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The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is a civilian intelligence agency of Canada's federal government that collects, monitors and analyzes information that may affect national security. CSIS activities encompass security intelligence of both national and international scope. CSIS may also be referred to by its French name: Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS).
Mission CSIS's official mission statement declares: "The people of CSIS are dedicated to the protection of Canada's national security interests and the safety of Canadians". CSIS acts solely as a domestic service to collect intelligence to protect Canada from internal and external threats. Canada is the only developed nation not to have an active foreign intelligence department. CSIS officers and surveillance personnel may sometimes work internationally in their efforts to monitor and counter threats to Canadian security. CSIS is an entirely civilian agency, and thus officers and personnel do not carry firearms, in constrast with the equivalent Special Branch agencies in other Commonwealth nations and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. History CSIS was founded in 1984 by an act of the Parliament of Canada, following a recommendation of the McDonald Commission. That Commission advised removing responsibility for intelligence from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, specifically the RCMP Security Service. Prior to the establishment of CSIS, the RCMP, which is Canada's federal police service, was responsible for intelligence and counterintelligence activities. The agency officially commenced operations on 16 July 1984, with Thomas D'Arcy "Ted" Finn appointed as its first Director. Headquarters
Directors Previous directors of CSIS are: Programs The Operational Programs of CSIS include: Permission to put a subject under surveillance is granted by the Target Approval and Review Committee. Security Liaison Officers (SLOs) of CSIS are posted at Canadian embassies and consulates to gather security-related intelligence from other nations. This information may be gathered from other national intelligence agencies, law enforcement services and public sources. SLOs also assess potential immigrants to Canada for security issues. As a civilian agency rather than a law enforcement agency, CSIS employees neither have arrest powers nor may they carry weapons. Oversight The activities of CSIS are regularly reviewed on behalf of Parliament by the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). It is also under the portfolio of the federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (Canada). Controversies CSIS has occaisionally come under criticism, such as in the apparent bungling of the investigation into the 1985 Air India bombing. In 1999, classified documents were stolen from the car of a CSIS agent who was attending a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. The Security Intelligence Review Committee reportedly investigated this incident. See also Notes | ||||||||||
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