SPY AGENCY TARGET SHROUDED IN MYSTERY

EAVESDROPPING Military asks for help with domestic project

Canada’s electronic eavesdropping agency has been brought in to support the Canadian military for an operation within the country, according to documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

The Department of National Defence confirms it has requested such assistance but is tight-lipped about the details, adding that it conducts its intelligence activities within existing laws or directives from the government.

The request for an intelligence-gathering operation by the Communications Security Establishment was for the period starting Jan. 1, 2016, and ending on Dec. 31, the heavily censored briefing note said. The request was filed last year with DND deputy minister John Forster, the former head of the CSE.

The request was made by then Maj.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk, who was commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command.

“I formally request the support of the Communications Security Establishment in the ongoing provision of domestic operational Electronics Intelligence support to DND/CAF,” wrote Wynnyk, who has been since promoted and appointed commander of the Canadian Army.

The document was obtained by the Citizen using the Access to Information law.

In making his request, Wynnyk cited a ministerial directive on electronic intelligence assistance in support of law enforcement and security agencies as well as the National Defence Act.

In addition, Wynnyk made a request for CSE support in intelligence gathering for forces overseas.

DND spokesman Evan Koronewski said that, for reasons of operational security, specific information about the requests for assistance from CSE cannot be provided.

“The Canadian Forces Intelligence Command regularly works with partners within the Canadian intelligence community as needed, in order to support Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces operational requirements,” he noted.

The command “conducts all of its defence intelligence activities in accordance with applicable laws, as well as government of Canada ministerial policies and directives,” he added.

Bill Robinson, an analyst who keeps a watch on CSE activities, said the request for the spy agency’s support for overseas operations is likely for the Iraq mission. He noted that CSE has acknowledged it is providing technical support for that mission; that role is specifically for protecting the troops from a terrorist attack.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has also talked about Canada providing more intelligence-gathering support to the war effort against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

CSE played a key role during the Afghan war, providing information to the Canadian army on the movement of Taliban forces as well as their top commanders.

Robinson said the request for support for a domestic operation is a little more puzzling. CSE is usually involved in interception of foreign communications but can become involved in a domestic operation if a federal security organization makes the request for assistance and if proper ministerial directives are followed, he said.

Usually, a federal security or defence agency that needed to be involved in the interception of phone calls or other communications would require a warrant and such intercepts would be handled through telecommunications companies providing the service to the intended target, Robinson added.

In this case the spy operation might be more complicated and require the CSE’s expertise, Robinson said.

In November, the latest parliamentary estimates noted that the government spent $605.6 million on the CSE this year.

With more than 2,000 employees, the CSE’s chief mandate is intercepting, decoding and analyzing the electronic signals emanating from foreign adversary nations and overseas threat actors.

Much of the work takes place at the agency’s new $1.1-billion, 775,000-squarefoot east Ottawa headquarters, a display of the importance government places on the CSE, which reports to the minister of national defence.

The CSE also is responsible for government cyber defences.

Paul Wynnyk