Cabinet considers setting up international spy agency
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief, with files from Robert Benzie
National Post, with files from news services
04 Sept 01
OTTAWA - The United States yesterday appealed for "collective assistance" from its 18 NATO allies in preparation for a military campaign against Osama bin Laden and the Taleban government that harbours the Muslim extremist‘s al-Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan.
While Canada has not yet been asked for a specific military contribution, senior Cabinet ministers say it is already providing Washington with "vital intelligence" to hunt down members of bin Laden‘s terrorist organization.
The Cabinet is also contemplating the creation of a foreign spy agency to help Canada‘s allies attack terrorism abroad. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which is responsible for domestic security, is forbidden by law from overseas espionage.
Lawrence MacAulay, the Solicitor-General, said yesterday a foreign spy service "would give us more ability to collect more information about other countries overseas."
Art Eggleton, the Minister of Defence, maintained the United States is relying heavily on Canada for intelligence gathering and analysis.
He said it is possible Washington might ask Canadian soldiers to fill the gap left if American peacekeepers are withdrawn from the Balkans to fight in the Middle East.
Paul Cellucci, the U.S. Ambassador, has already suggested Canada might help by replacing U.S. troops on duty in the former Yugoslavia.
"It‘s certainly up for consideration. The question of back-filling has had some consideration and will continue to do so. That‘s not to say we will do it, but we‘re certainly going to consider that," Mr. Eggleton told reporters.
However, Mr. Eggleton said Canada‘s biggest contribution since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is security and intelligence.
Mr. Eggleton said CSIS and military intelligence have provided crucial information to U.S. authorities, including assessing raw overseas signals collected by the highly secretive Communications Security Establishment (CSE).
"There has been a flood of intelligence information coming into the system of which we are partners with the United States and a few other countries in terms of gathering the information and analysis of it, and we have been assisting the Americans in the analysis, which is a very vital role," Mr. Eggleton said.
Mr. Cellucci confirmed the United States is impressed with the intelligence work provided by Canada‘s security agencies and the RCMP.
"The co-operation between U.S. intelligence and Canadian intelligence has been extraordinary. It‘s always been very good. It‘s been extraordinary since Sept. 11," Mr. Cellucci said.
CSE, which is part of the Department of National Defence, has been eavesdropping electronically on hostile foreign governments and terrorist organizations. Canada shares a powerful and mysterious Echelon telecommunications network with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, which is able to pick up telephone, e-mail and other electronic communications.
Stewart Woolner, the former head of CSE, said the electronic surveillance agency collects raw intelligence, which is turned over to Foreign Affairs, National Defence and the Privy Council for analysis. This would then be passed on to the U.S. intelligence services.
"I certainly do know that organizations like CSE will be scanning every piece of relevant information that they can get their hands on," he said.
Reid Morden, the former CSIS director, said the spy agency would have valuable information on Islamic extremists organizations operating in Canada based on eavesdropping and undercover work.
Mr. Morden noted CSIS had told the government many years ago that Muslim terrorists poised a threat to North American security, although these warning went unheeded.
"The service has been telling people there is a problem out there for some time and, in the last few years, it has been pinpointing the fact that it is Islamic fundamentalism on the top of the pops on their radar," he said.
Despite the intelligence information provided to the United States since Sept. 11, security experts say there is an urgent need for a comprehensive review of Canada‘s intelligence capabilities.
Wesley Wark, a University of Toronto professor and past-president of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, said the government needs to devote more resources to intelligence gathering.
"The military intelligence function of the Department of National Defence exists in a technological Stone Age," he said. "We have no spy satellites, no spy planes, no remote-controlled reconnaissance drones, nothing but antiquated secure communications networks."
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