Editorial: Is that all there is to the 'spies' story?

Opinion

The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Justice Paul Neazor, is soon to be a busy man indeed. He must now unpick two untidy controversies linked to the Security Intelligence Service.

His re-consideration of the SIS decision to issue a risk certificate against Ahmed Zaoui has been on hold until the Supreme Court decides whether he must take into account human rights issues. Given that Court's concerns outlined in the leader above, it will be a decision which cannot be far away. Justice Neazor will then be free to decide: is the Algerian a risk to national security?

Or perhaps he won't. For the other matter - the Sunday Star-Times' allegations that the SIS unlawfully spied on Maori politicians and iwi authorities - will compete for his attention. Justice Neazor decided to investigate and will have to do so, but as time goes on, there seems less reason for the judge to devote much time to this matter.

The newspaper had promised last week that there was more to come in its "special investigation". Its publication yesterday - days after one of its sources was shown to be mysterious conspiracist Jack Sanders, who is linked to hoax stories elsewhere - was unconvincing.

Not only was there nothing more to exercise an official inquiry, there was something less than what was alleged in the original stories. The paper's three "spies" had, seven days on, become one spy named Peter and two other men "who claimed to be involved in intelligence work".

That is, Jack Sanders and one other. Surely not his friend from the twilight zone, Gerald Thorns? The pair, revealed by the Weekend Herald to be wanted for questioning on other matters by New Zealand police, improbably tout themselves as spies and have little credibility.

Justice Neazor's inquiry is unlikely to hear more from these non-spies. On the "evidence" so far, he ought not to dwell on the matter for too long. The Zaoui controversy needs his input, the sooner the better.