16 September 2001

National calls on the Prime Minister to advise whether New Zealand has been approached by the United States Government regarding its support of any action against last week's terrorist attack, National's Acting Leader Bill English said.

"The Prime Minister's public comments emphasising the role of the United Nations Council leave the Government's position in doubt.

"The Prime Minister should also explain what instructions she has given Foreign Minister Phil Goff on his trip around NATO capitals. "In the Gulf war, another US initiated action, New Zealand was approached to join in a 'coalition of the willing'. The Prime Minister should advise whether this has occurred, and if so, what her response was," Mr English said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>