Csis Essay Research Paper INTRODUCTIONThe Canadian Security

Csis Essay, Research Paper

INTRODUCTION

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is responsible for safeguarding Canada against activities or persons who could pose a threat to national security. These threats include terrorists activities, espionage activities or foreign influenced activities in Canada. The CSIS is a civilian Service that gets its roots from the RCMP. While the Service has the ability to use very intrusive powers, it must balance these powers with the rights and freedoms of persons living in a democratic society. This paper will outline the duties CSIS performs and why Canada needs a domestic security intelligence service.

BRIEF HISTORY

Canada did not always have a civilian security intelligence service like the CSIS. The first sign that Canada needed an organization or agency to collect intelligence was during the late 1930’s between the world wars. It was the RCMP who first assumed this role in 1939 when there was a very small number of RCMP officers involved in monitoring threats to national security. It was not until 1945 with the defection of Igor Gouzenko a Russian cipher clerk did the Canadian government realize the extent of espionage operations going on in Canada. It was from the information provided by Gouzenko that the government realized the extent of espionage activities taking place in Canada. It showed that the Russians were interested in stealing military, scientific and technological information by whatever means possible. Just as the Second World War was winding down the “Cold War” was just beginning for Canada and other western countries around the world. The 1960’s provided new challenges for the RCMP which had created a new section to deal with security intelligence issues. This section became known as the RCMP Security Service. These new challenges included domestic political violence in the form of the Front de liberation (FLQ) in Quebec. The FLQ used bombings, kidnappings and assassination to try and achieve their political objectives. Other issues such as the deployment of nuclear weapons on Canadian soil and foreign influenced activities in Canada required that the government have the necessary information on which to base decisions to counter these growing threats to national security.

The RCMP Security Service continued to fulfil the role of a security intelligence service and came under review by two separate Royal Commissions. The Mackenzie Commission in 1969 and the McDonald Commission in 1977 reviewed the activities of the RCMP Security Service and recommended that a civilian service would be in a better position to carry out security intelligence functions and the RCMP should deal with criminal matters only. Finally, in 1984 the government of the day passed Bill C-157 in June and the CSIS was officially born on July 16, 1984. The CSIS Act also created a Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) which is responsible for reviewing the CSIS and providing an annual report to the government.

THE CSIS MANDATE

The CSIS Act established a clear foundation for the Service and their mandate in which work was to be done. The Act created CSIS as a domestic service fulfilling a uniquely defensive role in investigating threats to Canada’s national security. CSIS provides advance warning to the government as well as government departments and agencies on any activities which may pose a threat to the country. Those departments and agencies have the responsibility to take direct action to counter these threats. Threats to Canada’s security can be found in Section 2 a, b, c and d of the CSIS Act. In brief, the threats that CSIS is responsible for investigating are as follows:

a) Espionage and Sabotage:

Espionage is the acquiring by unlawful or unauthorized means information or assets on sensitive political, economic, scientific or military matters.

Sabotage is any activity conducted for the purpose of endangering the safety, security or defence of vital public property.

b) Foreign Influenced Activities:

This refers to activities detrimental to the interests of Canada which are directed, controlled or financed by a foreign state, organization or their agents. As an example, a foreign government or group who interferes with the affairs of an ethnic community in Canada.

c) Political Violence and Terrorism:

Political violence and terrorism are activities that use the threat or use of acts of serious violence which could compel the Canadian government to act in a certain way. Serious violence involves acts that cause grave bodily harm or death to persons or serious damage or destruction of public or private property. Hostage taking, bombings or threats of bombs, assassinations are examples of political violence or terrorism. The act must have a political objective, (IE) to pressure a government into changing its policies on a certain issue or persons.

d) Subversion:

Activities intended to undermine or overthrow Canada’s constitutionally established system of government by violence.

CSIS POWERS

In order to investigate and provide assessments on the above threats, the CSIS Act gave the Service certain investigative powers. Section 12 of the Act states the Service can investigate the above as is “strictly” necessary. This could include interviewing people, following suspects and de

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