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Lorna Mills and Sally McKay
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Geopolitically speaking, we are considered enchanting and as cute as buttons. (If anyone should ask, this would be the most central and forceful argument in this blog) That said, everyone loves our passports. (but this may be more of a curse)
An interesting story on passport abuse was done on CTV's W-Five about allegations of a passport fraud ring within the Canadian High Commission in Hong Kong that operated in the 90's, prior to the British hand-over to main land China. (I recall that the Canadian business community were peeing their pants in excited anticipation of all that investment money that would arrive here.)
But even more fascinating events occurred in 1997, when Mossad agents, carrying Canadian passports, were arrested in Jordan for the attempted assassination of a Hammas leader named Khaled Mashall.
Canadian officials quickly claimed that the passports were forgeries, but Norman Spector, a former Canadian ambassador to Israel, AND chief of staff to former (Yay! Former!) Prime Minister Brian Mulroney made the claim that Canadian secret services routinely dangled passports to other security services. Basically we ain't got much when its time to trade info with the other services, so here, take a few passports, and by the way, would you happen to know what the U.S. is bidding on that grain sale to the Ukraine?
Be reassured that an official signal of our displeasure over this event was proposed and perhaps even delivered.
I also googled for images of everyone else and their passports, but this is all I found for you.
How dare he not want my passport.
I get the Strategic Forcasting Intelligence Report, (for just ten Rambo bucks a year) so I can pepper my conversation with terms like standard analysis, non-rational calculations and intrinsic geopolitical weight. Their writing style flatters the reader, and I am strongly in favour of being flattered for reading. (writing well is too difficult, so I don't bother)
"Stratfor clients consistently receive the advance warning they need to be prepared, identify challenges to their operations and manage strategic risks. When others are paralyzed by the overload of fragmented news coverage, political bias and loss of perspective, Stratfor’s readers are able to focus ahead and understand the real geopolitical and economic impact of world events – for making their most important decisions every day."
I shit you not. It works for me. I get premium insights.
What's up with this crazy Danish dog?
"Här har "Freddie" hunnit bli 6 månader gammal."
Screen shot from "English", an on-going video project
Covert Entry covers most of the bases for CSIS misbehaviour, including illegal surveillance through their access to Canada Post (and the agency has been very helpful with Telus and their labour problems!)
This book also includes the sort of info I love to know: CSIS agents hang out at the Timothy's coffee shop on Front Street near their Toronto headquarters, but they really, really love the Starbucks on the corner of Queen & John. As do I.
I am not sure if they also love Pages Books & Magazines, located near their fave Starbucks, but I have it on very good authority that if they do shop at Pages, they most certainly DO NOT have a special discount card for preferred customers!
I also came upon a site from a company called C.S.I.S. that I assume is their gift store.
...and this little well dressed doggy can also be found at CSIS.
CSIS was formed to spy domestically, but with the government oversight that the RCMP lacked. (yup, that sure made a difference) But, bless their little hearts, they meant well. And until September 11, to most of us (those who didn't belong to a trade union, left wing political party, anti-globalization organization etc.), they still had an endearing image as lovable bumblers, leaving government issued laptops in their cars, only to be stolen from the parked vehicle while they were watching a hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Could happen to anyone. You remove your wet footwear at the door and before you know it, someone's stolen your shoe phone.
From an especially hard hitting November 16, 1999 Hansard debate on this theft:
Mr. Jim Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, we know that top secret documents were stolen from a CSIS operative. In the minister's own words, he received a report from CSIS immediately.
I remind him that section 20, paragraph 2 of the CSIS act says specifically that the minister in turn must send the report with his comments to the Attorney General of Canada and SIRC. He did not do this. Why did the minister break the law?
The Speaker: I ask members to be very judicious in their choice of words.
Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, when I was informed by the director of CSIS, he also informed me that the inspector general was conducting an investigation, CSIS was conducting an investigation, and the process was proceeding as it should proceed.
Mr. Jim Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, I will read section 20(2) to the solicitor general again. It says that the minister in turn must send the report with his comments to the Attorney General of Canada and to the Security Intelligence Review Committee.
He did not do that. He received a report from CSIS. He did not send the report to the Security Intelligence Review Committee. Is that not a breaking of this statute?
Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Solicitor General of Canada, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, as I indicated to my hon. colleague, the director of CSIS verbally indicated to me what happened and at the same time he indicated to me that the inspector general of CSIS was conducting an investigation and that CSIS was conducting an investigation"
And a Jolly time was had by all.
I found the above exchange on Jim Abbott's web site after some random googles on the subject. He seems to be actually proud of this.
On CSIS from the very perky Facts Canada site:
"Most nations are concerned with both their internal and external security affairs. Canada is no exception. Since 1984 our country has been placing its security affairs in the hands of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or, as it is commonly called, CSIS. CSIS was formed to handle these affairs in order that a dedicated group be awarded the mandate previously held by a branch of the RCMP. The RCMP, with a lot on its own plate, was found ill equipped to deal with national security concerns."
That would be the adorable way of saying that the MacDonald Commission of Inquiry into Certain Acts of the RCMP (and I don't make up all these expressions, my American friends) found that the RCMP's security branch were a bit too busy illegally infiltrating political parties, labour unions, and compiling security intelligence dossiers on tens of thousands of Canadian citizens.