The Intelligence and Security Committee met today to discuss the SIS's annual review, which led to the revelation that Kiwis were heading overseas to marry members of ISIS:
Young New Zealand women are heading to Iraq and Syria with fears they are joining the droves of Jihadi brides.
Security Intelligence Security director Rebecca Kitteridge revealed on Tuesday the numbers were on the rise and it was a big concern.
Why? To ask the obvious question, how are these women a threat to the security of New Zealand?
Because that's what the SIS exists for: to inform us of threats to our security. Which in law means:
(a) the protection of New Zealand from acts of espionage, sabotage, and subversion, whether or not they are directed from or intended to be committed within New Zealand:
(b) the identification of foreign capabilities, intentions, or activities within or relating to New Zealand that impact on New Zealand's international well-being or economic well-being:
(c) the protection of New Zealand from activities within or relating to New Zealand that—
(i) are influenced by any foreign organisation or any foreign person; and
(ii) are clandestine or deceptive, or threaten the safety of any person; and
(iii) impact adversely on New Zealand's international well-being or economic well-being:
(d) the prevention of any terrorist act and of any activity relating to the carrying out or facilitating of any terrorist act
It is difficult to see how kiwis leaving the country to get married is covered by any of that. Insofar as these women are not themselves engaged in terrorist activities, then it seems to be no business of the SIS who they marry.
But I forget: the SIS has always been a pack of panty-sniffing perverts with an interest in people's sex lives. And while the targets may have changed, the mindset hasn't. But that mindset seems to have no place in law. If the SIS is spying on "jihadi brides", then it needs to stop
