Dear sneekeepete

Funny you should ask who spooky pete is. I'm the the same person as plantagenet.

I recognise and respect OLO's policy of anonymity. This encourages the democratic right of free speech.

If you want to know more about me read my blog "Spooky Pete" at http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com

I look forward to comments from Australians (my own country) as I receive most comments from Americans from further left than you and several rightwingers. Comments have also come from India, an Egyptian (driven from Egypt as he was too Islamic it seems) and from Pakistan (his blog was blocked in Pakistan over the Cartoons Crisis).

On my blog see "View my complete profile."

which contains "As a former "insider" the Posts and followup Comments in this blog aim to give people some idea what spying is about and how amoral realpolitik is. I'm a cynical centrist - who feels that truth is dictated by political objectives. Intelligence agencies are as benign (or malevolent) as their political bosses."

You can draw your own conclusions as to my background and motivations.

I'm not an employee or paid by any government but I know a great deal more about intelligence than I'll ever reveal in print.

kalweb

Politicians are not immmune as potential "B-parties" for interception under the bill. I just mean't that they could as likely as not use the records of an interception of a B-party in order to discredit the B-party. These records could perhaps be revealed in Parliament under the immunity of Parliamentary privilege.

That risk is there but I still think the bill is a positive step forward against the higher national security risks we face (which "coincidentally" are in proportion to Islamic extremism).

Planta

"Pete"

If you really are a "spy" - why are you on this forum? You crack me up!

Cheers
Kay

Plantagenet:

first you say that intelligence agencies are as benign (malevolent) as their political bosses, then later on you say the bill is a positive step forward against national security risk? Seems like a contradiction to me.

Benjamin:

I can't claim to be an expert on what Muslims do or don't do. I can only go on my own personal experiences and the muslims that I interact with. But I can see you are very much obsessed with it and judging by your posts on other threads, I respecfully suggest you get some professional counselling.

If ASIO has tripled in size thanks to my tax dollars (your words), then I should have a say in what my money is spent on. But I don't. A previous poster suggested 'multiculturalism' has been 'foisted upon us in an un-democratic way'. Well so has this encroachment upon my privacy.

And ps..I do live in Sydney.

The EXCUSE of terrorism has deceived many people to believe increasing Government powers somehow protects and serves us, siting the interests of national security to fast-track new Legislations.
Do YOU realise why many millions are spent on counter-terrorism?
Think like a gangster, they impose dictatorship to have their way and use other people’s money, to protect THEM and crush rebels.
I certainly, am not gullible to think I will be a "bomb" victim in Australia, unless I agreed to follow America into a deceitful war of POWER.
Messages like this will soon have repercussions when our Gangsters in Parliament impose their power to silence and detain dissidents.

The ONLY terror we should all fear is loosing our RIGHTS and the ability challenge the WRONGS

Teresa van Lieshout:

Well said........Take care. Regards............

Kay

I'm indeed NOT a spy. So that allows me to write comments on OLO.

But I take agreements I've signed seriously enough to be vague on my "career" over a decade ago.

Most posters in this string appear to be ideologically or religeously dead against intelligence agencies and have no idea how much worse "successful" terrorist acts would be. I'm "lucky" enough to have seen the other side of the story.

This allows me some insight to criticize the frequent politicisation of intelligence assessments and some sympathy for the spooks who do a very frustrating, often lonely and boring, sometimed dangerous, but a necesary job.

BENJAMIN

I'm with ya mate. Don't be put off by the wets or pacifists in this string. They may have lofty aspirations or pessimistic fears but the smell of burnt flesh after a bomb blast in an Australian city would have them nailing ASIO for not doing enough, not anticipating the threat and demanding (for the 50th time) Ruddock's resignation.

While I think you go too far "all mosques should be monitored, legally or illegally, and I believe homes of prominent Muslim leaders should be bugged." I reckon your views have more sense, facts and logic than the alienated majority in this string.

Sneekeepete

Keep firing away. I genuinely appreciate comments from people (like you) whose heart is in the right place, even if we can't agree on much.

Planta
also known as (aka) Spooky Pete
at http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com