Joint Policy Statement on International Agreements and a certain MOU
Scott made this Official Information request to Government Communications Security Bureau
The request was successful.
From: Scott
Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,
I would like to make a request for a copy of a NZSIS-GCSB Joint Policy Statement and a certain MOU, both of which are referenced in an IGIS report published today:
https://igis.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/FINA...
ONE: I would like to request a copy of JPS – 026 International Agreements and Arrangements
TWO: I would like to request a copy of the 2012 MOU between GCSB and the foreign partner agency referenced throughout the IGIS report
In terms of Section 16(2) of the OIA my preference is to receive a copy of these documents, rather than an excerpt or summary.
Yours faithfully,
Scott
From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau
Tçnâ koe,
Thank you for your Official Information Act request.
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than 20 working days after the day that your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact [GCSB request email].
Ngâ mihi,
GCSB
show quoted sections
From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau
Kia ora Scott,
Please find attached a response from the Director-General.
Nga mihi,
GCSB
show quoted sections
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid requests for Official Information (read more).
If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention by the site administrators
Report this request
Scott left an annotation ()
A close reading of the IGIS report and leaked Snowden documents makes it clear that the foreign partner agency signals intelligence capability in question is an NSA capability called APPARITION and that its hardware was installed at GCSB's Waihopai Station.
APPARITION is a capability to "Find [the] position of isolated “VSAT” satellite users." APPARITION systems overseas have been used to locate high-value counter-terrorism targets in the Middle East for capture-kill missions. This would be what the IGIS meant when he said that the GCSB deployment of the capability had the potential to be used to support military operations.
The "capability’s predecessor" referenced in IGIS paragraph 37 is GHOSTHUNTER.
Sources:
http://static.stuff.co.nz/files/GCSBMarc... (this is apparently the very document referred to in paragraph 67 of the IGIS report: "...a GCSB presentation in March 2012 advised that installation was planned for June.")
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentclou...
https://theintercept.com/document/appari...
https://theintercept.com/document/appari...
Link to this