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The 'Canadian Security Intelligence Service' ('CSIS') ''(French: Service Canadien du Renseignement de Sécurité)'' (''SCRS'') is the primary intelligence agency of the Canadian government. It is responsible for collecting, monitoring, and analyzing intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, both within Canada and abroad^[1].
Its headquarters are located at 1941 Ogilvie Road, in Ottawa, Ontario, in a purpose-built facility completed in 1995^[2]. CSIS is responsible to Parliament through the Minister of Public Safety, but is also overseen by the Federal Court system, the Inspector General of Canada, and the Security Intelligence Review Committee^[3].

Contents

History

Mission

Oversight

Controversies

See also

References

External links

History

CSIS was created on June 21, 1984 by an Act of Parliament passed as a consequence of the MacDonald Commission. Its ''de facto'' existence began on July 16 under the direction of Thomas D'Arcy Finn.^[4] Before this, Canadian intelligence was under the jurisdiction of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service.The progression towards the development of CSIS began with the creation of the Western Frontier Constabulary in 1864. The constabulary was tasked with watching and patrolling the whole frontier from Toronto to Sarnia. It operated along the Upper Canada borders and rail lines, reporting on any American Civil War related occurances, and then on activities related to the Fenians whose goal was to overthrow English rule in Ireland. Another fedral constabulary, The Montreal Water Police, looked after Lower Canada.
The Dominion Police force was set up in 1886 to guard public buildings and carry out the previous responsibilities of the Western Frontier Constabulary. In 1920, the 140 member Dominion Police, was amalgamated with the 2,500 members of the Royal North West Mounted Police to form the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force (RCMP).
A small and inconspicuous security intelligence group was retained within the RCMP during the time between the world wars. It grew as a result of the espionage activity related to the Second World War. However it was the information obtained by a Soviet cipher clerk who defected in September 1945 that convinced the Canadian government of the need for a permanent security-intelligence organization.
The former soviet intelligence worker, Igor Gouzenko provided the Canadian Government with revelations about a number of elaborate Soviet espionage networks operating in Canada. It was this new threat combined with the FLQ crisis of the 1960's that ushered in the modern era of Canadian security intelligence.
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As a basis for action, the government had before it the findings of two Royal Commissions of Inquiry in the '60s and '70s, which had looked into the activities and alleged wrongdoing by the RCMP Security Service. Both Commissions had recommended that the security intelligence functions be separated from the RCMP and that a civilian service be formed to carry out those functions. Both commissions recognized that the problem of balancing the need for accurate and effective security intelligence with the need to respect democratic rights and freedoms could not be adequately resolved as long as security intelligence responsibilities remained part of the federal police force.

Mission

CSIS is Canada's lead agency for national security matters. It is a Federal agency which conducts national security investigations and security intelligence collection at home and abroad. CSIS collects and analyzes intelligence and advises the Government of Canada on issues and activities that may threaten the security of Canada. CSIS also conducts security investigations and assessments for all applicants seeking a security clearance with federal departments and agencies (including applicants to the Department of National Defence), with the exception of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
There is no restriction in the CSIS Act on where CSIS may collect "security intelligence" or information relating to threats to the security of Canada. The agency may collect information on threats to Canada or Canadians from anywhere in the world. While CSIS is often viewed as a defensive ''security intelligence'' agency it is not a domestic agency. CSIS officers work domestically and internationally in their efforts to monitor and counter threats to Canadian security.
There is a distinct difference between "security intelligence" and "foreign intelligence". Security intelligence pertains to national security threats (e.g. terrorism, espionage). Foreign intelligence involves information collection relating to the political, or economic activities of foreign states. According to Section 16 of the CSIS Act, the agency collects this type of "foreign intelligence" within Canada. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has its own Security and Intelligence Bureau.
CSIS is neither a police agency nor is it a part of the of the military (any member of the Regular or Reserves of the Canadian Forces must resign before becoming members of CSIS/SCRS). As an intelligence agency, the primary role of CSIS is not law enforcement. Investigation of criminal activity is left to the RCMP and local (regional or city) police agencies. CSIS collects intelligence, not evidence. CSIS, like its United Kingdom (Secret Intelligence Service) and United States (Central Intelligence Agency) counterparts, is a civilian agency. CSIS is subject to stringent review by the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) and an Inspector General (IG) as well as other legislative checks and balances. The agency carries out its functions in accordance with the ''CSIS Act'' which governs and defines its powers and activities.
Canadian police, military agencies (see Intelligence Branch (Canadian Forces)), and numerous other government departments may maintain their own "intelligence" components (i.e. to analyse criminal intelligence or military strategic intelligence). However, this is not to be confused with the more encompassing work of larger, dedicated "intelligence agencies" such as CSIS.
The ''Operational Programs'' of CSIS include:

★ Counter-terrorism

★ Counter-proliferation

★ Counter-intelligence

★ Security-screening

★ Research, Analysis and Production (creating strategy for the implementation of the Operational Programs)

★ Environmental scanning
:''see also: ECHELON''

★ Facing Technological Challenges
CSIS works closely with the intelligence agencies of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Under the post–World War II Quadpartite Pact all intelligence information is shared between the intelligence agencies of these four countries.
Permission to put a subject under surveillance is granted by the Target Approval and Review Committee.
Security Liaison Officers (SLOs) of CSIS are posted at Canadian embassies and consulates to gather security-related intelligence from other nations. This information may be gathered from other national intelligence agencies, law enforcement services and other sources. SLOs also assess potential immigrants to Canada for security issues.

Oversight

The activities of CSIS are regularly reviewed on behalf of Parliament by the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). It is also under the portfolio of the federal Minister of Public Safety (Canada), whose Inspector General compiles an annual classified report on CSIS' operational activities for the Minister. Both SIRC and the CSIS IG have access to all CSIS information, classified and open, with the exception of Cabinet Confidences.

Controversies

CSIS has occasionally come under criticism, such as in the apparent bungling of the investigation into the 1985 Air India bombing. The Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India
Flight 182, headed by Mr. Justice John Major, is underway.
From 1988 to 1994, CSIS mole Grant Bristow infiltrated the Canadian white-supremacist movement; when the story became public knowledge, the press aired concerns that he had not only been one of the founders of the Heritage Front group, but that he had also channeled CSIS funding to this group.
In 1999, classified documents were stolen from the car of a CSIS employee who was attending a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. The Security Intelligence Review Committee reportedly investigated this incident. ^{[5] [6]}
On September 18, 2006, the Arar Commission absolved CSIS of any involvement in the extraordinary rendition by the United States of Canadian citizen Maher Arar. The Commission found that US authorities sent Arar to Jordan and then Syria (his homeland) based on incorrect information which had been provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to the US Government. Arar was held by the Syrians for 1 year and has claimed he was tortured. The sole criticism of CSIS leveled by the Commission was that the agency should do more to vet information provided by regimes which practice torture. In late 2006, the Government of Canada and Arar agreed to a $10 million (Canadian) settlement. Arar has filed suit against the US Government and the matter is ongoing.

See also

★ Intelligence Branch (Canadian Forces)

★ CSE - Communications Security Establishment - Canada's Signals intelligence agency

★ RCMP Security Service

★ Security certificate

★ Special Branch

★ INSET

References

1. http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/about_us/role_of_csis.asp
2. http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/reports.nsf/html/9608ce.html
3. http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/about_us/accountability.asp
4. http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/about_us/history_artifacts/history/brf_csis_index.asp
5. ''Edited Hansard'' (Debates of the House of Commons of Canada), 36th Parliament, 2nd Session, Number 20, 15 November 1999, 1425 [1]
6. ''Edited Hansard'' (Debates of the House of Commons of Canada), 36th Parliament, 2nd Session, Number 22, 17 November 1999, 1455 [2]

External links

★ Official website of CSIS

★ CSIS news archive at The Canadian Intelligence Resource Centre (CIRC)

★ 38th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION contains a review about CSIS's and RCMP's role under the Anti-Terrorism Act