Occhidiangela,Apr 1 2003, 02:25 AM Wrote:I just was wondering what time frame the "stuff the ANZUS treaty" you were referring to took place, I'd like to do some more reading up on that.Where to begin . . .
The ANZUS treaty is a post WWII defence agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the United States for mutual defence of eachother and protection of small island nations throughout the Pacific.
After Nuclear testing in the Pacific and many years getting increasingly more ecologically minded, NZ finally declared Nuclear Free status in 1984 (I think that's the year). If there was any doubt about being nuke free it ended when the French Government figured they could get away with a terrorist attack in sinking the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior" in Auckland Harbour.
That Nuclear Free status meant any nuclear powered or nuclear armed vessel was barred from entering and any vessels of types normally carrying such weapons had to be searched. Of NZ's allies only America couldn't accept that position and decided that it would "suspend security obligations to NZ" despite the fact that 9/11 came around and NZ and Australia both came running citing the ANZUS treaty.
All these years later outgoing US governments always fire a parting shot when the ambassador gets changed. But Nuke Free is not a government policy any more - It's effectively a source of national pride and Kiwis aren't budging over it.
So time frame is the end of WWII until the present with a collection of related events happening in the mid 80's.
Edit: one century off from a typo :P
Heed the Song of Battle and Unsheath the Blades of War