A Conversation for New Zealand's Anti-nuclear Stance

Nuclear-Free New Zealand: Piffle!

Post 1

Researcher 167993

This entry is crappy, to say the least. First, there were American sanctions, in the form of reduced military cooperation - reportedly including the withholding of intelligence material giving warning of the Rainbow Warrior bombing - and some trade sanctions. The Rainbow Warrior bombing comments are worse - the two agents who were arrested almost certainly didn't do the bombing themselves; they masqueraded as a Swiss couple; and they did serve some time in a New Zealand prison and then, following threats by the French government, in isolation on Hao atoll, a French Pacific territory. France did pay approximately US$20 million to Greenpeace and the New Zealand government. Greenpeace spent some of the money on the new Rainbow Warrior, while the NZ govt established a charitable trust dedicated to peace and arms control education.


Nuclear-Free New Zealand: Piffle!

Post 2

JamesB

"Researcher 167993" - or should that be "Agent 167993"? Who the hell are you anyway?
I'm not going to resort to name-calling or attacks like "crappy". These tend to reflect more on the calibre of the person writing them.
This article was written with tongue-in-cheek, (perhaps someone ought to explain that concept to you) to put a humourous spin on events that at the time were dramatic in the small nation of New Zealand, and for once caused a small commotion on the world stage. I'm not an official historian and I get details wrong often. If you could write a better article I guess you would have - but you didn't.
The American "Sanctions" amounted to things that didn't affect NZ much at all, and weren't noticed by the person in the street, therefore they didn't eventuate. So the US kicked NZ out of the ANZUS treaty. Well, that broke a lot of hearts, NOT.
Trade sanctions just demonstrated a small-minded pettiness on America's part - completely at odds with their claim to be pro free trade. Then you go on to accuse America of collusion with France's attack on Greenpeace (an accessory to manslaughter perhaps?). Will you be pressing this issue?
True, I didn't go into a lot of detail regarding the fate of Prieur and Marfart. Swiss/French - they were masquerading, that's the point. Full credit to the cops for picking them up. They did spend some time in a NZ prison, but you could hardly call Hao Atoll, where they ended up, Devil's Island, and they returned to France after a few years. So they "almost certainly" didn't do the bombing? Do you have information about who DID? Perhaps something you should be telling the police?
It was disgraceful the way France pressured NZ into releasing the agents to French custody with trade threats. Disgraceful for France to send spies and saboteurs to New Zealand, when so many young New Zealanders lie buried in France having fought and died for French freedom. Disgraceful for France to continue to test nuclear weapons in the Pacific. The American Government has treated a lot of countries far worse than New Zealand, we'll forgive them their fit of pique.


Nuclear-Free New Zealand: Piffle!

Post 3

bretsky

I recall seeing a docu-drama called "Landslide", which dramatised the 1984 election and gave some interesting insight into the US government's response to the NZ government's anti-nuclear stand.

One thing I remember that I think is probably worth looking into further(primarily because of it acts as an indication of just how the Reagan administration worked), Ronald Reagan telephoned David Lange to inform him that the Soviet Union had launched a nuclear assault and that cities in NZ were targetted.


Nuclear-Free New Zealand: Piffle!

Post 4

kitboyes

Similar TV dramatisation "Fallout" by Greg McGee may interest you. Also interesting as a disadvanatage of the anyone can edit is approach of wikipedia is the string of chnages on associated sites (esp DGSE & Sinking of the Rainbow warrior entries).

FYI my crappy Anzus entry is being edited if anyone wants to have a go at it smiley - smiley - see A5648998, Kit.


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