Canada's high-tech spies leave Lamer in the dark

[CHIMO]

Ottawa — The watchdog over Canada's eavesdropping agency says he's not getting the detailed information he needs to be sure the secretive spy outfit is obeying the rules.

In his annual report, Antonio Lamer laments a “lack of clarity” in the information the Communications Security Establishment provides when seeking ministerial permission for sensitive operations.

The Ottawa-based CSE, an ultra-secret wing of the Defence Department, monitors foreign radio, telephone, fax, satellite and computer traffic for information of interest to Canada. The intelligence is used in support of Canadian crime-fighting, defence and trade policies.

Military listening posts assist the agency's efforts to intercept the communications of foreign states and organizations, as well as the phone calls and messages of suspected terrorists, drug traffickers and smugglers.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060626.wcse0626/BNStory/National/home

[struggle4progress]

1. The Canadians have the same problem with the spooks we do:

no oversight.

[CHIMO]

2. Perhaps

But if one realizes what is happening, then the US could obtain all the data it wants by using an external government to obtain the information legally.

Sort of I'll scratch your back if ...

[struggle4progress]

3. OP is about Canadian official unable to obtain info on Canadian spooks

We have that trouble here, too, and we've had it for a long time ...

[CHIMO]

4. Yep

But the reason that I posted here was to point out that a government friendly to the aspirations of the US government could obtain the internal information on US citizens and pass it along in an informal way. Then that government could return the favour. All done legally in both countries.

So if one wants to know where the information is coming from to initiate a legal investigation, for whatever is the flavour of the day, well it could be coming from any foreign snoop.