Former intelligence officials warn politicians to open their eyes to realities of espionage
A new study says virtually no Canadian understands how espionage is really done, beyond the 'fantasy' of fictional spies like James Bond.
OTTAWA — Canadian politicians considering the creation of a foreign spy service must decide "with their eyes wide open" about the deadly serious and misunderstood business of espionage, a new study by former intelligence officials says.
"Virtually no Canadian knows how espionage is actually done," says the paper by former Canadian intelligence officials Alan Barnes and Geoff St. John.
"Romantic, facile notions predominate. Those bemused, or deceived, by the fictions of page and screen would benefit by learning how espionage is really done."
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The study, published this month on the website of the Policy Insights Forum, comes as the federal government prepares a national security strategy update and a parliamentary committee examines Canada’s foreign intelligence capabilities.
The authors urge policymakers to 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. Those of John le Carré are the best examples, but professionals have even found fault with some of his characterizations of espionage. Ian Fleming’s Agent 007 exploits are pure fantasy. Bond films are not documentaries."
Espionage involves hostile, undercover acts to learn things otherwise unknowable, breaking the laws of the country where agents operate, the paper notes.
The authors distinguish between the intelligence officers who work for espionage agencies and the agents they recruit abroad to ferret out secrets.
They argue that the fundamental question is what purpose a Canadian espionage agency would serve, not simply having one.
"Instead, the discussion should start by identifying the fundamental requirement, 'Canada has a vital need for information on X which can only be obtained through espionage', before proceeding to consideration of the practical issues of actually establishing a new agency for this purpose," the paper says.
No espionage agency Canada could afford could ever produce enough reports to replace the flood of raw information it receives from allies, the authors add.
"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.
"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’s spies was otherwise considered a friend."
The agents spying for Canada would face severe risks, the paper points 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 also face risks, with those operating under non-official cover facing greater dangers.
Foreign governments might also use the existence of a Canadian espionage agency as a pretext for arresting Canadian citizens and claiming they were spies, it says.
The authors say getting espionage right is very difficult.
Barnes worked as an analyst and manager in the Canadian intelligence community for over 25 years and is a senior fellow at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
St. John, a retired member of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch, is director of the national security studies program at the Policy Insights Forum.
Canada has regularly considered creating its own version of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service since the end of the Second World War.
Canada already has some intelligence capabilities through the Communications Security Establishment, Global Affairs Canada and the military, while the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is limited to gathering foreign intelligence only within Canada.
With files from The Canadian Press, Winnipeg Sun and CityNews