSF i n s i s ts that ::hi s dubious scheme is pure l v tc o a e l'
the Ant;:L::� __. T i c progra:�me ? P e rhap s we a r e m i s s ing something - l i Ke the t ..;
le •

s t o ry ?

VlAIHOPAI I N THE FALL - NATIONAL DEMO NUMBER 2

Earth work ,Ja s we 11 underw"y by the time of the Second Na ti one; 1

Jemonstration C U -I S M ay ) at the s i t e of the proposed Wa i hop a i Va l l ey
satel l ite spy s tat i o n . The weekend began w i th a pub l i c m e e t ing in Blenheic
'
f ea tu r i ng s p eakers from the on"oing women s cam p in the v a l l ey . and Ower.
Wi 1 k e s . The m e e t ing received good weekend news coverage .
'-'"

Nlar i e Lauf i s;) n f Te Wha n ,'{ u -' Matdri k : if1 Dun e d i : spe::.tkins; .J. t the M3Y W,, � i "\oY'"
Ac t i o n
 21
The numbers at the women's camp had grown to over 40 during the
preceeding week. It was a ccld, wet week in the camp made more unpleasant by
a nasty confrontation between the women and the contractors early on the
Thursday morning. When they arrived on the job at about 7 am the workers were
greeted by a sit-in and decorated machinery . They were not pleased. Engines
were started ��d women who did not move from the machines were forced to
endure terrifying rides about the paddock or to dodge massive moving gears and
the like. Another protester who failed to budge from the ground was moved
wi th a front-end loader . The incident was more than any of the particj"pants
had bargained for. B'ortunately , it ended without serious injury. Three womer
were arrested.
On Friday , the 'mixed' camp , as it came to be known , was set up along the
Wairau Ri vel' as in February. Planning meetin"s were held on Saturday morning
with the main action beginning at the Waihopai station gate at 2pm.
Approxiw.ately 200 people assembled there to be briefed prior to entering
Defence Department land, which the si"ns on the paddock fence clearly
indicated.
The entrance, an access rcad with shiny new concrete stream culvert , the
building p;:;d and a security fence were all in various stages of construction
but no work was in progress. And all machinery had been moved far from the
site to avoid further damage by flowers and ribbons. Pclice presence was
•

light - one car and three men in uniform.

We marched toward the security fence into a stron", cold wind .
Displaying banners in the gale was the �reatest challenge of the day.
Attempts to drape them between the fence posts were only partially successful .
Speeches were made. Then those who wanted to enter the area inside the
security barrier (there was no wire between the posts) were instructed tc for�
a line along the fence near a superb supply of stones. Just about everyone
chose to join that line , and to risk arrest (we were told by the police not t 'e
go inside the fence line) by entering the 5 hectare building and antenocl area
carrying literally hundreds of stones - for decoration . The stones ultimately
spelled out a massive 'NO', with the obli�atory peace si"n where yOU might
expect it. The police made no moves to stop anyone. It was peaceful in every
way - except for the wind.
Sunday was a day of meetin"s , and planning for Waihopai actions and those
of the wider bases campaign for the rest of the year .
UPCOMIN3 ACTIONS IN THE ANTI -BASES CAMPAI3N:
WAIHOPAI - 3RD NATIONAL ACTION AT THE SITE, weekend of 2 7 -29 August.
HAREWOOD - NATIONAL ACTION AT CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HOME OF
OPERATION D�EP B'REEZE , Labour Weekend (22 -24 October) : Information workshop on
Saturday in conjunction with the National Peace Workshops also to be held in
Christchurch; demonstration and encampment at the airport on Sunday and
Monday . Theme for the weekend : STOP THE STARLIB'TER ! Actions at the airport
will be coordinated with the National Workshops so that people can participate
in both events, although some overlap will be unavoidable .

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ANTI -BASES INFORMATION LEAFLETS AVAILABLE

The Ant i -Bases Campaign in Chris tchurch has produced a leaf let on each of the
' f oreign ' m i l itary / in te l l igence insta l la t i on s in New Zealand : Operation Deep
Freeze , Tangimoana , Black B i rch and the Waihopai station now under
construction . A fifth l ea f l e t gives an overview of a l l the bases and i s
designed t o be u s e d by i t s e l f o r with the o ther leaflets a s inserts . They are
written in non-technical language to be readily understandab l e to the
laypers o n . The purpos e of the leaflets is to provide a conc i s e , readable
description of each installat ion, and a summary of our concerns and reasons for
opposing their presence in New Zealand .

The l e a f lets can be ordered from A B C -Chri s tchurch P . O . Box 2258 , C h c h .

.
The cost is 5 c e n t s p e r l ea f l e t . A s e t of 100 of each o f the f i v e leaflets is
$25 . If you or your group want to d i s tribute the leaflets but cannot afford
to buy them , pl ea s e l e t us know .