Police intervened in two potential mass shootings about the time of the Christchurch mosque terror attacks, and the country’s spy boss believes there’s a “realistic possibility” the terrorist will inspire another attack.
Spies, police chiefs, academics: NZ s first counter-terrorism hui opens Tue, 15 Jun 2021, 10:00AM
He Whenua Taurikura, New Zealand s hui on countering terrorism and violent extremism, has opened in Christchurch this morning. (Photo / George Heard)
Spies, police chiefs, academics: NZ s first counter-terrorism hui opens Tue, 15 Jun 2021, 10:00AM
The country s first annual hui on countering terrorism and violent extremism, He Whenua Taurikura, which has attracted global experts, spy chiefs, and tech players has opened in Christchurch.
The historic event comes after recommendations in the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the March 15, 2019 terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques.
The two-day hui will attract some of the most powerful figures in New Zealand, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Rebecca Kitteridge, director general of spy agency New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), and Police Commissioner Andrew
STUFF
Justice Minister Kris Faafoi announces new counter terrorism legislation in crackdown on precursor activity, the planning of an attack.
National security officials believe there is a “very high” risk of a significant terrorist attack occurring in the coming three years, according to information from a classified report obtained by
Stuff. A summary of the Government’s “Terrorism Risk Profile”, a classified report which informs the current counter-terrorism strategy, reveals the country’s national security agencies assessed the risk of a worst-case scenario attack occurring as “very high” within the five years from June 2019. Such an attack, it was assessed, could come from unidentified people with extremist right-wing ideology who have “intent and capability”, or from “a small number” of Islamist extremists known to the agencies who could commit an unsophisticated attack, or from other, unspecified violent issue-motivated groups or individuals.
Intelligence agencies missed an online threat against Christchurch's mosque, but expecting them to spot every threat made in cyberspace is "bizarre", an expert says.