Canadian Security Intelligence Service

A civilian organization of the Canadian Government responsible for intelligence management and counterintelligence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is responsible for recognizing and reporting potential threats to Canada. Originally, CSIS fell under the direction of the Solicitor General, however, in a recent reorganization in now falls under the Minister of Public Safety Canada. There is a very high degree of cooperation among the intelligence services of Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States, with New Zealand in a lesser but still significant relationship.

History

The first Canadian intelligence collection agency was set-up by Prime Minster Sir John A. MacDonald in 1864. This force was called the Western Frontier Constabulary and was responsible for monitoring the situation along the borders between Upper Canada (Ontario) and the United States. For Lower Canada (Quebec) the Montreal Water Police was established. Both organizations reported to the Prime Minister.

The Frontier Constabulary's first mission was to monitor Canada's border with the U.S. during the American Civil War. After the war, its focus turned to the Fenians. The Fenians were Irish nationalists who carried out several invasions of Canada in an attempt to overthrow British rule. In 1868 the two police forces were replaced by the Dominion Police Force.

The Dominion continued its mission until 1920 when the organization was amalgamated with theRoyal Northwest Mounted Police to form a new organization, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. During this time the RCMP's security and intelligence function was fairly small-scale. It wasn't until the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent Cold War saw an expansion of the RCMP's security/intelligence operations. In 1946, the Special Branch was created. Ten years later a second re-organization took place with the creation of the Directorate Security and Intelligence ("I" Division). Finally, in 1970 a third reorganization took place with the formation of the RCMP-Security Service.

By 1984, however, it was time for a major reorganization, in part to make the difference clear between police and national security intelligence. Canada's Department of National Defense has useful definitions of these: functions:

1. "Counter-intelligence (contre-ingérence) means activities concerned with identifying and counteracting threats to the security of DND employees, CF members, and DND and CF property and information, that are posed by hostile intelligence services, organizations or individuals, who are or may be engaged in espionage, sabotage, subversion, terrorist activities, organized crime or other criminal activities." This corresponds to defensive counterintelligence in other services.
2. " Security intelligence (renseignement de sécurité) means intelligence on the identity, capabilities and intentions of hostile intelligence services, organizations or individuals, who are or may be engaged in espionage, sabotage, subversion, terrorist activities, organized crime or other criminal activities." This does not (emphasis added)correspond directly to offensive counterintelligence, but is the intelligence preparation necessary to conduct offensive counterintelligence.
3. The duties of the Canadian Forces National Counter-Intelligence Unit include "identifying, investigating and countering threats to the security of the DND and the CF from espionage, sabotage, subversion, terrorist activities, and other criminal activity;identifying, investigating and countering the actual or possible compromise of highly classified or special DND or CF material; conducting CI security investigations, operations and security briefings and debriefings to counter threats to, or to preserve, the security of DND and CF interests." This mandate is a good statement of a mandate to conduct offensive counterintelligence.

DND further makes the useful clarification , "The security intelligence process should not be confused with the liaison conducted by members of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) for the purpose of obtaining criminal intelligence, as the collection of this type of information is within their mandate."

Collection

Until recently, it conducts no clandestine intelligence collection although it has access to signals intelligence produced by the Communications Security Establishment and through close relationships with allies. A 2007 statement, however, says "the Service may engage in covert operational activities outside of Canada. These activities are varied in nature, but all are conducted in accordance with the CSIS Act, CSIS policy and Ministerial Direction, and with appropriate approvals in place."

Analysis and dissemination

While it produces reports at all levels of classified information, it probably publishes more of its analytical output than any world intelligence agency; see Canadian Security Intelligence Service/External Links.