Islamic extremists with links to international terrorist organizations are likely to be operating in New Zealand, NZ Security Intelligence Service (SIS) says. In an annual report to Parliament published Tuesday, the SIS has revealed publicly for the first time that it suspects terrorists or terrorist sympathizers are operating in New Zealand. SIS Director Richard Woods said in the report that the international successes in targeting al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden had raised the security threat level for New Zealand. "From the service's own investigations we assess that there are individuals in or from New Zealand who support Islamic extremist causes. The service views these developments, most of which have come to attention within 2003-04, with considerable concern. They indicate attempts to use New Zealand as a safe haven from which activities of security concern elsewhere can be facilitated and/or the involvement of people from New Zealand in such activities," Woods said. Woods said the SIS had investigated cases like information from a foreign national in New Zealand relating to the security of another country, apparent links between individuals in or from New Zealand and international terrorist activities, individuals in New Zealand seeking to raise funds for terrorist organizations, links in New Zealand to overseas programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and foreign intelligence organizations conducting covert activity in New Zealand. He said the SIS was investigating "several people" in or from New Zealand who were apparently linked with international terrorist activities. There was a need for increased vigilance andeffort to ensure the country was neither the victim nor source of international terrorism. He said the SIS was now devoting "significant effort" to determine if security threats existed inside New Zealand. But Woods said it was an intensive and time-consuming process and it could be some time before a definitive assessment could be made.
The release of the report comes at the end of a year in which the SIS has been subjected to unprecedented public scrutiny. It was roundly criticized for its role in the detention of Algerian refugee Ahmed Zaoui, who has been freed but still subject to a security risk certificate, and implicated by the Sunday Star-Times newspaper in the illegal bugging of Maori organizations.