tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post2433673173191250077..comments2024-03-29T17:12:19.648+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Who Is David Shearer? Revealing The Back-Story To The Back-StoryChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-34517010334547861902013-05-21T18:56:56.411+12:002013-05-21T18:56:56.411+12:00He has guts ...
"He jumped up, violently ju...He has guts ...<br /><br /><br />"He jumped up, violently jumped up, and dashed out the door," says Mark McNeill, a friend who was with Labour leader David Shearer when Shearer was told his wife Anuschka Meyer was being held at gunpoint.<br /><br />In many ways, it was a typical day for Shearer in war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia in 1992.<br /><br />"A local guide with an AK-47 took Anuschka hostage, and then turned the gun on Dave," explains McNeill, who was there shooting his documentary Mogadishu Madness. "<br /><br />http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10773675mickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09199784737105966442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38524728074054184682013-05-21T18:51:52.917+12:002013-05-21T18:51:52.917+12:00a valid question is "if Shearer was Prime Min...a valid question is "if Shearer was Prime Minister and the people of New Zealand demonstrated a dislike for this action ,would Shearer adjust his actions to the will of the people ? mickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09199784737105966442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-39320802668858091712013-01-19T00:37:16.002+13:002013-01-19T00:37:16.002+13:00I'm afraid the article, as well written as it ...I'm afraid the article, as well written as it is, is largely a hatchet job that relies too much on implied sympathies/actions and innuendo.<br /><br />I am a Kiwi living in London, and working a great deal in Somalia/Somaliland/Puntland, so while I am not as involved with David Sherer's NZ exploits of late, I do know something of the Somali situation. The plain reality is that it is impossible not to know a significant number of private security people. In Shearer's STC role in Somalia, he would have had little choice but to make the best decisions he could about security at the time, and given the resources available to him. And of course he would have needed to maintain good relations with UNOSOM, UNITAF etc. And frankly his suggestion in The World Today that "future troops ... might well come from private companies rather than states" is a perfectly reasonable statement that has been borne out in practice.<br /><br />I am encouraged that Shearer does pose the moral question in the same article. And I'm afraid that I have to agree with the tenor of the argument: while I too am no fan of excessive private sector involvement in a number of areas, including security, I believe it would be irresponsible in the extreme for anyone in a situation such as the many Shearer has been in to ignore the options available. Life rarely offers the neat moral frameworks that are the stuff of polemical blogs.<br /><br />And by the way, I also work closely with Chatham House. Sure, they are reliant on corporate sponsors to an uncomfortable degree. But it means they are not so dependent on state funds as they might be, so are actually more distant from the UK government as a result. And they do a pretty good job on the whole. I have never experienced any pressure to say anything I was uncomfortable with when I've written papers or given talks there, and I don't see evidence that other authors or speakers have been influenced in any other way.<br /><br />So if we strip this essay back to the facts, what are they? Maybe it's true that Shearer was more effective in his humanitarian days than he is as Labour leader. I'll leave that to you all to debate. But there's nothing in this blog that substantiates any claim that his humanitarian days are marked by any big, dark 'back-stories'.Michael Wallsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-78472520054540655432013-01-04T22:40:32.351+13:002013-01-04T22:40:32.351+13:00Hmmm, potentially dodgy views about PMSSC held by ...Hmmm, potentially dodgy views about PMSSC held by DS. <br /><br />But, sometimes the situation in some of these countries is so horrible, so evil and despairing that ways of restoring some semblance of peace that do not seem acceptable to Westerners living in Western countries are acceptable to others working on the ground, including David Shearer. <br /><br />I'm a policy wonk for the UN, working in Africa for the past 18 years and I've seen UN colleagues working in conflict zones deeply distressed by the inability of the UN to stop violence against innocents. E.g.To stop women being raped in Eastern Congo so badly their internal organs are so damaged they'll be incontinent for the rest of their lives. <br /><br />So, if I was given the choice of 1) Standing by letting the situation worsen or 2) Using PMSCs to stop it, I'd use PMSCs working under strict rules with UN military liaison staff accompanying them. <br /><br />It would be preferable for the international community to approve a standing UN military force, as was proposed but rejected by countries that established the UN.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-80510538815044529542013-01-03T11:54:34.900+13:002013-01-03T11:54:34.900+13:00Thanks for the Shearer article, great stuff.
Like...Thanks for the Shearer article, great stuff.<br /><br />Like Key, Shearer has obviously been groomed as an establishment lackie. <br /><br />Does it really make any difference which "party" is in power, when it is the banksters who dictate strategy?giabonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-21656355562179003432013-01-01T23:33:42.833+13:002013-01-01T23:33:42.833+13:00Excellent work,Chris.Excellent work,Chris.TONYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10722504690473482087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-40725333752870652382012-12-31T12:37:49.814+13:002012-12-31T12:37:49.814+13:00To: bbfloyd
Amongst all that abuse, bb, I couldn&...To: bbfloyd<br /><br />Amongst all that abuse, bb, I couldn't find a single instance of credible refutation.<br /><br />The article cites the Leader of the Opposition's own articles and quotes from them extensively.<br /><br />The facts have not been disputed - merely ignored.<br /><br />Mr Shearer has questions to answer. It is interesting that - to date - he has not attempted to address the very real concerns of Labour members and supporters.<br /><br />He could do this very easily by repudiating his earlier support for PMSCs. That he chooses not to do so is, I believe, significant.<br /><br />You might find a Labour leader who supports private armies acceptable - most Labour people do not.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-32147158131695762872012-12-31T11:59:52.986+13:002012-12-31T11:59:52.986+13:00This has to be one of the most long winded set of ...This has to be one of the most long winded set of assumptions I've seen for a very long time....<br /><br />Trite is the only word that fits most of those "assumptions" drawn in this "article"... at beast.. <br /><br />This actually looks more like no more than a blatant attempt to undermine the labour leader with innuendo... Any fair minded individual, with a brain would prefer to know the "facts" rather than be content to filter their assumptions through what is a rather obvious self serving agenda..<br /><br />You should be ashamed young trotter... Where were you when the gossip writers that pass for our fourth estate were writing John Keys(johnny sparkles) fictional back story...<br /><br /> Where were your assumptions as to what impressed johnny so much during his time as an international banking pirate? <br /><br />Have you actually asked david for his thoughts on the periods you quote? <br /><br />from what is written here, obviously not..which makes this nothing more than a nasty little dog whistle to the reactionary rabble..<br /><br />This is the sort of article joseph goebbles(the father of modern propaganda) would heartily approve of...<br /><br />It is so obvious just why you are regarded as "tories favourite socialist" if this is what passes for "informed comment" in your office...<br /><br />bbfloydnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-30130474616776763202012-12-30T20:29:54.318+13:002012-12-30T20:29:54.318+13:00Sparky
I'd rather be pedantic than just plain...Sparky<br /><br />I'd rather be pedantic than just plain wrong!<br /><br />Unlike the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man is not part of the Duchy of Normandy. How could it be? It's nowhere near Normandy!<br /><br />Nor is it part of England, nor of Scotland, nor of Great Britain (i.e. England plus Wales plus Scotland) nor of the United Kingdom (i.e. England plus Wales plus Scotland plus Northern Ireland). Nor is it formally part of the European Union.<br /><br />It is a dependency of the British Crown.<br /><br />It's just muddled thinking to assume that not being a part of the UK, GB or the EU automatically makes a territory part of the Duchy of Normandy.<br /><br />If that was so, New Zealand would also be part of the Duchy, as would the US, the PRC and most other places.<br /><br />However, I share your view on the total inadequacy of David Shearer as Labour leader, less though because of his lack of left wing principles than because of his lack of the appropriate skills and talents.<br /><br />May I add, however, that I'm surprised to learn that so stalwart a left winger as yourself so enjoyed life on the free-wheeling tax havens of the Channel islands and the Isle of Man. Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-2570340345716846632012-12-30T15:38:15.822+13:002012-12-30T15:38:15.822+13:00Yes Victor, very pedantic!
The point I was making...Yes Victor, very pedantic!<br /><br />The point I was making was the the Isle of Man is part of the old Duchy of Normandy. The Channel islands are all that is left of the Old Duchy. They are regarded as being part of Great britain not the UK (England, Scotland Wales and Nth ireland). They are all self governing. <br />I have spent much time in all of those island dependancies, especially Jersey and I loved the time I spent in the Isle of Man. No speed limits on the open roads but 30mph through the towns.<br />The Isle of Man was annexed by Willy I (Conqueror) in 1068AD and incorporated into his Kingdom. The Manx have always regarded themselves as independent of the UK but associated with it.<br /><br />I still am of the opinion that David Shearer is of no use to Labour as he is a Private Enterprise accolite.<br /> Sparkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38710314615146534232012-12-30T12:54:32.804+13:002012-12-30T12:54:32.804+13:00Sparky
Thanks for enticing me to new depths of pe...Sparky<br /><br />Thanks for enticing me to new depths of pedantry. I will try to give it up in the New Year. No promises, though!<br /><br />Neither the Isle of Man nor the the Isle of Wight were ever part of the Duchy of Normandy.<br /><br />The Isle of Man was long disputed between the then separate kingdoms of England and Scotland, but came firmly under the the feudal lordship of the English Crown in 1399.<br /><br />However, the island never became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, retaining its status as an internally self-governing Crown dependency.<br /><br />The Isle of Wight, by contrast, was incorporated into the Kingdom of Wessex in the late seventh century and, along with the rest of Wessex, became part of the Kingdom of England that emerged over the next three centuries, under King Alfred and his heirs. <br /><br />It's been firmly part of England ever since and , hence, of the United Kingdom ever since the latter's inception. <br /><br />The Channel Islands are certainly part of the Duchy of Normandy and, for that reason, are part neither of the United Kingdom nor of Britain. <br /><br />Britain is a geographical expression denoting the island that comprises England, Scotland, and Wales. My wife would insist on adding Cornwall to this litany.<br /><br />The United Kingdom of Great Britain was the name given to the political unit that emerged from the union of the English and Scots parliaments in 1707.<br /><br />The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801 by the abolition of the Irish parliament. <br /><br />The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland came into being in 1922, following the creation of the Irish Free State.<br /><br />In summary, one of the territories you mention (the Isle of Wight)is part of the United Kingdom but not geographically part of the island of Britain.<br /><br />The other two territories are part neither of Britain nor of the United Kingdom. But only the Channel Islands form part of the Duchy of Normandy.<br /><br />An interesting question for us pedants is whether Queen Elizabeth holds the Channel Islands in fealty to the French Republic, as the legal successor to the French Monarchy, which originally granted Normandy to her Viking forebears. <br /><br />By the way, Channel Islands lawyers need to study Roman and French Medieval law at a French university before being allowed to practice. <br /><br />Meanwhile, to complicate matters, the host team at this year's Olympics competed under the name of Team GB. This, despite the presence on the team of some high profile athletes from Northern Ireland. <br /><br />Maybe us pedants count for less than we used to. Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-60812991896759195942012-12-29T16:31:41.636+13:002012-12-29T16:31:41.636+13:00Anon @10.50am, The Isle of Man, Channel Islands an...Anon @10.50am, The Isle of Man, Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight are all part of the old Duchy of Normandy. The Queen is the Duchess of Normandy. They are part of Britain but not the UK. Self-governing!<br /><br />As for Mr. Shearer, I am not sure he is what Labour needs. Labour really needs to get back to it's grassroots again and break away from the Financiers and Bankers. Mr. Shearer won't! Cunliffe is another rightwing Socialist too. Can't they find a decent leader? Some-one who cares about his/her fellow Kiwis not the private madness that has plagued both major parties.Sparkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-90356612771062476912012-12-28T16:44:01.517+13:002012-12-28T16:44:01.517+13:00As far as I can tell you don't like Shearer be...As far as I can tell you don't like Shearer because he made the comment about a man painting the roof while on ACC and at the Hornby Working Mens Club he made the outrageous suggesting that migrants shouldn't be taking Kiwi jobs (I didn't follow the Rambo stuff above as I didn't see it as particularily relevant to my position as a member of the working class in NZ).<br />The Savings working group has put the blame for high house prices fairly and squarely on successive governments,blaming tax breaks for property investors and high immigration (a process your friend, David Cunliffe had a lot to do with). Maybe you could start the Ivory Towered Academic Party Chris?jhnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-73551546840299701612012-12-28T13:56:40.842+13:002012-12-28T13:56:40.842+13:00It's interesting that Shearer was so influence...It's interesting that Shearer was so influenced by the (alas) wholly atypical success of 'humanitarian intervention' in Sierra Leone in the 1990s.<br /><br />Tony Blair also seemed over-duly impressed by the presumed repeatability of Britain's successful and more direct military intervention in Sierra Leone a few years later. <br /><br />With his ego fuelled by this and the understandable acclaim of the Kosovars, the little man started to think of himself as a war leader. <br /><br />Let us hope that Shearer is not prey to comparable fantasies. Such men are dangerous.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-90310957914274681872012-12-28T11:28:10.476+13:002012-12-28T11:28:10.476+13:00To: Anonymous@ 10:50AM
Pedantry on stilts!
To: C...To: Anonymous@ 10:50AM<br /><br />Pedantry on stilts!<br /><br />To: Conor Roberts<br /><br />The conduct of the rebel forces in Sierra Leone was atrocious - no disputing that. And the impact of Executive Outcomes (with behind-the-scenes support from the British Government) was impressive.<br /><br />All this is acknowledged in the article.<br /><br />The problem Mr Shearer has is that the success of Executive Outcomes stands (as I also state in the article) as the exception to a very dark rule.<br /><br />By the time of the Mt Albert By-Election it was very plain all around the world that the intrusion of profit-making enterprises into the application of military force was an unmitigated disaster.<br /><br />When questioned, why didn't Mr Shearer say as much. Why didn't he simply say that his support for PMSCs was based on his observations of the salutary effect of mercenary intervention in Sierra Leone, but that his subsequent experience in the Balkans and the Middle East had caused him to abandon his support for private armies?<br /><br />Could it be, Conor, because the year before he stood for Parliament in NZ he had sanctioned spending more than $1 million on PMSCs as a senior official of the United Nations Mission in Iraq? Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-66083135293539611092012-12-28T10:50:43.611+13:002012-12-28T10:50:43.611+13:00There is no "British Government" awardin...There is no "British Government" awarding MBE's. On the British Isles there are governments of the United Kingdom, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and (I think) the Isle of Man. I don't think the administrations of the Channel Islands constitute governments. But there is no "British Government". There was once a British Empire, but this now consists only of those declared to be its members.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-17696083048794517592012-12-28T10:31:16.946+13:002012-12-28T10:31:16.946+13:00I asked David to explain why he supported private ...I asked David to explain why he supported private security forces when the issue came up in the Mt Albert by-election. He told me that in one of conflict zones he was in (I can't recall what one) the government forces had a practice of taking a big chopping block around villages and using a machete to hack off the limbs of young mothers. When external intervention, even though it had been sanctioned by the UN, was not forthcoming as a result of inaction by member states, David said he supported the deployment of a private army because, "have you even seen how hard it is for a mother to raise three children with no hands or feet?".Conor Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-56932714812966937102012-12-28T08:35:37.004+13:002012-12-28T08:35:37.004+13:00To: Anonymous@10:44PM
That is, indeed, the questi...To: Anonymous@10:44PM<br /><br />That is, indeed, the question - and one I'm preparing to post on very shortly.<br /><br />To: Anonymous@11:56PM and 2:30AM<br /><br />I stand corrected. And, thank you, the information you have provided is very interesting.<br /><br />To: Siobhan<br /><br />That's the really odd thing about all this.<br /><br />The articles are masterful pieces of argumentative prose: well-researched and strikingly presented.<br /><br />In other words, nothing like the David Shearer we know.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-33753314248067319362012-12-28T06:17:11.133+13:002012-12-28T06:17:11.133+13:00Despite the ending to your post, this article made...Despite the ending to your post, this article made me respect Shearer more, rather than less. (Coming from someone conservatively inclined.)<br /><br />However, I agree with Paul, it sounds like a successful foreign career has not translated to success in NZ. Which to me, speaks more to his potential as a representative in our government.<br /><br />PMSC's sound like a case of high stakes - if done right, excellent, if screwed up, disastrous. I don't think denying his association with them, his belief in their capabilities, or support of their their (few apparent) past successes is really helpful. Just typical politicking now that they're out of favor.<br /><br />After all, state run military's aren't squeaky clean.<br /><br />Siobhannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-92129915641926861842012-12-28T02:30:22.424+13:002012-12-28T02:30:22.424+13:00Shearer had a very close relationship and sympathi...Shearer had a very close relationship and sympathies with Hamas during his time in Gaza working for the UN and the UN operation which Shearer supervised was responsible for hiring many Hamas military wing operatives.<br /><br />In a published report, former UNRWA general-counsel James G. Lindsay stated, "UNRWA has taken very few steps to detect and eliminate terrorists from the ranks of its staff or its beneficiaries, and no steps at all to prevent members of terrorist organizations such as Hamas from joining its staff. UNRWA has no pre-employment security checks and does not monitor off-time behaviour to ensure compliance with the organization's anti-terrorist rules. No justification exists for millions of dollars in humanitarian aid going to those who can afford to pay for UNRWA services." <br />http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyFocus91.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-71846348367873107562012-12-27T23:56:32.701+13:002012-12-27T23:56:32.701+13:00re Shearers time in Gaza, you are mistaken. While ...re Shearers time in Gaza, you are mistaken. While based in the comfort and safety of Jewish West Jerusalem, he covered and was responsible for certain UN activities in Gaza, and regularly commuted. His sympathies with Hamas are familiar to those who came into contact with him at the time. He was also responsible for organizing the meeting between Arafat and Goff (the famous hand holding photo op)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-75568178719624429612012-12-27T22:44:25.216+13:002012-12-27T22:44:25.216+13:00Thus the question is not who is Shearer backing bu...Thus the question is not who is Shearer backing but rather who is backing Shearer? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-57293660337663378822012-12-27T19:06:24.872+13:002012-12-27T19:06:24.872+13:00Fascinating article!. This really does explain som...Fascinating article!. This really does explain some of DS behaviour and tendancies. On the positive side it does show that he operated at a higher level than what his atrocious 2012 year of mistakes would have suggested. <br />On the negative it shows that he does not have breadth of experience that is required to lead the Labour party and why he is so dependant on a group of advisors. <br />Given Shearer's experience and leanings he is clearly not suitable for Labour leader as far as I am concerned. The Siera Leone experience seemed to lead him down a path that he could not find an alternative to. It sounds like he became the PMSC's main cheerleader, very interesting given the history of PMSC's. <br />Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14931458944485834874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-22421177834554181942012-12-27T14:44:10.806+13:002012-12-27T14:44:10.806+13:00I'm not sure he was in Gaza, Anonymous@1:41PM....I'm not sure he was in Gaza, Anonymous@1:41PM. From what I've been told he was mostly concerned with delineating the true boundary separating the State of Israel from the Occupied West Bank.<br /><br />You are, however, correct in hinting that Mr Shearer and the Israelis were not on the best of terms.<br /><br />And so it would, indeed, be extremely interesting to take a peek at his Mossad file.<br /><br />And not just Mossad: a man with Mr Shearer's connections and experiences would, I believe, be of interest to any number of countries' security and intelligence services.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-770931532953905882012-12-27T13:41:30.817+13:002012-12-27T13:41:30.817+13:00given Shearers very close relationship and sympath...given Shearers very close relationship and sympathies with Hamas during his time in Gaza working for the UN, I am sure that the Israeli intelligence "Shearer file" would make intereting reading.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com