Latest news with #CanadianSecurityIntelligenceService
Global News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Halting CSIS operation put team in unnecessary danger: report
A new spy watchdog report says an overseas Canadian Security Intelligence Service operation was suddenly halted by government officials, 'creating unnecessary danger for the CSIS team' and raising questions about ministerial accountability. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency found no written records indicating the decision to suspend the operation had been made by the CSIS director or the minister of public safety. The review agency says that unlike typical operational matters, the case involved senior political-level actors from across the federal government. The heavily redacted review agency report provides few clues about the actors in question or the nature of the overseas CSIS operation. However, it says the decision to halt the activities abroad in mid-operation caused harm to Canada's reputation, needlessly placed spies in danger and 'raises serious concerns regarding CSIS's accountability mechanisms.' Story continues below advertisement In September 2022, the episode prompted Marco Mendicino, the public safety minister at the time, to ask the review agency to look at whether CSIS and the Public Safety Department were effectively supporting ministerial responsibility. 2:11 CSIS watchdog flags 'gaps' in flow of information Ultimately the sensitive operation in question was allowed to proceed after a delay. But the review reveals that senior CSIS officials had difficulty grappling with its temporary suspension. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At one point the CSIS director sent an email to senior officials within key security and intelligence portfolios stating, 'time is quickly running out and the situation is getting much more tense on the ground. We need a decision tomorrow.' The report indicates there was also uncertainty over who had authority to resume the operation. The review agency found that CSIS and the Public Safety Department failed in their responsibilities to 'provide timely and accurate information' to the public safety minister about elements of the operation. Story continues below advertisement The report concludes the system of ministerial accountability for CSIS 'is in need of serious attention.' Building a stronger system now will help prepare for future operations and reduce the likelihood of a repeat of past confusion and risk, the report adds. It recommends that when a decision affecting an active CSIS operation is not made by the spy service's director or delegates, it must come as a direction from the public safety minister and should be accompanied by a written record. It also urges the public safety minister to ensure the deputy minister obtains any information required to fulfil their responsibility to provide independent advice to the minister about CSIS activities and operations.
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Halting spy operation placed CSIS team in unnecessary danger, watchdog report says
Published May 30, 2025 • 2 minute read A sign for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service building is shown in Ottawa on May 14, 2013. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — A new spy watchdog report says an overseas Canadian Security Intelligence Service operation was suddenly halted by government officials, 'creating unnecessary danger for the CSIS team' and raising questions about ministerial accountability. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency found no written records indicating the decision to suspend the operation had been made by the CSIS director or the minister of public safety. The review agency says that unlike typical operational matters, the case involved senior political-level actors from across the federal government. The heavily redacted review agency report provides few clues about the actors in question or the nature of the overseas CSIS operation. However, it says the decision to halt the activities abroad in mid-operation caused harm to Canada's reputation, needlessly placed spies in danger and 'raises serious concerns regarding CSIS's accountability mechanisms.' In September 2022, the episode prompted Marco Mendicino, the public safety minister at the time, to ask the review agency to look at whether CSIS and the Public Safety Department were effectively supporting ministerial responsibility. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ultimately the sensitive operation in question was allowed to proceed after a delay. But the review reveals that senior CSIS officials had difficulty grappling with its temporary suspension. At one point the CSIS director sent an email to senior officials within key security and intelligence portfolios stating, 'time is quickly running out and the situation is getting much more tense on the ground. We need a decision tomorrow.' The report indicates there was also uncertainty over who had authority to resume the operation. The review agency found that CSIS and the Public Safety Department failed in their responsibilities to 'provide timely and accurate information' to the public safety minister about elements of the operation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The report concludes the system of ministerial accountability for CSIS 'is in need of serious attention.' Building a stronger system now will help prepare for future operations and reduce the likelihood of a repeat of past confusion and risk, the report adds. It recommends that when a decision affecting an active CSIS operation is not made by the spy service's director or delegates, it must come as a direction from the public safety minister and should be accompanied by a written record. It also urges the public safety minister to ensure the deputy minister obtains any information required to fulfil their responsibility to provide independent advice to the minister about CSIS activities and operations. Crime Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Raptors Sunshine Girls
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Liberals Embrace Islamic Extremism in Canada
When FBI director Kash Patel condemned Canada allowing Islamic terrorists to gain a foothold in North America, Canadian politicians and pundits, including new Prime Minister Mark Carney, dismissed Patels assertions as baseless fearmongering. Unfortunately, it is clear that the Trump administration is correct: Radical Islamic ideology has become endemic in Canada over the past decade. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service itself has confirmed that, since 2015, radical Islamic ideology has become commonplace throughout Canadian society, as a result of the porous borders and the Liberal governments unwillingness to effectively regulate the influx of international migration into Canada. Numerous terrorist leaders and those with intimate connections to terrorist organizations such as Samidoun and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have been permitted to migrate within the Canadian state and promote their own nihilistic ideology over the past decade. Islamic schools in Canada are not compelled to abide by a standardized curriculum and, consequently, covertly promote radical Islamic ideology and extremism to vulnerable children in Canada. At one prominent Islamic school in Canada, the East End Madrassah, administrators were recently pressured to issue a public apology after it was exposed for "… teaching children that treacherous Jews conspired to kill the Islamic Prophet Mohammed." Since 2015, explicit Islamic terrorist acts have become increasingly prevalent in Canada. According to data from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, "[N]early a dozen terrorism-related incidents [have occurred] in Canada or abroad involving Canadians" since Oct. 7, 2023, alone. In addition), "The number of terrorism charges laid in Canada jumped 488% last year" and "Canadian police have foiled six terrorist plots in the last 12 months alone, with arrests spanning from Edmonton to Ottawa to Toronto." The Liberal government recently publicly downplayed a report from the United Kingdoms Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office that a "terror attack attempt in Canada is very likely." The globally renowned Counter Extremism Project has recently reported that "within the past few decades, several hundred Canadian civilians have been killed or injured in incidents related to violent extremism," and that, in spite of the glib posturing and "apparent policy shifts in the Trudeau government, Canada has historically viewed violent Islamist extremism as one of the leading threats to its national security." In addition, the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre recently warned the Canadian government that Canada will likely "experience a lone-wolf terror attack soon ... and antisemitism is overwhelmingly the motivating factor." And to Kash Patels point, over the past decade Canadas porous borders and the Liberal governments tolerance of Islamic extremism have functioned in concert to enable various terrorists to transgress from Canada into America to commit crimes and even mass murder. In 2024, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a longtime resident of Canada, attempted to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS in New York City, and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the ISIS terrorist who committed the horrific "Bourbon Street Attack" in New Orleans, was also previously permitted to travel freely between Canada and the U.S. Furthermore, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service itself has long recognized Canadas modern transformation into an exporter of Islamic terrorism and for years has attempted to "monitor and respond to the threat of Canadian extremist travellers (CETs)." According to Director Patel and the FBI, "over 300 known or suspected terrorists crossed into this country last year illegally … 85% of them came through [Canada and] the northern border," and "This year, 100 known or suspected terrorists have crossed into this country illegally, 64 or so from the north." Even Justin Trudeau, Canadas previous prime minister, was recently forced to admit that "bad actors … have been exploiting [Canadas] immigration system for their own interests." Despite all this, the Canadian political establishment and the media have stubbornly denied any suggestion that Islamic extremism has successfully entrenched itself within Canada. More importantly, it is readily apparent that until the Liberal government starts to earnestly secure Canadas borders and begins to excise Islamic extremism from within Canadian society, Canada will continue to serve as a womb for Islamic extremism in North America and a constant source of terrorism in the U.S. William Barclay is a political theorist and private consultant. His work has been published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, Palgrave-Macmillan, The Hill Times, and the Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, among others. Follow him on Twitter/X @WillBarclayBBC.
CBC
29-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
New Arctic security institute encourages diplomacy with the U.S. on northern defence
Social Sharing The public launch of the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security on Thursday provided some baseline information on northern defence — and highlighted the need for continued relations with the U.S. military amid current political tensions. The Yukon-based institute, which received $300,000 from Ottawa last November, hosted "Conference Zero" at the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse. Speakers represented the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other federal agencies, as well as the U.S. Consulate. The institute is a Yukon government project, although its mandate is to eventually separate from government and establish itself as an independent think-tank. It's steered by the premier and a development board representing the federal government, Council of Yukon First Nations and Yukon University. Premier Ranj Pillai said the institute will bring decisions about Arctic security — and related infrastructure investments — to the local level. During his remarks to the conference, Pillai conceded that Arctic security discussions run parallel with heightening political tensions between Canada and the U.S. He recalled a "chilling" recent meeting between Canadian premiers and the U.S. deputy chief of staff in Washington, D.C. "The first comment was, 'Your problems will go away if you become the 51st state,'" Pillai said — arresting all hope for a congenial conversation about new trade opportunities. Despite this, the Canadian North still has a working relationship with the U.S. on defense, Pillai said. The institute itself is modelled after the Ted Stevens Centre for Arctic Security Studies in Anchorage, Alaska. Andrew Smith, intergovernmental relations officer with the Yukon government, is the project lead and sole coordinator for the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security. He said they have maintained a positive relationship with their counterparts in Alaska despite political tensions. "They [at the Stevens Centre] know that having these conversations, getting people together, building leadership together, is going to benefit us on both sides," Smith said. "Regardless of external factors — things have to outlast that." U.S. Consul General spoke on strengthening cross-boundary relationships U.S. Consul General Jim Dehart, whose consular district includes B.C. and the Yukon, spoke at the conference. Dehart declined to speak at length about the Trump administration, but offered one piece of advice: "Take [the president] at face value. Take what he says seriously, even take it literally, and go from there." The U.S.'s national strategy for the Arctic, which was introduced in 2022 and drafted plans for defence and environmental protections, went out with the previous administration, Dehart said. The Trump administration will eventually write its own plan. Dehart said his office still wants to strengthen cross-border relationships, like the one between the Yukon and Alaska, and to continue to approach defence diplomatically. "I think to be most effective, we need the utmost collaboration with Canada," Dehart said. "Personally, I want that to be seamless. It's pretty important." Dehart also criticized Canada's spending on NATO. "It's trending in the right direction, but quite honestly, Canada has a ways to go," he said. Arctic facing 'unprecedented number of threats': CSIS Nicole Giles addressed the conference on behalf of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Giles said the Arctic is facing an unprecedented number of threats. "Quite frankly, they are beginning to overwhelm our capacities to confront alone," Giles said. Giles said there's a broad range of threats, from foreign interference to violent extremism and cyber attacks. He added that those threats are targeting all levels of government, from the territorial level to First Nations governments and even school councils. "The bottom line, from our perspective, is that national security is no longer the sole domain of the federal government," Giles said. "Those attending this conference may be targets of national security threats, but you're also part of the solution."
Al Jazeera
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Canada warns of election threats from China, Russia, India and Pakistan
China and India are likely to attempt to interfere in upcoming elections, Canada's intelligence agency has warned, adding that Russia and Pakistan also pose a potential threat. The deputy director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said on Tuesday that the agency is braced for efforts to meddle in the April 28 vote. Ottawa's relations with China and India in particular have been strained. Vanessa Lloyd told a media conference that such countries are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to interfere in elections around the globe. China is 'highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada's democratic process in this current election,' she said. India has the 'intent and capability' to do likewise, she continued, adding that Russia and Pakistan could also potentially seek to interfere. 'It's often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results,' the spy chief said. 'Nevertheless, threat activities can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada's democratic processes and institutions.' The accusations will do little to improve tense relations between Canada and China or India. Ottawa recently condemned China's use of the death penalty after Beijing said four Canadian citizens were executed on drug smuggling charges. Six Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada last year over allegations that they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists in the country. Asked about the CSIS warning, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs retorted that Beijing has always resisted interfering in foreign countries' internal affairs and had 'never had any interest in interfering in Canada's internal affairs'. China and India have denied similar allegations from Canada in the past, which has only antagonised frayed relations. Ottawa reported in January that the pair had meddled in elections in both 2019 and 2021. The Foreign Interference Commission said that while interference was not a new phenomenon, it was rising, and the methods were changing. Canadians will head to the polls next month after Prime Minister Mark Carney this week triggered the vote, seeking to build on his Liberal Party's momentum since the start of the year. That momentum has been driven by the trade war unleashed by United States President Donald Trump. However, Canada is also embroiled in trade tiffs with China. Beijing in early March announced tariffs on more than $2.6bn worth of Canadian agricultural and food products in retaliation for levies on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products imposed last year. The World Trade Organization said on Monday that Canada had launched a complaint against China. The spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Beijing's 'countermeasures are completely reasonable and in accordance with the law'. 'We urge Canada to take concrete actions to correct its wrong practices and provide normal trade and cooperation for the two countries' enterprises,' they added.
