Massacre in New Zealand

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

It's too soon to know if Friday's mass shootings at Christchurch, New Zealand's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Center were terrorist attacks, false flag deception, or something else - the country an unlikely location for either type incident.

It experienced few similar ones throughout its modern history. In 1985, Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior vessel was sunk by French intelligence.

Friday's incident was the deadliest in New Zealand since the 1943 Featherston prisoner of war camp riot, resulting in 49 deaths.

It was the first mass shooting in the country since the 1997 Raurimu massacre. A gunman killed six, wounding four others with a sawed-off 12-gauge single-barreled shotgun - found not guilty by reason of insanity at trial.

Mass shooting terrorist attacks and false flags occurred numerous times in the US and Europe.

A recent US mass shooting happened in Aurora, Illinois last month, a gunman killing six, injuring a dozen others. Reportedly he was a former worker at a plant where the incident took place.

A separate early March Chicago mass shooting in a privately owned bar killed six individuals, wounding others. Gunfire reportedly followed a fight.

The above two incidents were neither terrorist or false flag attacks. The most recent major mass shooting in the US occurred last October in Pittsburgh - killing 11, wounding six others inside the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood Tree of Life synagogue.

The Christchurch, NZ toll included at least 49 killed, around 50 others injured - both mosques four miles from each other, indicating multiple gunmen involved.

A white male/Australian national suspect was arrested and charged with murder, identified as 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant, three others taken into custody, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush, saying:

"We have had no other threats since we responded to this incident. No agency had any information (about what appears to have been a) well-planned event," adding:

"We never assume that there aren't other people involved. At this point, we are not looking for any other persons."

According to police, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found attached to a vehicle, now defused.

During Friday prayers, police responded to reports of live fire in the city's center. Residents were advised to stay off streets until resolution of what went on.

Police tweets said: Officers "respond(ed) to reports of shots fired in central Christchurch at around 1:40pm." 

"In response to a serious ongoing firearms incident in Christchurch, all Christchurch schools have been placed into lockdown. Police urge anyone in central Christchurch to stay off the streets and report any suspicious behavior immediately to 111."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said alleged perpetrators held "extremist views," adding:

"This is one of New Zealand's darkest days. Many of those affected may be migrants, maybe refugees…They are us…The perpetrator is not."

Authorities called what happened a terrorist incident, perhaps so, perhaps a false flag, perhaps something else. 

The shootings were reminiscent of what happened on February 25, 1994. Kananist Baruch Goldstein, a Brooklyn born physician turned racist killer, massacred 29 Palestinian worshippers, wounding scores more at the Cave of the Patriarchs, serving as a mosque.

He died violently during the incident, overwhelmed and beaten to death by survivors. According to political scientist Ian Lustick, "(b)y mowing down Arabs he believed wanted to kill Jews, Goldstein was re-enacting part of the Purim story."

Reportedly, the New Zealand gunman charged with murder published a 74-page manifesto, praising Trump and convicted Norwegian white supremacist Anders Breivik.

He live-streamed the attack on Facebook with a bodycam, ghoulishly showing his handiwork.

An AFP digital investigation determined that the video was genuine, including matching screenshots of the mosque he attacked.

Video footage showed him parking his car next to the mosque, exiting with a rifle, picking up a second one, entering the compound, firing repeatedly at worshipers inside.

The shooter's Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts were taken down, a Facebook statement saying:

"Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the livestream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooters Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video."

New Zealand's Interior Ministry spokesman said the video may be classified as objectionable content, illegal to share, calling it "disturbing and…harmful for people to see." 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the shooter's manifesto a "work of hate." It praised Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose."

It objected to New Zealand's immigration policies, multiculturalism, and what it called "decaying" white, European, Western culture.

One report said shootings occurred at three locations. Police Commissioner Bush named the above two mosques, saying "(w)e are unsure if there are any other locations outside of…areas that are under threat."

A tweet added that police are working "at a number of scenes." According to New Zealand and Australian police, the shooter charged with murder was not on a terrorist watch list. Authorities had no reason to believe he was dangerous. 

The Friday incident is an ongoing story, more information likely to be known ahead.

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