Nicky Hager - Print Media Articles

Print Media Articles

• In February 2003, Hager published the first detailed description of New Zealand military contributions to the US-led military operations in Afghanistan, in a feature called “Our secret war” in the Sunday Star-Times. This included Special Air Service (SAS) forces, operation name Concord, and their part in the major February 2002 battle called Operation Anaconda); military intelligence staff based in the US headquarters at Bagram airbase (operation name Kiwi Cracker), intelligence and planning staff in the US Army Central Command in Florida (operation name Kiwi Speak), and naval and air transport deployments.

• In 2004, Hager was caught up in a hoax devised by some New Zealanders living in China. He was hired by the Sunday Star-Times (SST) to help research their claims alleging that the SIS was spying on Māori individuals and organisations, including those associated with the new Māori Party, for political purposes under the codename "Operation Leaf." A government inquiry led by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security rejected these claims in April 2005. As a result, the Prime Minister, Helen Clark said the allegations were a hoax and asked the SST to apologise to its readers. However, the SST's editor noted, as doubts grew around the story, that "Hager's involvement in the investigation was entirely at the paper's behest and has been completely vindicated by his cool-headed approach to the enquiry. He has been the voice of caution and sound advice."

• In March 2005, The Sunday Star-Times published an article by Hager about the vulnerabilities of New Zealand's internet banking services. The article resulted in interest and investigation by both consumer groups and regulators, and since that time most major New Zealand banks have adopted the recommended two-factor authentication.

• In May 2007, Hager revealed in the Sunday Star Times that a private investigation company, Thompson & Clark Investigations, had employed agents to infiltrate environmental, peace and animal rights groups in New Zealand. One of the company's clients was the government-owned coal company Solid Energy. Hager and Deidre Mussen revealed that a student was paid NZ$400 a month to infiltrate and report on the activities of the Save Happy Valley Campaign, a group opposing a new coal mine. The State-Owned Enterprises minister, Trevor Mallard, told Solid Energy that the spying operation is "unacceptable."

• June 2008: In the Sunday Star Times, Hager alleged that Don Brash, and later Opposition Leader John Key, had secretly hired controversial Australian PR firm Crosby/Textor. To date Key and Brash have refused to confirm or deny their involvement with the firm.