PM backs CIA over warnings

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

The Prime Minister yesterday insisted that New Zealand still belonged to "the best intelligence club", despite reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency had intercepted communications two weeks ago suggesting a terrorist threat to a Western tourist site in Southeast Asia.

Helen Clark and Australian Prime Minister John Howard have said they had not received any United States warning relating to last weekend's bombing.

Even the United States ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer, said he was not familiar with that warning, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.

"We are in the best club," Helen Clark told Parliament under questioning from Act leader Richard Prebble, "but the advice we receive cannot be full if the intelligence has not detected what is happening.

"Australia was given no warning of the Bali bombing. We were given no warning of the Bali bombing."

But Mr Prebble quoted an article in the Washington Post on October 15 which said: "US intelligence officials said they intercepted communications in late September signalling a strike on a Western tourist site. Bali was mentioned in the US intelligence report, officials said."

It is not clear from the article whether the alleged reference to Bali was among a list of many possibles, or singled out.

Helen Clark later told the Herald she did not blame the CIA for not passing on a warning about a possible terrorist hit on Bali.

It was her understanding now that there had been what intelligence describes as "chatter" about a possible attack on a tourist destination in Southeast Asia. It could have been Langkawi, Penang or Phuket.



If any Government had advised people against holidays on that basis, people would ask for evidence.

"The reality is that ever since September 11 there have been many scares, many warnings.

"I don't blame the intelligence agencies, to be honest. I think there is so much and they try not to worry people unduly." The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the US embassy in Jakarta had issued travel warnings on September 26 and October 10 telling Americans and other Westerners to "avoid large gatherings and locations known to cater primarily to a Western clientele, such as certain bars, restaurants and tourist areas".

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a new warning on September 30 about bombings but on the island of Java, including Jakarta.



In the same advisory it said of Bali: "Tourist services are operating normally."

Earlier in the House, National leader Bill English said it was "an embarrassment" that New Zealand Air Force planes had been grounded in Australia, one of them a Hercules with a cracked windshield. The aircraft had been taking supplies to Bali.

But Helen Clark said it was damaging to the Opposition's reputation "to have quarrelling over a broken windshield when New Zealanders are either dead, badly injured or traumatised from a tragedy".

Another Hercules was grounded along with the Air Force 727 en route to El Alamein commemorations in Egypt.

She said that had National made replacement of the transport arm of the Air Force a priority instead of the strike arm, the upgrade of the Hercules fleet and replacement of the 727 would have been in place.



Act MP Rodney Hide questioned why the mobile field hospital units at Linton Camp had not been deployed to Bali but Helen Clark said New Zealand's help had been in concert with Australia's.

Speaker Jonathan Hunt nearly lost control of Parliament at one stage as tensions rose over Bali bombing issues.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen was shouted down by the Opposition. They had been asking questions about the fact that membership of a terrorist organisation is not illegal under new anti-terrorism law.

Dr Cullen said that terrorist organisations did not operate membership books "like the National Party".

Bali messages and latest information on New Zealanders
New Zealand travellers in Bali, and their families around the world, can exchange news via our Bali Messages page. The page also contains lists of New Zealanders in Bali and their condition.

Foreign Affairs advice to New Zealanders

* Travellers should defer travel to Bali

* NZers in Bali should keep a low profile and remain calm

* Foreign Affairs Hotline: 0800 432 111

Feature: Bali bomb blast

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