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A new study by former Canadian intelligence officials says politicians considering a foreign espionage agency must understand how real espionage works and weigh serious risks, as Ottawa updates its national security strategy.
OTTAWA - Espionage is a deadly serious and generally misunderstood business, and it is critical for Canadian politicians thinking about starting a foreign spy service to decide with their eyes wide open, a new study says.
The study is being published this month on the website of the Policy Insights Forum, the research wing of the lobbying firm Samuel Associates. It was written by former Canadian intelligence officials Alan Barnes and Geoff St. John. The findings arrive as the federal government prepares a long-awaited update of its national security strategy, and as the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians examines Canada foreign intelligence gathering capabilities.
Virtually no Canadian knows how espionage is actually done, the paper says, and romantic, facile notions predominate. Barnes worked as an analyst and manager in the Canadian intelligence community for over 25 years and is a senior fellow at Carleton University Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. St. John is a retired member of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch and director of the national security studies program at the Policy Insights Forum.
Drawing on their own experience and the literature, the authors attempted to go beyond familiar arguments about setting up an espionage agency. They looked at what such spy services actually do, along with the full range of factors politicians need to consider.
Separate Fictional Spies From Reality
First and foremost, they write, policymakers must set aside the exploits of fictional spies like James Bond. Ninety-nine per cent of all espionage fiction is pure junk, the paper says. Only a few fictional works have any merit, according to the study. Those of John le Carre are the best examples, but professionals have even found fault with some of his characterizations of espionage.
Ian Fleming Agent 007 exploits are pure fantasy, and Bond films are not documentaries. Espionage, the clandestine collection of information by people, involves hostile, undercover acts to learn things otherwise unknowable. Such actions break the laws of the country where agents operate, the paper notes. The authors take pains to distinguish the intelligence officers who work for espionage agencies from the agents they recruit abroad to ferret out secrets.
Imagine you run an espionage agency tasked with finding out what senior generals say about invading a neighbouring country, the paper suggests. In the Hollywood version, one of your intelligence officers would infiltrate the meeting and report what was said. This is rank nonsense, the authors write. The obstacles are insurmountable.
Even if an officer with the right background and language fluency could be assigned, and even if they could find a way into the meeting, they would be instantly recognized as a fraud. No, much, much better to have one of the generals tell you what was said, the paper says. Far better to suborn one of them, or perhaps the note taker, or an official who gets the meeting notes, to learn what transpired, according to the study.
Existing Canadian Intelligence Agencies Overview
Canada already has some eyes and ears on the world. The Communications Security Establishment, Canada cyberspy agency, collects foreign intelligence through electronic means. Global Affairs Canada contributes diplomatic reporting, while the military gathers defence-specific intelligence. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is permitted to gather intelligence in Canada and abroad about security threats such as terrorism and espionage.
It is allowed to gather foreign intelligence only within Canada, not overseas. Foreign intelligence means information about the activities, capabilities and intentions of foreign people, organizations and states. Since the end of the Second World War, Canada has regularly considered creating its own version of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or Britain Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI-6. The fundamental question is what purpose a Canadian espionage agency would serve, the paper says.
Often the question takes a back seat to enthusiasm for simply having a spy agency, the authors lament. Instead, the discussion should start by identifying the fundamental requirement, the paper says. That means establishing that Canada has a vital need for information on X which can only be obtained through espionage. Only then should practical issues of establishing a new agency be considered.
Limited Output And Diplomatic Repercussions
No espionage agency that Canada can afford could ever produce enough reports to replace the flood of raw information Canada receives from allies, the paper adds. A Canadian espionage agency might be able to generate several hundred reports a year. And then it could only report on selected, narrow areas of Canadian interest, not all our interests. The exposure of Canadian espionage operations would have diplomatic, political and economic repercussions, the authors warn.
The foreign affairs minister and Canadian diplomats would have to deal with the fallout and try to limit the effect on Canada interests, the paper says. In some cases the diplomatic response might be limited to the expulsion of diplomats. But the repercussions could be more severe if the foreign country targeted by Canada spies was otherwise considered a friend.
Physical And Legal Risks To Agents
And the agents, the foreigners spying for Canada, would face very real physical, legal and psychological risks, the authors point out. At best, if caught passing on secret material to a Canadian intelligence officer, he or she can expect a long prison sentence. At worst, the agent may be tortured and executed. It is a certainty that one or more agents spying for Canada will be found out eventually, the paper says.
Canadian espionage officers would face risks as well. Those operating under embassy cover will have some protection, but those without diplomatic immunity could face arrest and prosecution.
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CP24:Canada should only form new spy service if it sees real need: study 
CTVToronto:Canada should only form new spy service if it sees real need: studyThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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