26 January, 2004

Algerian ambassador no-show confirms suspicions

Green MP Keith Locke said today that the abrupt cancellation of the Algerian ambassador's visit to New Zealand raised doubts over the real purpose of his visit.

"It is likely that ambassador Soufiane Mimouni would have used the occasion to pressure the New Zealand government to hand over Ahmed Zaoui," said Mr Locke, the Green Foreign Affairs spokesperson.

"Mr Mimouni's motivations to visit New Zealand at this time were suspicious from the start. The abrupt no-show tends to confirm the view that he would try to convince the government that Mr Zaoui was not a legitimate refugee.

"While there was no reason given for the abandonment of the talks, it is easy to see how officials got cold feet once questions were raised over the purpose of Mr Mimouni's visit," said Mr Locke.

"Mr Zaoui would face unwarranted persecution if he was forced to return to Algeria. There is no way we should allow that to happen."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>