New Zealand Targeted in US Intelligence Leak Investigation

October 23, 2024 TruthUSA

New Zealand is embroiled in an investigation regarding a leak of classified documents containing the US’s assessment of Israeli plans to attack Iran.

New Zealand is implicated in the leak of classified documents outlining the United States’ assessment of Israel’s plan to attack Iran. According to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, President Joe Biden is “deeply concerned” about the leak.

One document was compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), while the other seems to have originated from the National Security Agency (NSA).

These two “top secret” documents were shared within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. They contain the acronym FGI, which stands for Foreign Government Intelligence.

They were leaked on an Iranian-aligned Telegram account named “Middle East Spectator” last week, but Kirby stated that there is no “indication” of more documents being released to the public.

New Zealand has recently experienced several successful hacks by foreign powers. The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), the country’s intelligence agency, recently faced a $7 million (US$4.7 million) budget cut.

Given Iran’s extensive cyber-warfare capabilities, U.S. intelligence agencies and the FBI are investigating the possibility of a hostile hack.

NZ’s Intelligence Personnel Numbers Have Increased

When asked about the breach between Israel and Iran, both the GCSB and its Minister Judith Collins declined to comment on intelligence matters.

However, the GCSB noted that the number of employees across the agency and the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) has slightly increased this year.

“Information security remains a top priority for the intelligence agencies,” they stated.

The leak poses a threat to New Zealand’s involvement in various new agreements, such as the U.S. relaxing restrictions on selling space technology to allies and NGA’s increased collaboration with military forces in targeting on the ground.

Despite this, Rocket Lab from New Zealand has launched rockets carrying dual-use military and civilian technology, including a payload sent up by a U.S. firm for satellite imagery purposes.

New Zealand has also assisted the U.S. Space Force in satellite tracking, establishing a U.S.-funded NZ Defence Force hub in Auckland last year and joining Operation Olympic Defender recently.

The NGA provides both combat support and core intelligence and plays a significant role in the allied geospatial intelligence system (ASG), which includes GEOINT New Zealand, comprising NZ Defence Force and intelligence agency personnel.

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