Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad

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  • Rich Lock, in reply to DCBCauchi,

    I have a friend who is into these kind of mock battle games, kind of like a real-world computer game shoot-em-up. Like paintball, but I don't think they use paintballs, at least judging from the marks he's shown me. He's invested a lot of time and money into it, as people do with their hobbies and interests. It would not surprise me if he or some of his mates had some explosives as part of that, used carefully under strictly controlled conditions by suitably qualified people.
    Apparently, these kind of games are big with the rozzers. They have all kinds of dodgy sounding scenarios they play (e.g. 'room clearances').

    It's probably airsoft stuff, which uses replica guns that look a LOT more realistic than your average painball gun.

    I know several people, including police, military and security guys, who have (informally) trained for those sort of scenarios at the armoury in Birkenhead.

    My martial arts club trains there semi-regularly to run gun and weapon scenarios.

    I would be EXTREMELY surpised if any explosives were used as part of that, and while I'm mostly comfortable around airsoft guys, military enthusiasts, gun enthusiats, etc, if anyone had, or expressed interest in, collecting explosives, I'd be worried to the point of getting Joe Law involved.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    AFAIK if you want to have explosives nowadays you need an approved handler permit from ERMA and to be a fit-and-proper person?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • DCBCauchi, in reply to Rich Lock,

    I know several people, including police, military and security guys, who have (informally) trained for those sort of scenarios at the armoury in Birkenhead.

    Sounds exactly like it. Mostly rozzers. I've no idea whether they do use explosives, but, as I said, it wouldn't surprise or concern me. There are certainly correctly qualified people taking part.

    Since Feb 2011 • 320 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    that's what the aforementioned thunderflashes are for - fake, reasonably safe, standins for explosives for training - I remember using them as part of "barracks" (compulsory military training in high school) in the early 70s

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    trained for those sort of scenarios at the armoury in Birkenhead

    And not at the armory in San Francisco? NSFW! By a factor of N! I just typed the link, i didn’t click it. Be warned!

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    The difference between thunderflashes and powergel is quite wide, though, no?

    Wide enough for one to concern me only a little, and the other quite a bit.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    yes thunderflashes are oversized fireworks (might damage a hand), while powergel an explosive (blow up a car, or a stump on your farm) - but in ignorant hands the powergel is probably much safer (can't set it off without a detonator while the TFs are probably black powder and can be set off by a careless smoker)

    This is why I tried to call out the different things from that laundry list in my post above - some of them sound terrible (grenade launcher!) but are really stupidly safe (just a metal tube!)

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Heh. I'm not clicking on that link , but I assume it's this?

    My wife sometimes expreses concern at the bruises I acquire at training. I usually tell her that nothing could be more harmlessly hetrosexual than rolling around on the floor grappling with other sweaty muscular men.

    As an aside: a leather pride flag? One learns something new every day.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    And not at the armory in San Francisco? NSFW! By a factor of N! I just typed the link, i didn’t click it. Be warned!

    Heh. This is not how I thought kink.com was going to get linked here.

    As an aside: a leather pride flag? One learns something new every day.

    yuh-huh. (That's a link to a factual Wikipedia article, but it still may be NSFW.)

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock, in reply to Emma Hart,

    yuh-huh.

    Oi, can't you just stick to 'Hart's Rule'-ing your own threads?

    I inadvertently found out about the bandana code the hard way (fnar!) back in the 1980's as a callow youth who was rather dorkily try to look like a member of a boy band or something.

    My dad had a similar experience back in the '60's in San Franciso when he was on his OE, working as an ice cream man, which involved wearing an all-white uniform (apparently this was code back then, but reference needed). It took him a while to work out why older gents were so friendly towards the young naive pom in the big city.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Rich Lock,

    Oi, can’t you just stick to ‘Hart’s Rule’-ing your own threads?

    Okay, fine, I found a SFW version. It also enables the decoding of my most recent tattoo.

    Carry on, I'll stop thread-jacking now.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Police issue media release headlined "No apology for Operation Eight prosecutions". (also no word on their decoding of tattoos).

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rich Lock,

    My wife sometimes expreses concern at the bruises I acquire at training. I usually tell her that nothing could be more harmlessly hetrosexual than rolling around on the floor grappling with other sweaty muscular men.

    Yes, hard to think of anything more masculine than seizing a young man, and pinning him helplessly until he submits. If he was sore afterwards, though, I was doing it wrong.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to BenWilson,

    I am irresistably reminded of this (textually NSFW) Onion classic.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    The Armoury is an adaptive use of a historic building that may otherwise have had a hard time being used.
    I'll run it past the NZ Historic Places Trust, or not.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    A friend of mine put this comment on Facebook:

    Miss half a game of rugby because a train breaks down: personal apology from Prime Minister John Key and compensation up for discussion.

    Have your doors kicked in, automatic rifles pointed at your kids, and four years of your life stolen because of police incompetence : Apology and compensation immediately ruled out.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    That stings. And child poverty: I'm feeling ashamed.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Graham, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    My guess is that the cops crossed some (still secret) line in their evidence gathering – there was a lot of cellphone and texting intercepts going on here, maybe someone didn’t get the required warrants? will there be repercussions

    Well guessed

    "The search warrants police used to secretly film allegedly military-style training camps on private land in the Ureweras did not give them the necessary legal authority, it can now be revealed."

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2011 • 39 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Peter Graham,

    “The search warrants police used to secretly film allegedly military-style training camps on private land in the Ureweras did not give them the necessary legal authority, it can now be revealed.”

    I'm still not clear on whether that was because they got their warrants under the Terrorism Suppression Act -- and the evidence became inadmissible when they couldn't get approval for charges under the Act -- or whether the warrants they had never permitted filming on the land. Either way it's a screw-up.

    I strongly suspect there were activities there that the public would take a dim view of, but it remains to be seen whether the police really got compelling pictures of anything. This has not been, from any point of view, policing's finest hour.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Ah. This Dom Post story on the decisions is quite useful.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I strongly suspect there were activities there that the public would take a dim view of . . .

    Somewhere in the minefield of "normal" a dim beacon still burns?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    So the trial is over- we hope. I gave a small whoop when I heard the verdict, driving home in the car.
    Conviction on the firearms charges was a given. I'd have probably convicted... But criminal conspiracy was always, I reckon, fishing. It's very very hard to prove, without a lot of solid evidence, because it's all about something that didn't happen.
    Personally, I think it very unlikely the four would have ever murdered, kidnapped, or burnt down buildings. It's one thing to talk big and play games in the bush. Cold-blooded murder is another step entirely.
    And what seems to have been lacking was not loose talk or vaguely threatening actions: it was any evidence of serious planning: a definite target, for example, and concrete steps towards carrying out a crime.
    Anyway, it's over- for now. Maybe one day we'll be able to read the book... or hey, it'll make a pretty good tv series. Not reality tv though, thanks :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    So the trial is over- we hope.

    Quite. It will be interesting to see what the papers do in the morning, because in theory there could still be a another whole trial with another whole jury to prejudice. It could make commentary difficult.

    I do hope the police don't proceed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I do hope the police don’t proceed.

    +1

    There isnt the same 'fire in the breast' in the South (different people, different histories, different whakapapa & angst) but Tuhoe have the right to do whatever they think best within their own rohi-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Tuhoe are the Crown's tell-tale heart.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

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